The Harpsichord

The Harpsichord

Apple Music Classical

An early ancestor of the piano, the harpsichord is a plucked keyboard instrument known for its distinctive and crisp guitar-like timbre. Often beautifully decorated, harpsichords were designed to be seen as well as heard. In its early days, dynamic variations were mechanically impossible, so harpsichordists didn’t have much control over volume. However, the passage of time has brought about many improvements in overcoming the instrument’s limitations. Silent for the entire 19th century, when the piano dominated, the harpsichord had a modest renaissance in the 20th when composers like Manuel de Falla, Bohuslav Martinů and, later, György Ligeti wrote for it again. With the revival of interest in the music of the Baroque, the harpsichord thrives again in concert halls and opera houses all over the world.

I. Allegro

Andreas Staier, Freiburger Barockorchester

7:48

I. Prélude. Presto

0:48

II. Allegro

2:37

I. Allegro

Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano

9:41

Prelude I in C Major, BWV 846

1:46

Fugue I in C Major, BWV 846

1:53

I. Allegro

Café Zimmermann, Anna Fontana, Pablo Valetti, Constance Borner, Céline Frisch, Dirk Börner

3:25

No. 1, Recitativo for Soprano and Bass, "Abramo, il tuo sembiante" (Daniele, Abramo)

Sergio Foresti, Rossana Bertini, Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini

1:24

No. 2, Aria for Soprano, "Mira come al crin gelato" (Daniele)

Rossana Bertini, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano

2:09

Continuum

4:26

The King's Hunt, My Grief, My Self

6:34

Aria

5:28

Variation V

2:07

Ouverture

3:33

Santoor Suite

3:57

I. Allegro molto

Jos van Immerseel, Kateřina Chroboková, Anima Eterna Brugge

10:41

No. 4, Rekhtah - Mutru be khoosh nuwa bego

2:19

Movement I

Jillon Stoppels Dupree, Ralf Gothóni, Nortwest Chamber Orchestra

8:07

À la suite de Jean (After the Prélude of J. S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007)

Edouard Ferlet, Violaine Cochard

5:26

I. Allegro

3:30

Partite sopra Folia

Gustav Leonhardt

5:40

I. Prelude

Arco Baleno Ensemble

3:09

Ground in C Minor, ZT. 681

Blandine Rannou

3:24

Harpsichord Sonata, H. 368

7:06

Rondeau from Abdelazer, ZT 684

2:05

Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 3 No. 4 "La castella"

Richard Egarr, Andrew Manze, Fred Jacobs

6:27

Sonata No. 17 in A Minor (Andantino)

2:48

III. Allegro

Andreas Staier, Freiburger Barockorchester, Petra Müllejans

5:04

I. Adagio

Kristian Bezuidenhout, Isabelle Faust

3:10

II. Allegro

Kristian Bezuidenhout, Isabelle Faust

2:56

IX. Tambourin

Christophe Rousset

1:15

IV. Le rappel des oiseaux

4:52

VIII. La villageoise

3:02

I. Allegro

Sir Simon Rattle, London Sinfonietta, John Constable

3:00

"Arresta, arresta il passo" (Aminta)

Le Concert d'Astrée, Sabine Devieilhe, Emmanuelle Haïm

2:02

"Fermati, non fuggir!" (Aminta)

Le Concert d'Astrée, Sabine Devieilhe, Emmanuelle Haïm

3:04

I. Allegro molto

David Zinman/Dawn Upshaw/London Sinfonietta/Elzbieta Chojnacka, Markus Stenz, Nona Liddell

4:36

II. Vivace

Markus Stenz, David Zinman/Dawn Upshaw/London Sinfonietta/Elzbieta Chojnacka, Nona Liddell

4:24

La sensible

Béatrice Martin

4:16

"You Spotted Snakes with Double Tongues" (Fairies)

Richard Hickox, City of London Sinfonia, Trinity Boys Choir

2:23

Prélude No. 1 in C Major

1:25

No. 5, Ballo alla polacha con il suo saltarello

2:27

II. From Janequin to Jehan Alain

Michael A. Werner, Jordan Anderson, Mary Lynch, Mahan Esfahani

8:58

No. 12 in D Minor, RV 63 "Follia"

Richard Gwilt, Terence Charlston, Ingrid Seifert, Charles Medlam, Irmgard Schaller, London Baroque

9:37

Ricercar a 3

Philippe Grisvard

6:27

Canon a 2 Violini in Unisono

Johannes Pramsohler, Ensemble Diderot

1:07

Canon perpetuus

Johannes Pramsohler, Ensemble Diderot

2:07

Keyboard Sonata in F Minor, Kk. 69

3:28

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No. 4 in G Major: I. Recercata

2:43

Les baricades mïstérieuses

Thomas Dunford, Jean Rondeau

3:19