Those people who are at least a little connected with music have heard about such an instrument as the harpsichord. On at the moment it is not that popular, but its sound can really captivate the listener. Still, let's try to consider the question of what a harpsichord is. What history does it have?
harpsichord
Those who attended classes musical history and literature, can say with confidence that the harpsichord is ancient instrument, which appeared in the XV-XVI centuries.
The mechanism of its operation is quite complex, and the sound is unique. In order to understand this, you need to listen to several songs when playing such an instrument.
For the most part, such an instrument can now be found in specialized places, namely in conservatories and musical institutions. All these instruments are considered a rarity, and they are played very carefully, with care and caution, since old plucked mechanisms can break.
Harpsichord music today
Few people today can boast that they prefer to listen to music played on the harpsichord. It takes a little effort to find these types of audio recordings.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that the instrument sounds unusual to us.
History of the harpsichord
In order to understand what a harpsichord is, it is worth delving a little into its history. This will let you know how it was created.
The musical instrument harpsichord has a rather interesting and dynamic sound. It was created back in the 15th century. This instrument was structurally significantly different from the clavichord, since each wooden key in it was attached to a string. It was due to this new approach that the harpsichord played quite loudly, which at that time could greatly surprise people.
Such a tool was created large number time, since the mechanism, which required a separate string for each key, had to be made with high quality.
The types of such tools can also be different. It could be reduced, like a piano, and expanded, like a grand piano. These could also be harpsichords that had several rows of keys, but today it is difficult to see such things anywhere.
This was done in order to change the strength of the sound depending on what piece was to be played.
Next, let's look at how the harpsichord has changed since the 15th century. The instrument was constantly improved for a harmonious sound. This means that with its initial design the sound range is only three octaves, then four. After this, more complex forms of the instrument were created, in which there were two or even three tiers of keys.
Switches made it possible to constantly change the sound registers of the instrument; it was even possible to use several registers at the same time. In this case, the harpsichord could act as an independent instrument. One register was used for accompanying singing with ensembles and choirs.
What is different about this type of tool?
First distinguishing feature Such an instrument is the harpsichord keyboard. Each of us knows what a piano keyboard looks like. It looked the same on the harpsichord, only without the enamel coating. These were simple wooden planks.
It is also worth noting that the same type of keyboard and mechanism was used by the creators of the instrument that is now called the piano. We can say that this is its original version, which has been improved. Over the course of a long time, adjustments were made to the design of the instrument; the mechanism for attaching the string to the key was changed.
Harpsichord in modern times: where you can hear it
Powerful sound and unusual appearance arouse interest in such an instrument as the harpsichord.
As you can understand, the harpsichord is not such a popular instrument today, but some musicians still use it to achieve an original sound and amaze the audience. He even appears in modern films and TV series. Many people have watched the TV series Hannibal. The main roles were played by Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen and Caroline Dhavernas. Spectators may note that the hero who was in the role of Hannibal Lecter mastered such unusual art like playing the harpsichord. He noted that the sounds of the harpsichord are more powerful. This instrument allows you to give music a new sound.
"When the Harpsichord Plays" is a film of Soviet cinema. It was released in 1966. It also contains storyline, which is associated with such a tool.
The sound of the harpsichord
The sound of the harpsichord is completely different from music played on other types of instruments. This is determined by the design features of the harpsichord. He has a special sound for each string.
People who have good hearing and appropriate education know that on the piano you can play chords that require permission. These can be dominant chords, as well as terzquarts, which should come to the tonic (consonantal and resolved sound).
On the piano such chords sound very intense. On an instrument such as a harpsichord, they will be even more dissonant. Again, this depends on the fact that each key produces a completely unique sound, but it corresponds to the scale we are familiar with.
Harpsichord: photo. Musical instrument disassembled and assembled
We have almost figured out this topic. In order to better understand what a harpsichord is and what it looks like, it’s worth looking at the photo. This way you can examine the tool in detail and find out what features it has. In this case, it is important to understand that the harpsichord can be quite simple in its appearance, but its sound is absolutely unique. This particular instrument has a beautiful timbre that can be used in different directions classical music.
Let's see what it looks like from the inside musical instrument like a harpsichord. The photos show what is under the lid. You can see that the harpsichord is also quite complex structurally. It contains many strings that are vibrated by plucking. To do this, they used a bird feather or natural leather attached to a special rod. Interestingly, each key and string has a specific tone.
As you can see, the harpsichord is quite unremarkable in appearance. But at the time when it was first created, it captured the imagination of the public.
The harpsichord was also popular in the 20th century. Musicians played it classical works different composers.
Bottom line
At the moment, the harpsichord is not very popular, and some people do not even know about its existence as a musical instrument. But it is worth saying that the specific sound characteristic of this instrument is very interesting. It is thanks to him that music played on the harpsichord sounds so bewitching. It is worth finding recordings of musical works performed on this instrument and listening to them.
Alas, the harpsichord today is practically not used as an accompaniment in musical accompaniment. Today, other instruments are in great demand - those that sound more melodic and ordinary.
We hope that after reading this article, you learned what a harpsichord is and saw what it looks like.
CLAVESIN, cymbal (French clavecin, from Late Latin clavicymbalum - “keyboard dulcimer”; Italian cembalo), musical stringed keyboard instrument. According to the accepted classification, it is a plucked-keyboard instrument of the chordophone class. The transmission mechanism from the key to the string consists of a so-called pusher (a narrow plate 10-25 cm long) and a tongue fixed in its upper part with a plectrum (“feather”; in the past it was carved from a crow feather), which engages the string. Known since the 15th century (the first descriptions and drawings belong to Arno from Zwolle, around 1445), since the 16th century it has been widespread in all countries Western Europe; The harpsichord culture flourished in the late 16th - mid-18th centuries.
Usually the term "harpsichord" is applied to big instruments with a wing-shaped body (hence the German name for the instrument Flügel - “wing”), 1.5-2.5 m long. The keyboard has the same structure as other keyboard musical instruments, however, in instruments of the 16th - early 18th centuries, the order of alternation The “diatonic” and “chromatic” keys in the bass part of the keyboard are often broken due to the use of the so-called short octave (skipping notes). A harpsichord may have 1 or 2 (less often 3) keyboards - manuals. The strings are stretched along the body perpendicular to the keyboard, arranged in horizontal rows (usually 2-3). In the 16th and 17th centuries, harpsichords were built with a pedal (foot) keyboard, consisting of 9-12 keys associated with the bass octave of the manual (they did not have their own strings). Each manual controls 1-2 rows of strings, which can be used together or separately.
Different rows of strings, together with the mechanics that control them, called registers, differ in timbre and volume, and sometimes in pitch. Registers, the pitch of which corresponds to the value of the keys and musical notation, are usually called, by analogy with the registers of an organ, 8-foot (abbreviated designation 8’). Registers that sound an octave higher than written are called 4-foot (4’) (the strings of a 4-foot register are approximately 2 times shorter). The operation of changing registers is usually performed manually (using levers) during the game. 17th- and 18th-century harpsichords that have more than one keyboard usually feature copulation, a device that provides mechanical interlocking between the keyboards (thus, when playing one of them, the registers belonging to the other can be set in motion). Registration (the choice of registers and their combinations) is less important than on an organ, which is due to a more modest set of registers. In the 18th century, however, the principle of “terrace-like” dynamics, generally characteristic of the genre, was widely used instrumental concert(for example, J. S. Bach's Italian Concerto, 1735): the effect is achieved by juxtaposing the massive sonority of the registers of the lower manual and the transparent one of the upper.
The range of the harpsichord has expanded over time, from approximately 3 octaves in the 15th century to 5 octaves in the mid-18th century. The temperament systems are the same as those on the organ and other keyboard instruments of the time. In addition, authors of the 16th-17th centuries (N. Vicentino, M. Mersenne, A. Kircher) describe harpsichords with more than 12 keys in the octave (different keys for “flat” and “sharp”), making it possible to play in all keys in pure and mid-tone tunings (such harpsichords were not widely used due to the particular difficulty of playing them).
Modern notation for harpsichord music is basically no different from piano music. In the 15th-18th centuries, the types of keyboard notation (the so-called tablature) were varied (the same ones were used for all keyboard instruments), they used musical notes, as well as letters (the system of matching letters to notes coincided with the modern one) and numbers (there were several key numbering systems); There were also mixed note-letter systems, for example, “old German tablature,” where the upper voice was written in notes, and the rest in letters. The arrangement of notes on 2 staves (for 2 hands) appeared around 1400 in the plays of the Codex Faenza (Italy). The number of lines in the staves was not constant (there could be 6-8). A system of two staves with 5 lines each first appeared in the printed collection “Frottole intabulate” by A. Antico (1517, Rome), starting with the Parisian editions of P. Attennan (1529) it became prevalent in France, and from the 2nd half of the 17th century spread to other European countries, gradually displacing the rest.
The sound of the harpsichord has an “explosive” attack, bright when it appears, but quickly fades away. The sound volume is practically independent of the strength and method of pressing the key. The limited possibilities of dynamic nuance are compensated to a certain extent by the variety of articulation. Manuals for keyboard playing from the 16th to 18th centuries pay a lot of attention to fingering. An essential aspect of playing the harpsichord is the execution of melismas (embellishments). The role of high overtones in the timbre is great, which gives the sound of the harpsichord good audibility in concert hall medium-sized, even as part of a small orchestra. 18th century orchestras may have used 2 harpsichords; The conductor himself often sat at the harpsichord. Like most keyboard instruments, the harpsichord has rich polyphonic playing capabilities. In the past, solo improvisation was widely practiced. The harpsichord repertoire in the 16th and 17th centuries was largely common to all types of keyboards (including the organ). The greatest harpsichordists: C. Merulo, G. Frescobaldi, M. Rossi, B. Pasquini, B. Marcello, B. Galuppi, D. Cimarosa (Italy); D. Scarlatti (Spain); J. Chambonnière, J. A. d'Anglebert, L. and F. Couperin, J. F. Rameau, J. Dufly (France). One of the highest achievements in the world musical culture- German keyboard music of the 16th-18th centuries; its representatives: D. Buxtehude, S. Scheidt, I. Kuhnau, I. Froberger, I. K. Kerl, I. Pachelbel, J. S. Bach and his sons. The flourishing of the English clavier school of the 16th and 17th centuries is associated mainly with the virginal; The largest harpsichordists of the 18th century who worked in England were G. F. Handel and J. K. Bach. The Russian harpsichord repertoire is not rich; the instrument was used to accompany singing; 3 sonatas for harpsichord were created by D. S. Bortnyansky.
Like most other musical instruments of the 16th-18th centuries, the harpsichord does not have a standard “classical” appearance, but is represented by many variants created by masters of different countries, eras and styles. Schools of masters of pan-European significance have developed (in different eras) in Northern Italy (the largest centers are Venice, Milan, Bologna, Florence, among the representatives - B. Cristofori), the Southern Netherlands (the center is Antwerp, largest representative- the Rückers family), France (Blanchet, Tusken families, Emsch brothers), England (J. Kirkman, Hitchcock family, Chudy and Broadwood company), Germany (centers - Dresden, Hamburg; Graebner, Friederici, Silberman, Fleischer families, Zell, Haas). Harpsichord is an object of decorative and applied art; most of the surviving historical instruments painted, there are mother-of-pearl inlays and precious stones; sometimes the keys were also decorated.
From the last third of the 18th century, the harpsichord quickly lost popularity due to the development of the piano, but for a long time remained an instrument for home music-making, especially in the European periphery and in the countries of the New World. Continued to be used in Italian at the beginning of the 19th century opera house(to accompany recitatives).
Since the end of the 19th century, harpsichord culture has been revived. At first the instruments were copied, then they began to be built in accordance with the changed artistic tastes(a model with pedal registration has become standard; the formerly rare 16-foot register, sounding an octave below nominal, is widely used). After World War II, craftsmen returned to copying ancient models; Often a new harpsichord is created according to an individual project. The modern performing school was founded in the mid-20th century by V. Landovskaya. Other major harpsichordists: R. Kirkpatrick, J. Dreyfus, C. Jacote, G. Leonhardt, B. van Asperen, I. Wiuniski, K. Rousset, P. Antai, A. B. Lyubimov. Since the 2nd half of the 20th century, harpsichordists have been mastering authentic temperaments, manner of articulation, and fingering. The basis of the concert repertoire is music of the 18th century and more early eras. The repertoire of the 20th century is represented by works by F. Poulenc (“Concert champêtre” for harpsichord and orchestra, 1926), M. Oana, A. Tisne, A. Louvier, D. Ligeti and other composers.
Lit.: Neupert N. Das Cembalo. 3. Aufl. Kassel, 1960; Hubbard F. Three centuries of harpsichord making. 2nded. Camb., 1967; Boalch D. Makers of the harpsichord and clavichord, 1440-1840. 2nd ed. Oxf., 1974; Harich-Schneider E. Die Kunst des Cembalo-Spiels. 4. Aufl. Kassel, 1979; Henkel N. Beiträge zum historischen Cembalobau. Lpz., 1979; The historical harpsichord. N. Y., 1984-1987. Vol. 1-2; Kopchevsky N. A. Keyboard music: issues of performance. M., 1986; Mercier-Y thier S. Les clavecins. R., 1990; Bedford F. Harpsichord and clavichord music of the twentieth century. Berk., 1993; Apel W. Geschichte der Orgel- und Klaviermusik bis 1700. Kassel u. a., 2004; Druskin M. Collection. op. St. Petersburg, 2007. T. 1: Keyboard music of Spain, England, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany XVI-XVIII centuries.
Musician performing musical works both on the harpsichord and on its varieties is called harpsichordist.
Origin
The earliest mention of a harpsichord-type instrument appears in a 1397 source from Padua (Italy), the earliest known image is on an altar in Minden (1425). The harpsichord remained in use as a solo instrument until the end of the 18th century. For a little longer it was used to perform digital bass, to accompany recitatives in operas. Around 1810 it practically fell out of use. The revival of the culture of playing the harpsichord began in turn of XIX-XX centuries.
The harpsichords of the 15th century have not survived. Judging by the images, these were short tools with a heavy body. Most surviving 16th-century harpsichords were made in Italy, where Venice was the main center of production.
They had an 8` register (less often two registers 8` and 4`) and were distinguished by their grace. Their body was most often made of cypress. The attack on these harpsichords was clearer and the sound more abrupt than that of later Flemish instruments.
The most important center for the production of harpsichords in Northern Europe was Antwerp, where representatives of the Ruckers family worked since 1579. Their harpsichords have longer strings and heavier bodies than Italian instruments. From the 1590s, harpsichords with two manuals were produced in Antwerp. French, English, and German harpsichords of the 17th century combine features of Flemish and Dutch models.
Some French two-manual harpsichords with walnut bodies have survived. From the 1690s, harpsichords of the same type as Ruckers instruments were produced in France. Among the French harpsichord masters, the Blanchet dynasty stood out. In 1766, Blanchet's workshop was inherited by Taskin.
The most significant English harpsichord manufacturers in the 18th century were the Shudys and the Kirkman family. Their instruments had a plywood-lined oak body and were distinguished by a strong sound with a rich timbre. In 18th-century Germany, the main center of harpsichord production was Hamburg; among those manufactured in this city are instruments with 2` and 16` registers, as well as with 3 manuals. The unusually long harpsichord model was designed by J.D. Dülken, a leading Dutch master XVIII century.
In the 2nd half of the 18th century, the harpsichord began to be replaced. Around 1809, the Kirkman company produced its last harpsichord. The initiator of the revival of the instrument was A. Dolmech. He built his first harpsichord in 1896 in London and soon opened workshops in Boston, Paris, and Haslemere.
The production of harpsichords was also launched by the Parisian companies Pleyel and Erard. Pleyel began producing a model of a harpsichord with a metal frame carrying thick, taut strings; Wanda Landowska trained a whole generation of harpsichordists on instruments of this type. Boston masters Frank Hubbard and William Dowd were the first to copy antique harpsichords.
Device
It has the shape of an oblong triangle. Its strings are positioned horizontally, parallel to the keys.
At the end of each key there is a pusher (or jumper). At the upper end of the pusher there is a languette in which a plectrum (tongue) made of a feather is fixed (on many modern instruments- made of plastic), just above the plectrum - a damper made of felt or soft leather. When you press a key, the pusher rises and the plectrum plucks the string. If the key is released, the release mechanism will allow the plectrum to return to its place under the string without plucking the string again. The vibration of the string is damped by a damper.
For registration, i.e. changes the strength and timbre of the sound, using hand and foot switches. Smoothly increasing and decreasing the volume on a harpsichord is impossible. In the 15th century, the range of the harpsichord was 3 octaves (in the lower octave some chromatic notes were missing); in the 16th century it expanded to 4 octaves (C - c«`), in the 18th century to 5 octaves (F` - f«`).
A typical 18th-century German or Dutch harpsichord has 2 manuals (keyboards), 2 sets of 8' strings and one set of 4' strings (sounding an octave higher), which can be used individually or together, as well as a manual copulation mechanism. Foot and knee register switches appeared in the late 1750s. Most instruments have a so-called lute register with a characteristic nasal timbre (to obtain it, the strings are slightly muffled by bumps of leather or felt using a special mechanism).
Composers who composed harpsichord music
Francois Couperin the Great
Louis Couperin
Louis Marchand
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Pachelbel
Dietrich Buxtehude
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Johann Jacob Froberger
George Frideric Handel
William Bird
Henry Purcell
Johann Adam Reinecke
Dominico Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti
Matthias Weckman
Dominico Zipoli
Video: Harpsichord on video + sound
Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the instrument, watch a real game on it, listen to its sound, and feel the specifics of the technique:
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Harpsichord(from French clavecin; Italian cembalo, clavicembalo; English harpsichord) is a keyboard string musical instrument with a plucked method of sound production. A musician who performs works on the harpsichord and its varieties is called a harpsichordist.
Device
Initially, the harpsichord had a quadrangular shape; in the 17th century it acquired a wing-shaped elongated triangular shape; instead of veins, they began to use metal strings. Its strings are arranged horizontally, parallel to the keys, usually in the form of several choirs, with groups of strings of different manuals located at different height levels. Externally, harpsichords were usually elegantly finished: the body was decorated with drawings, inlays and carvings. During the era of Louis XV, the decoration of the harpsichord was consistent with the stylish furniture of the time. In the 16th-17th centuries they stood out for their sound quality and their decoration harpsichords by Antwerp masters Rukkers.
Story
The earliest mention of a harpsichord-type instrument (clavicembalum, from Latin clavis - “key” and cymbalum - “cymbal”) appears in a 1397 source from Padua (Italy). The earliest image is on the altar cathedral in the German city of Minden, dating back to 1425. The first practical description of a harpsichord-like instrument (a clavichord with a plucked mechanism) with drawings was given by the Dutchman Arno from Zwolle around 1445.
The harpsichords of the 15th century have not survived. Judging by the images, these were short instruments with a heavy body. Most surviving 16th-century harpsichords were made in Italy, where Venice was the main center of production. They had an 8` register (less often two registers 8` and 4`) and were distinguished by their grace. Their body was most often made of cypress. The attack on these harpsichords was clearer and the sound more abrupt than that of later Flemish instruments. The most important center of harpsichord production in Northern Europe was Antwerp, where representatives of the Rückers family worked since 1579. Their harpsichords have longer strings and heavier bodies than Italian instruments. From the 1590s, harpsichords with two manuals were produced in Antwerp.
HARPSICHORD
Surely at concerts you have noticed a musical instrument similar to a piano, but much smaller in size, with several keyboards and a completely different, ringing metallic sound? The name of this instrument is harpsichord (derives from the French word). In each country it is called differently: in France and Russia it is a harpsichord, in Italy it is a cymbalo (and sometimes a clavicembalo), in England it is a harpsichord. The harpsichord is a keyboard stringed musical instrument in which the sound is produced by plucking.
Sound, timbre:
The sound of the harpsichord is difficult to confuse with any other instrument; it is special, brilliant and abrupt. As soon as you hear this sound, you immediately imagine ancient dances, balls, and noble court ladies in magnificent dresses with unimaginable hairstyles. The main difference between the harpsichord is that its sound cannot smoothly change dynamics, like other instruments. In order to solve this problem, the craftsmen came up with the idea of adding other registers that are activated using manual switches and levers. They are located on the sides of the keyboard. A little later, foot switches also appeared to make playing easier.
Interesting facts:
- The harpsichord has always been considered an aristocratic instrument that adorned salons and halls richest people Europe. That is why in the old days it was made from expensive types of wood, the keys were covered with tortoise shell plates, mother of pearl, and sometimes inlaid with precious stones.
- Have you noticed that some harpsichords have black lower keys and white upper keys - everything is exactly the opposite of that of a grand piano or upright piano? Harpsichords with key colors like this were common in France in the 17th century. As historians explain, this decoration of the keyboard was associated with the gallant style that was dominant in art at that time - the snow-white hands of the harpsichordists looked very graceful and prominent on the black keyboard.
- At first, the harpsichord was placed on a table; a little later, the craftsmen added beautiful legs.
- At one time, the conductor had to sit at the harpsichord, and he managed to play with his left hand and direct the musicians with his right.
- Trying to recreate the sound of a harpsichord, some masters resorted to trickery. Thus, in the Red October grand piano, made in Soviet era, the third pedal lowers a special fabric onto the strings, to which metal tongues are attached. The hammers strike them and a characteristic sound occurs. The Soviet Accord piano has the same design.
- Foot switches on the harpsichord did not appear until 1750.
- At first, the dynamics of sound were changed by doubling and tripling the strings; only in the 17th-18th centuries did they begin to make instruments with 2 or even 3 manuals, located one above the other with different registers. In this case, the upper manual was tuned an octave higher.
- For a long time, the oldest harpsichord that has survived to this day was considered an instrument Italian master Hieronymus in 1521. However, later they found an older harpsichord, made on September 18, 1515 by Vincentius from Livigimeno.
- 16th century harpsichords were predominantly Italian origin(Venice) and were made of cypress. French instruments with two keyboards (manuals) were made of walnut wood.
- Most harpsichords have a lute register, which is characterized by a nasal timbre. In order to achieve such a sound, the strings were muffled with pieces of felt or leather.
- In the Middle Ages, at the court of the Spanish King Philip II there was a so-called “cat harpsichord”. It was a device consisting of a keyboard and a rectangular box with several compartments in which cats were placed. Before this, the animals were listened to by stepping on their tails and ranked according to their voices. Then the tails of the unfortunate cats were secured under the keys, when pressed, a needle was pierced into them. The animal screamed loudly, and the performer continued to play his melody. It is known that Perth I also ordered a “cat harpsichord” for his cabinet of curiosities.
- The famous French harpsichordist F. Couperin has a treatise “The Art of Playing the Harpsichord,” which is still used by musicians in our time.
- It was Couperin who began to actively use the thumb (first finger) when playing the harpsichord; before that, musicians played with only four, and the fifth was not used. This idea was soon picked up by other performers.
- The famous performer Handel, as a child, was forced to practice playing the harpsichord in the attic, since his father was against a career as a musician and dreamed of him receiving a law degree.
- It is interesting that the action of the jumper was described by W. Shakespeare in his 128th sonnet.
- Musicians who played the harpsichord were called claviers, since they also successfully played the organ and clavichord.
- It is noteworthy that the range of the concert harpsichord is ser. 18th century was wider than the piano, which replaced it a little later