# Great Works for the Harpsichord



## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

Any suggestions? I know works by Bach and the book of harpsichord music by Couperin, Pieces de Clavecin. Or perhaps recordings of piano music that you have heard and liked on harpsichord. I would also very pleased to know about concertos or ensembles written for harpsichord.

Thanks a lot in advance.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

What a lovely idea for a thread. I love harpsichords especially when accompanied by other instruments. Here is a Vivaldi concerto.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Domenico Scarlatti

The Cat's Fugue so called by Clementi because it sounds like a cat on a keyboard!

Sonatas K 77-80 for Viola d'Amore and Harpsichord


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## PrimoUomo (Jul 7, 2013)

Nicolas Pancrace Royer: Pieces de Clavecin




Great and powerful music.


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

Rameau was, along with Couperin, one of the masters of French harpsichord music.






And don't Forget Händel. Here is his famous _Harmonious Blacksmith_ but the complete Harpsichord suites are worth listening to.






Byrd's harpsichord music is also enjoyable. Not much of it seems to be on YouTube, but this box set is worth the investment!


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

Thanks everybody! I know Scarlatti's music, and I have heard maybe about 50-60 of his sonatas - they are very good.

As for Rameau, Handel, Byrd and Royer - I will check them out soon.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Soler: 6 Quintets: 




Four major concertante works, besides the 18th-century concertos of C P E Bach, are

Martinu: Harpsichord Concerto 



Poulenc: Concert Champetre 



Joonas Kokkonen: Durch ein Spiegel
Pawel Szymanski (Symanski): Partita


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2014)

I know 3 of 5 composers in a joen_cph post. This has to be a record.


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## mwd (Apr 7, 2012)

This might be interesting.

I have had bad experiences with this instrument and until recently would keep well away from harpsichord recordings and recitals. 

My local music society held a recital some years ago in which a well known harpsichordist gave a recital on a brand new instrument which had been made to order for export by a local builder with excellent credentials. It seemed to me to by just as I believe Sir Thomas Beecham described, ‘skeletons dancing on a tin roof’.

However, I later acquired a couple of Japanese CD harpsichord recital recordings and they sounded great, almost as if it were a piano, no noise from the instruments movement and a softer less tinny sound altogether.
Now is it all to do with the instrument and the recording technique? 

I look forward to your thoughts.

MWD.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

You might want to try Manuel de Falla Harpsichord Concerto and Frank Martin Harpsichord concerto.
20th century compositions.


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## mikey (Nov 26, 2013)




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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Philip Glass wrote a very charming and pleasant-on-the-ear harpsichord concerto. It's somewhere on YouTube.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

There exist several recordings from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book - most of them employing a harpsichord. As you know, the harpsichord is a non-portable version of virginals. Blanche Winogron recorded selections from the book on stacked virginals for Dover; I don't know if that music has reached YouTube.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Regarding my recommendations: I love the 20th century "sound" on the harpsichord. So "gothic"! Whether it's Martinu, De Falla, Martin or Poulenc. Very "cool"!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I also love creepy movies that have that modern, eerie, gothic sounding harpsichord in the background.


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

To be honest, lately I like the harpsichord so much that I wonder why they bothered to make the piano. Sometimes the piano sounds so grubby and confusing - the harpsichord is clearer. The piano sounds like a dense actor - like Christian Bale, who acts like he is acting, while he is thinking about how to lose weight or gain it, or whether Gotham exists for real, and makes such a mess that you wonder how he looks in the mirror - while the harpsichord is like Robert DeNiro, really meaning something and not just posing.

Sorry Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann - I love your piano music - but sometimes I just wonder.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

For the older repertoire, in addition to Couperin, RAMEAU!
Complete Cembalo works ~ Scott Ross





and the Pieces de clavecin en concert (with instruments)





This TC thread has a smattering.
http://www.talkclassical.com/29070-contemporary-music-featuring-harpsichord.html
I swear there is another with earlier 20th century works, much of that neoclassical.

Here are a number of those 'standard' 20th century works, many of which are pure delight. Some may be more 'modern' than your general taste, but do give each and all a play or two 

Francis Poulenc: Concert champêtre, for harpsichord and orchestra





Manuel de Falla: Concerto for harpsichord, flute, oboe, clarient, violin and 'cello





Vittorio Rieti ~ 
Concerto for harpsichord and orchestra (1957) -- not as widely known, imo, 'wonderful.'




Partita for flute, oboe, string quartet and harpsichord





Bohuslav Martinů Concerto for Harpsichord and Small Orchestra





Frank Martin: Concerto per clavicembalo e piccola orchestra (1952)





Jean Françaix ~
Harpsichord Concerto (1959)




L'Insectarium (harpsichord solo)





Gian Francesco Malipiero: Dialogo VI, for harpsichord and orchestra









Elliott Carter ~ Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord (1952)









Roberto Gerhard: Concerto per clavicembalo, archi e percussione (1956) [on Youtube]

George Barati: Harpsichord Quartet (1964) [on Youtube]

George Rochberg: Nach Bach, Fantasy for Harpsichord (1966)


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2014)

Big thumbs up to HPowders (post #10) for mentioning the *de Falla* concerto and Mikey (post #11) for the *Ligeti* piece "Hungarian Rock". Two great pieces that I haven't heard in a long time.


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## strongeritza (Feb 11, 2014)

Hello,
I have a piece from a song. I dont know who is the composer and what is the name of the piece. Please listen the song and if you know, I wait a answer, because I need it all.

https://app.box.com/s/xroanft3ulpkubs1nkvo


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

strongeritza said:


> Hello,
> I have a piece from a song. I dont know who is the composer and what is the name of the piece. Please listen the song and if you know, I wait a answer, because I need it all.
> 
> https://app.box.com/s/xroanft3ulpkubs1nkvo


There is an "Identifying music" category, but since you're here, and this is so widely known...

Luigi Boccherini ~ string quintet in E major Op. 11 #5; Minuet





You may enjoy his 'Cello Concerto in B-flat major


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

PetrB said:


> For the older repertoire, in addition to Couperin, RAMEAU!
> Complete Cembalo works ~ Scott Ross


Scott Ross, what a master he was! 
In some way he was the Glenn Gould of harpsicord, although he criticized his Bach's performances.
His death when was only 38 years old was a true loss for the music world....


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

GioCar said:


> Scott Ross, what a master he was!
> In some way he was the Glenn Gould of harpsicord, although he criticized his Bach's performances.
> His death when was only 38 years old was a true loss for the music world....


His death was one of tens of thousands who simply did not know enough at the time to easily prevent what caused that death. Armies of people, of all sorts, but of course some in the arts, were lost, all far too young.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

PetrB said:


> His death was one of tens of thousands who simply did not know enough at the time to easily prevent what caused that death. Armies of people, of all sorts, but of course some in the arts, were lost, all far too young.


Ross left a considerable 'testament' compared to some. I know of a harpsichordist and a pianist who made only one or two recordings - damn good ones - before they left. Those recordings are extremely unavailable of course, because no 'name' is attached to them.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

If you are truly ambitious there's Vincent Persichetti's 10 sonatas for harpsichord.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

How comes nobody has mentioned Padre Antonio Soler,so amusing and so charming.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

moody said:


> How comes nobody has mentioned Padre Antonio Soler,so amusing and so charming.


Because I'm still bitter the great and infectious Fandango has been taken away from him. But a great composer nonetheless!

*p.s.* And I'll assume that when everyone keeps saying "Couperin," they mean both Francois and his uncle, the great Louis Couperin.


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## PabloElFlamenco (Jun 5, 2014)

Blancrocher said:


> Because I'm still bitter the great and infectious Fandango has been taken away from him. But a great composer nonetheless!
> 
> *p.s.* And I'll assume that when everyone keeps saying "Couperin," they mean both Francois and his uncle, the great Louis Couperin.


Pray, Blancrocher, explain the context of the Fandango having been taken away from Padre Soler? I have a Scott Ross rendition of that, and whilst it may not be exactly the very best Ross has ever recorded, I'm impressed by the music in itself: listening to it, I discern clear references to "Flamenco" (Spanish and/or gypsy) sounds as well as, and there may be a connection, the "roll" of Cuban/Carribean/Colombian (style, I cannot be precise for lack of technical knowledge) . Am I mistaken? Thanks if you, or any other "forero" could enlighten me...
Paul


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

shangoyal said:


> To be honest, lately I like the harpsichord so much that I wonder why they bothered to make the piano. Sometimes the piano sounds so grubby and confusing - the harpsichord is clearer. The piano sounds like a dense actor - like Christian Bale, who acts like he is acting, while he is thinking about how to lose weight or gain it, or whether Gotham exists for real, and makes such a mess that you wonder how he looks in the mirror - while the harpsichord is like Robert DeNiro, really meaning something and not just posing.
> 
> Sorry Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann - I love your piano music - but sometimes I just wonder.


The piano was very different in Beethoven's day, much more like a harpsichord. Having heard the sort in museums I wish they still made some like they used to! Very interesting timbre, much clearer/cleaner in tone but with the dynamics of a modern pianoforte. It is said that Beethoven preferred a more penetrative, steely tone to his pianos.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Speaking of Beethoven, I recommend the complete works for solo keyboard by Ronald Brautigam. He uses painfully designed replicas of fortepianos used in Beethoven's time.
What's really neat is his fortepiano choices get more sophisticated as the keyboard sonatas progress in time.

So if you want to have some idea of the sounds folks in Beethoven's time were used to, give this set a try.

The performances are masterful by the way. One of the best of all Beethoven keyboard sets.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Elliott Carter has a double concerto for harpsichord and piano and ... I think it's for two orchestras as well... 

There's a Froberger disk out there that's interesting, and for some odds and ends you can enjoy disks like Puyana's "Golden Age of the Harpsichord." 

Finally, CPE Bach also wrote some harpsichord concertos. I'm guessing that he would be about the last generation to do that.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Great works for the harpsichord?
Sure.
Anything that isn't played on one.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

shangoyal said:


> Any suggestions? I know works by Bach and the book of harpsichord music by Couperin, Pieces de Clavecin. Or perhaps recordings of piano music that you have heard and liked on harpsichord. I would also very pleased to know about concertos or ensembles written for harpsichord.
> 
> Thanks a lot in advance.


I wanna get more Rameau.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

hpowders said:


> I also love creepy movies that have that modern, eerie, gothic sounding harpsichord in the background.


Like this, at 2:30 and 3:30?


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

moody said:


> How comes nobody has mentioned Padre Antonio Soler,so amusing and so charming.


And now, for something completely different...


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

My hero...sigh...

http://anthonynewmanmusician.org/


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

I'll agree with everyone that has mentioned Rameau. I don't normally even enjoy solo harpsichord that much but Rameau's Pieces De Clavecin are very, very good.


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## adrem (Jun 19, 2013)

I would add brilliant Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings op. 40 by H. Górecki. Such extraordinary work. 
Here by Antoni Wit and great Polish harpsichordist Elżbieta Chojnacka:


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Here's a list I made for someone else wanting to get a taste of Baroque and Renaissance harpsichord music, with some suggestions for performances. I excluded J S Bach

Louis Couperin, Le Tombeau de Blancrocher (Asperen, Spieth)
Jacob Froberger, Lamentation sur la mort de Ferdinand (Leonhardt)
Girolamo Frescobaldi, Cento Partite sopra passacagli (Hantai)
William Byrd, Ut re mi fa sol la (Glen Wilson - best of all on organ by Davitt Moroney)
Francois Couperin, Preludes (Leonhardt)
Andrea Gabrieli, Ricercar 4 tone (Glen Wilson)
Georg Boehm, G minor prelude (Alessandrini)
Giles Farnaby, Fantasia 10 (Bradford Tracey, Glen Wilson)
Jan Sweelinck, Fantasia Chromatica (Anneke Uitenbosch)
Domenico Scarlatti, K460 (Sergei Vartolo)
Matthias Weckmann, Suite n B (Noelle Spieth)
John Bull, Walsingham Variations (Leon Berben on youtube)


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

millionrainbows said:


> I wanna get more Rameau.


I feel quite strongly that the few pieces of solo Rameau that Gustav Leonhardt recorded for Teldec are some of his most exciting contributions, Pieces like L'enharmonique or the sarabande from the A minor Nouvelle Suite, L'entretien des Muses -- well worth seeking out.









His instrument is nice and twangy, a Rück harpsichord after Gräbner 1782.

Other names to look for are Kenneth Gilbert, Albert Fuller, Noelle Spieth, Blandine Ranou, Skip Sempe, but I would make Leonhardt a priority.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

One can't go wrong with Leonhardt for any baroque harpsichord music. He brought a monumentality to his playing that is simply awesome! His Bach WTC is still my favorite, despite so many other performers since.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

As usual, poor Telemann is not included. I'll fix that - he has some excellent harpsichord music:


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

Resurecting this thread, having read through I'm surprised to see no mention of John Stanley's Concertos opus 2 and opus 10, about half for Harpsichored and half for organ


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

shangoyal said:


> To be honest, lately I like the harpsichord so much that I wonder why they bothered to make the piano. Sometimes the piano sounds so grubby and confusing - the harpsichord is clearer. ...


I don't quite understand this kind of comment. It's the piano that sounds clearer to me. When you press a key on a harpsichord there's too much going on sonically. It's no mystery to me how the harpsichord fell into oblivion. I think the clavichord sounds better, but unfortunately it didn't have the volume.

Anyway, yeah. The great works for harpsichord? Anything by the Couperins, Rameau, Bach, Handel and Scarlatti.


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## Geoff48 (Aug 15, 2020)

I know that ‘great’ is often seen as a synonym for serious in the field of music. And the piece I intend to nominate as a great harpsichord piece is anything but serious. It is a prelude and fugue written by Alec Templeton. Indeed it wasn’t initially even written for harpsichord and probably its most famous version is by a Jazz Musician, Benny Goodman. However the great classical harpsichordist George Malcolm made a transcription for harpsichord. I am, of course, talking about Bach goes to Town. And if ‘great’ can include enjoyable then this piece certainly qualifies. Malcolm actually wrote a follow up, ‘Bach before the Mast’ based on The Sailor’s Hornpipe. If you have access to Spotify then both pieces are well worth a listen. They are great by any standards.
Incidentally George Malcolm was a major serious musician and a leading choir master playing both organ and harpsichord and ultimately taking up conducting. I remember seeing him seated amongst his colleagues in the Northern Sinfonia, primus inter pares, directing them in music by Krommer. No part for him, he just seemed to be doing it for pleasure. And it showed. And he often played continuo for Menuhin with his Bath Festival Orchestra on disc and participated in The Messiah for Adrian Boult.


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## numinisgos (May 10, 2017)

Mandryka said:


> Other names to look for are Kenneth Gilbert, Albert Fuller, Noelle Spieth, Blandine Ranou, Skip Sempe, but I would make Leonhardt a priority.


May I suggest also looking at Pierre Hantaï, Ton Koopman, Jacques Ogg, Bob van Asperen (all four were pupils of Leonhardt) Trevor Pinnock, Richard Egarr, Christiane Jaccottet, Blandine Verlet, Olivier Baumont,and the promising Mahan Esfahani (b. 1984).


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

shangoyal said:


> I would also very pleased to know about concertos or ensembles written for harpsichord.


Likely 6 years too late but here are my 'plug's for the harpsichord music by Maurice Ohana on the French Timpani label:


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

1960s British television show themes by Edwin Astley using harpsichord:

*DANGER MAN*






*RANDALL & HOPKIRK, DECEASED*


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## Lordgeous (Sep 27, 2020)

Geoff48 said:


> I know that 'great' is often seen as a synonym for serious in the field of music. And the piece I intend to nominate as a great harpsichord piece is anything but serious. It is a prelude and fugue written by Alec Templeton. Indeed it wasn't initially even written for harpsichord and probably its most famous version is by a Jazz Musician, Benny Goodman. However the great classical harpsichordist George Malcolm made a transcription for harpsichord. I am, of course, talking about Bach goes to Town. And if 'great' can include enjoyable then this piece certainly qualifies. Malcolm actually wrote a follow up, 'Bach before the Mast' based on The Sailor's Hornpipe. If you have access to Spotify then both pieces are well worth a listen. They are great by any standards.
> Incidentally George Malcolm was a major serious musician and a leading choir master playing both organ and harpsichord and ultimately taking up conducting. I remember seeing him seated amongst his colleagues in the Northern Sinfonia, primus inter pares, directing them in music by Krommer. No part for him, he just seemed to be doing it for pleasure. And it showed. And he often played continuo for Menuhin with his Bath Festival Orchestra on disc and participated in The Messiah for Adrian Boult.


Thanks for mentioning George, Maybe I could take this opportunity to mention his website which I have built? www.georgemalcolm.co.uk Regarding concertos I wrote a lightweight 'Concertino' for George and the Northern Sinfonia, though premiered with the Academy of St Martins, which he played and broadcast a number of times (Bath & Aldeburgh Festivals, Dartington etc). Was planned to be recorded along with the Walter Leigh Concerto & others but it never happened. I may put it on YouTube one day.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

Most often heard played on the organ, but I quite like this rendition by Douglas Amrine


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