# Contemporary music for or featuring the harpsichord



## Mahlerian

I've heard Eliott Carter's Double Concerto and his Sonata that includes this instrument, as well as Ligeti's pieces for it (and Takemitsu's sole work, Rain Dreaming). I think it's intriguing to use an antiquated instrument in a new context, not unlike using a dead language for its sound as much for its meaning.

Any other interesting uses of the harpsichord in contemporary (post-1950) music that people know of?


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## GioCar

Philip Glass:
The harpsichord Concerto.

A neo-baroque-minimalist piece in the typical style of the composer, although interesting and amusing.


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## Winterreisender

I don't know (off the top of my head) any post-1950 pieces for harpsichord, but if you are willing to look a few years earlier, there is a nice piece by the English composer Walter Leigh called "Concertino for Harpsichord and Strings." It is a short, lively piece written in a deliberately old-fasioned style, making use of baroque dance forms.


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## dgee

I vaguely remembered mention of a Dutilleux chamber piece with harpsichord and an internet search has found "Les citations for oboe, harpsichord, double bass and percussion (1991)" - never heard it but if you track it down please report back!

The Carter double concerto is great!


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## Aramis

Not that I would be great fan, but since you ask, I recall that Górecki wrote a work for harpsichord:


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## Sid James

Re *Dutilleux*, I got his Symphony #2 "Le Double" which has a harpsichord in it. The work reminds me in some ways of the old concerto grosso, with a small group of instruments - incl. the harpsichord as well as trumpet and violin, great solos for these here - contrasting with the whole orchestra. Its as if the harpsichord had been left on the stage after a Baroque gig the night before.

Speaking of modernised concerto grossi, you got* Schnittke's* ones, some of them have harpsichord as part of the ensemble. Part of the reason he went back to using such ancient instruments - as well as prepared/amplified pianos - in the 1970's is because in the old USSR there wasn't the funding available for the latest whiz bang technology being used in the West, eg. by Boulez and Stockhausen. So ironically Schnittke went back to the past to use instruments that sound wierd in a modern context.

In the 1950's American innovator *Henry Cowell *wrote a Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord which combines modern techniques such as tone clusters with the vibes of a Baroque suite.


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## starthrower

Penderecki-Partita For Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra. Available on the EMI 2 disc set conducted by the composer.
http://www.amazon.com/Penderecki-Co...F8&qid=1384469869&sr=1-12&keywords=penderecki


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## Prodromides

Hi, Mahlerian.

Sounds as though you'd be interested in tracking down a defunct Finlandia CD:

FACD 357 (from 1987)










I recommend Jukka Tiensuu's pieces for solo harpsichord, but with a program also including Xenakis & Sciarrino & Saariaho ... well, the CD recommends itself.


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## joen_cph

Some really great works are

_Pawel Szymanski_ (sometimes called Symanski) "Partita" for harpsichord and orchestra

_Joonas Kokkonen_ "Durch einen Spiegel" for harpsichord and string orchestra. Very catchy, a bit Shostakovich-like.

_Nikolai Badinski_ "Concerto, Omaggio a Bach" - complicated, difficult and modern, I can´t claim to have cracked it, but at times it seems attractive. The last part is Gorecki- or Penderecki-like and very motoric, somewhat violent, but the LP liner notes tell of an inspiration from Bach´s Toccatas.

_Iannis Xenakis_ "Komboi" for harpsichord and percussion. One of Xenakis most accessible works with quite simple-sounding rhythms and a more divertimento-like atmosphere.


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## arpeggio

*Elisabeth Chojnacka, Harpsichord; Sylvio Gualda, Percussions*

The only album that I have is currently out of print.

See: http://www.amazon.com/Elisabeth-Chojnacka-Harpsichord-Sylvio-Percussions/dp/B0082ZOZ38/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_3_39?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1384480881&sr=1-39&keywords=aperghis


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## shed

Although it's not a chamber work, I like Roberto Gerhard's Concerto for Harpsichord, String Orchestra and Percussion from '56:


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## arpeggio

*Arsenic and Old Lace*

While rummaging through my library I found another work.

Jukka Tiensuu: _Arsenic and Old Lace_. It is a work for microtonally tuned harpsichord and string quartet. I do not know the significance of the title. I am listening to the work right now and for me it is a lot of fun.

See: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=7157&name_role1=1&bcorder=1&comp_id=87129


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## ahammel

_Arsenic and Old Lace_ is a Cary Grant movie, isn't it?


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## Aramis

As contemporary as is gets, by composer who can still be considered of young generation:


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## joen_cph

ahammel said:


> _Arsenic and Old Lace_ is a Cary Grant movie, isn't it?


Details:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_and_Old_Lace_(film)

Perhaps another likely inspiration for the title could be the traditional association of the harpsichord with the Baroque age - and that era´s notorious use of arsenic as medicine, and lace as a widespread status symbol in its clothing/fashion. In that case a satirical twist.


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## ptr

I have several of Elżbieta Chojnacka's Erato (mostly) albums, You can find info about all or most of them on *Discogs*

Some works with harpsichord:

*Manfred Trojahn* - Kammerkonzert (1973)

*Michael Bastian Weiß* - Sonate über die Dunkelheit (Symphonie Nr. 2) for a two-manual harpsichord solo, op. 13 (2006)

I did a quick search at the Swedish MIC database and they list less then 20 works post 1950 that use or include Harpsichord.

/ptr


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## Guest

This Blu-ray (audio only--also comes with a regular CD) has stunning sound and playing:










Tracks:

1. Recitative and Toccata Percossa (1953) - Mel Powell (1923-1998)
2. Ostinato (from Set of Four, 1960) - Henry Cowell (1897-1965)
3. Spiders (1968) - Ned Rorem (b. 23 October, 1923)

Sonata (1982) - Samuel Adler (b. 4 March, 1928)
4. Fast, very rhythmic
5. Slowly and expressively
6. Very fast

Profiles (1982) - Robert Muczynski (1929-2010)
7. Moderato
8. Allegro

Three movements (1988) - Thomas Benjamin (b. 1940)
9. Prelude
10. Cantilena
11. Toccata

12. Saraband (1986) - Robert Moevs (1920-2007)
13. Gyre (1991) - Stephen Blumberg
14. Tourbillon Galaxy (2012) - Patricia Morehead (b. 1940)

Five Toccatas (2005) - Harold Meltzer (b. 1966)
15. Toccata no. 1
16. Toccata no. 2
17. Toccata no. 3
18. Toccata no. 4
19. Toccata no. 5


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## ptr

sifting through my CD collection I found a fun disc on French label Pierre Verany featuring the music of Astor Piazzolla played on two harpsichords by Duo Raskin-Milani!









Thoroughly recommended if You dig the very composed tangos of Piazzolla!

/ptr


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## norman bates

Maurice Ohana composed various pieces for harpsichord.





















by the way, while I was posting the links I've discovered this channel called Harpsichord in the twentieth century:


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## starthrower

^^^^
Love the Ohana stuff! His harpsichord CD on Timpani features some great music. 
It's an expensive import, but I gotta have it!


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## PetrB

ahammel said:


> _Arsenic and Old Lace_ is a Cary Grant movie, isn't it?







Well worth a watch if you haven't ever.


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## PetrB

After accessing my collected links 

Allen Sapp: Imaginary Creatures: A Bestiary for Credulous, for harpsichord and chamber orchestra
I. Halcyons / II. Basilisk / III. Unicorn / IV. Phoenix / V. Centaurs





George Barati ~ Harpsichord Quartet, for harpsichord, flute, oboe, english horn, bass





(now already mentioned) Maurice Ohana ~ Chiffres de clavecin


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## PetrB

norman bates said:


> ... while I was posting the links I've discovered this channel called Harpsichord in the twentieth century:


Great find! Thanks for that


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## ptr

This Hungarian work qualifies:






*Frigyes Hidas* (1928-2007) - Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings (1995)

Also check this TC-thread!

/ptr


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## norman bates

starthrower said:


> ^^^^
> Love the Ohana stuff! His harpsichord CD on Timpani features some great music.
> It's an expensive import, but I gotta have it!


He composed also great music for guitar (if I remember well you're a guitarist), his "Cadran lunaire" and "Si le jour parait" for solo ten strings guitar and his Concerto for guitar "tres graficos" are some of the most interesting works for the instrument I've heard imho. I have to say that I like everything I've listened of him. I don't know yet a lot of his music but "Cantigas", "Messe" and "Llanto for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias" are some of my favorites of the works of him I've listened.


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## PetrB

*from 1969...*

from 1969, but I aggressively assert this thread is really far less than complete without it.

John Cage HPSCHD, computer, tape, and one helluva sound piece / assemblage. 
ca. 22 minutes' duration


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## starthrower

norman bates said:


> He composed also great music for guitar (if I remember well you're a guitarist), his "Cadran lunaire" and "Si le jour parait" for solo ten strings guitar and his Concerto for guitar "tres graficos" are some of the most interesting works for the instrument I've heard imho. I have to say that I like everything I've listened of him. I don't know yet a lot of his music but "Cantigas", "Messe" and "Llanto for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias" are some of my favorites of the works of him I've listened.


I too have enjoyed most of what I've heard from Ohana. Si le jour parait is a fine work. I ordered three of his CDs yesterday.


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## Guest

Xenakis' Khoai:


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## lupinix

wasn't poulenc the first to write for the instrument after more than hundred year?


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## KenOC

lupinix said:


> wasn't poulenc the first to write for the instrument after more than hundred year?


Believe Falla's harpsichord concerto was written in 1926. Poulenc's Concert Champetre was about a year later. Both were written for Wanda Landowska.

Don't know if Falla's was a "first" but can't find anything earlier.


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## User in F minor

Edison Denisov wrote some that's quite worth hearing.


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## millionrainbows

You've got to have Frank Martin's harpsichord work, the Petite Symphony Concertante. There are several good versions out there. It's a work that stands up to much scrutiny, yet is always enjoyable.


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## Selby

Have you heard Alan Hovhaness' short Duet for Violin & Harpsichord, Op.122 (1957)?

I'm not sure if it is on youtube...

I have the OgreOgress recording:
http://www.classicalarchives.com/album/634479255021.html


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## cjvinthechair

Only just discovered this lovely thread, hence some 'likes' for posts way back last year !
Going to add a good few pieces, all of which I have downloads/CDs of, though not sure of the provenance of some of the downloads:
William Mathias - Harpsichord Concerto
Sandor Szokolay - Concertino for flute, strings & harpsichord
Tatyana Smirnova - Concerto for flute, strings & harpsichord
Ferenc Farkas - Concertino for harpsichord & strings
Ertugrul Firat - Harpsichord Concerto
Jaromir Podesva - Symphony no. 4 for flute, harpsichord & strings
Andrey Popov - 'Foggy Mirrors' for violin & harpsichord; Solo Concerto for guitar & harpsichord
Efrem Podgaits - Harpsichord Concerto
R. Murray Schafer - Concerto for harpsichord & winds
John Mccabe - Concertante for harpsichord & chamber orchestra
Jean-Michel Damase - Rameau Variations for harpsichord & orchestra
Georges Aperghis - 'Le Reste Du Temps' for cello, harpsichord & ensemble
Dobrinka Tabakova - 'Suite in Old Style' for viola, harpsichord & strings
Henri Dutilleux - 'Les Citations' for harpsichord, oboe, double bass & percussion
Ennio Porrino - Harpsichord Concerto
Weronika Ratusinka - 'Nymphs' for soprano saxophone & harpsichord.

Hope I've not rehashed too much there that's been mentioned before, & that you manage to find some if at all interested.


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## PetrB

Richard Rodney Bennett ~ Harpsichord concerto (1980)





John McCabe: Concertante for Harpsichord & Chamber Ensemble (1965)


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## joen_cph

A couple of recent entries in my collection are

*Franco Donatoni*:

"_Portrait_" for harpsichord and orchestra (1977). A nice work, with some distinctive sounds and patterns. Here played by Chojnacka 




"_Ash_", for 8 instruments, including harpsichord (1976)


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## Alypius

Mahlerian said:


> Any other interesting uses of the harpsichord in contemporary (post-1950) music that people know of?


Mahlerian, The first that came to mind were works by *Bohuslav Martinu*, who composed various works for harpsichord throughout his career. Once I checked the dates, I discovered that several (and the most interesting) were a bit earlier than you asked for but some were post 1950. Harpsichordist Monika Knoblokova has put them altogether on a single record (Supraphon, 2005). In any case they include:

Concerto for Harpischord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (1926)
Concerto for Harpischord (1935)
Promenades for Flute, Viola, and Harpsichord (1939)
Sonata for Harpsichord (1958)
Impromptus for Harpsichord (1959)


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