Harpsichord

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The harpsichord (actually from Italian harpsichord, from Latin: clavis " key"; cymbals " cymbal ", also Gravicembalo; German and harpsichord or piano Kiel; plural harpsichords ), is a historical keyboard instrument its heyday from the 15th to had 18th century. From other keyboard instruments, it stands out in particular through its bright, rich in overtones. It is when it wing- shaped structure (see below), also known as the harpsichord.

Tone

The tone of the harpsichord based on the fact that the strings are plucked by quills ( thorn shaped Picks ), the movable plug in jumpers, which in turn pushed up from the keys. One can therefore describe the harpsichord as " plucked string instrument with a keyboard ." When you release the button, the Springer falls back and dampens with his felt the string from.

Unlike the piano, the stop does not affect the sound volume. As an organ, a harpsichord but registers, ie, different from and switchable sets of strings have. This allows the sound in volume and color change. Since the registry is modified only on larger sections, designed to the musical performance substantially over the articulation and rubato.

Some harpsichords have a lute, a switchable attenuation, which mimics the delicate plucking a lute.

In -Baroque harpsichords further possibilities of Tonbeeinflussung were tested. So have the two-manual harpsichords English ( inter alia by Kirkman and Shudi ) a so-called cover sills, which can be opened or closed by means of a pedal. The dynamic effect is that of a swell of an organ but only conditionally compare. Some harpsichords of the 20th century, mostly in raster design, dynamic changes can sometimes within a register by the position of the keel can be changed to the strings. So the strings are ongoing, more or less touched. This device, however, has not proven.

The instrument manufacturer Roland from Japan has an electronic harpsichord with digital sound generation developed that not only reproduces the sound, but also takes into account the design of the classic prototype. Meanwhile, some ensembles have already been seen with the Roland - harpsichords on stage.

Designs

The harpsichord comes in two main types before:

  • During the actual harpsichord in wing shape ( " harpsichord " ) are the manuals with the mechanics at one end of the strings. Chance come (but only in modern instruments ) and pedal keyboards before. An upstanding wing shape has the Clavicytherium. The harpsichord often has two different string materials ( registers). Sometimes harpsichords are equipped with two manuals; they were often spent three strings Covers: Two of them sound at the same pitch with different timbre, the third sounds an octave higher. Following the footages pitch analog organ stop these registers are referred to as " eight-foot " and " leg model ". A harpsichord with three manuals was built by hate in Hamburg.
  • In spinets and the virgin (usually the only) Manual is perpendicular to the strings. These instruments usually have only one register. The range of housing types is almost unlimited. Spinets have more of a triangular, virginals, however, a basic rectangular shape.

There were in Flanders in the 16th and 17th century, the "Mother and Child " called large, rectangular virginal. It consisted of a in the normal position (8 ') sounding, rectangular Virginal, ca 1.75 m wide, the half as big 4'- Virginal could be placed. So you practically had a two-manual instrument with 8 ', 4' down and 4 ' above.

Apart from the always about 100 years pretty much the same built Ruckers instruments and their successors until 1700 mainly thin-walled, fundamental tone instruments are in England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Germany have been built, almost always one for the country of origin typical type of wood ( walnut in France, oak in Britain, cypress in Italy, etc.); from 1700, harpsichords were built from softwood then from different (but rare musical ) reasons, but the body strength was much thicker. The larger size ( the full 1730 to 1750 by about 5 octaves reached ) also called for more and more instruments, so that the original, " crunchy " sound was lost slowly; he was always quieter and more overtones. Even and especially in Italy, this development is visible on the resulting instruments.

History

The harpsichord has established itself in the Renaissance ( 15th to 16th century ) and had its heyday in the Baroque music, until it was gradually replaced by the pianoforte ( fortepiano ), displaced in the late 18th century. But for example, expects Mozart, especially in the early and middle " pianoforte " with a play on the harpsichord. Because of its penetrating sound the harpsichord was also continued as a continuo instrument in the opera in use.

The rediscovery of the harpsichord falls in the early 20th century and is closely linked to the Cembalistinnen Wanda Landowska and Eta Harich -Schneider. However, the soon -onset harpsichord boom brought forth instruments that were based on little historical models, but on contemporary pianos. So metal frame and other modern materials have been used, mostly to increase the strength of sound. The fact that the harpsichord sound was decried as lifeless and rigid long time, especially these new buildings is due.

With the advent of historical performance practice of early music was also a return to the instrument development tradition and a move to historic building materials and craft processes.

Thus, there are now two different instruments that are both called " Harpsichord ":

Important composers

Manufacturer

  • Germany:
  • Switzerland: Bernhard Fleig, Jörg Gobeli, Markus Krebs, David Ley, Mirko White
  • Italy ( South Tyrol): Hafner Konrad
  • England: Burkhardt Tschudi, Hitchcock, John Broadwood & Sons

More can be found in the category: harpsichord maker.

Harpsichordist

See list of harpsichordist and Category: harpsichordist

Similar instruments

  • Fortepiano
  • Spinet
  • Virginal
  • Archi Harpsichord
  • Clavecin brisé
  • Cymbal
  • Adiaphon
  • Clavichord
List of harpsichordists Articulation (music) Register (music) Renaissance music Pleyel et Cie Hugo Distler Michael Mietke Pascal Taskin John Bull (composer) Jean-Philippe Rameau Gottfried Silbermann Christian Zell Archicembalo Integrated Authority File
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