Harpsichord concerto
Encyclopedia
A harpsichord concerto is a piece of music for an orchestra
with the harpsichord
in a solo role (though for another sense, see below.) Sometimes these works are played on the modern piano; see piano concerto
. For a period in the late 18th century, Joseph Haydn
and Thomas Arne wrote concertos which could be played interchangeably on both harpsichord, fortepiano
and (in some cases) pipe organ
.
concertos were written throughout the Baroque
era, notably by Johann Sebastian Bach
: see harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach)
.
The harpsichord was a very common instrument, but it was never as popular as string
or wind
instruments in the concerto role, probably due to its relative lack of volume when in an orchestra. In this context, harpsichords were more usually employed as a continuo
instrument, playing a harmonised bass part in nearly all orchestral music, the player often also directing the orchestra.
Bach
's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major, BWV 1050, may be the first work in which the harpsichord appeared as a concerto soloist. In this piece, its usual continuo role is alternated with prominent solo obbligato
episodes in all three movements. In the first movement the harpsichord, after rapid scales up and down the length of its range, embarks on a solo cadenza which lasts for 3–4 minutes, while the orchestra is silent.
's concertos. Bach's Italian concerto
BWV 971 is in this transcription style, though it was written as an original piece for harpsichord. The concerto transcriptions Bach
made for harpsichord are listed as BWV 972–987 (see List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach).
commissioned concerti from Francis Poulenc
and Manuel de Falla
. Though the 'revival instruments' have now fallen out of favour, concerti continue to be written for harpsichord, though are now more likely to be played on a copy of a historical instrument, perhaps with a small orchestra or some amplification to ensure it can be well heard. Philip Glass
has also written a concerto for harpsichord.
Several other works feature the harpsichord as a solo instrument alongside others, including:
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
with the harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
in a solo role (though for another sense, see below.) Sometimes these works are played on the modern piano; see piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
. For a period in the late 18th century, Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
and Thomas Arne wrote concertos which could be played interchangeably on both harpsichord, fortepiano
Fortepiano
Fortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
and (in some cases) pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
The Baroque harpsichord concerto
HarpsichordHarpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
concertos were written throughout the Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
era, notably by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
: see harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach)
Harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach)
The harpsichord concertos, BWV 1052-1065, are concertos for harpsichord, strings and continuo by Johann Sebastian Bach. There are seven complete concertos for a single harpsichord, , three concertos for 2 harpsichords , two concertos for 3 harpsichords , and one concerto for 4 harpsichords,...
.
The harpsichord was a very common instrument, but it was never as popular as string
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
or wind
Wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator , in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of...
instruments in the concerto role, probably due to its relative lack of volume when in an orchestra. In this context, harpsichords were more usually employed as a continuo
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
instrument, playing a harmonised bass part in nearly all orchestral music, the player often also directing the orchestra.
Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major, BWV 1050, may be the first work in which the harpsichord appeared as a concerto soloist. In this piece, its usual continuo role is alternated with prominent solo obbligato
Obbligato
In classical music obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified...
episodes in all three movements. In the first movement the harpsichord, after rapid scales up and down the length of its range, embarks on a solo cadenza which lasts for 3–4 minutes, while the orchestra is silent.
The concerto for solo harpsichord
It was also popular at this time to adapt Italian concertos for other instruments (such as violin and orchestra) for solo harpsichord (or organ), something that Bach did with many of VivaldiAntonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
's concertos. Bach's Italian concerto
Italian Concerto
The Italian Concerto, BWV 971, original title: Concerto nach Italienischem Gusto , published in 1735 as the first half of Clavier-Übung II is a three-movement concerto for two-manual harpsichord solo composed by Johann Sebastian Bach...
BWV 971 is in this transcription style, though it was written as an original piece for harpsichord. The concerto transcriptions Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
made for harpsichord are listed as BWV 972–987 (see List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach).
The new harpsichord concerto
With the revival of the harpsichord in the 20th century, harpsichordists commissioned new pieces for the new 'revival' instrument: Wanda LandowskaWanda Landowska
Wanda Landowska was a Polish harpsichordist whose performances, teaching, recordings and writings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in the early 20th century...
commissioned concerti from Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
and Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
. Though the 'revival instruments' have now fallen out of favour, concerti continue to be written for harpsichord, though are now more likely to be played on a copy of a historical instrument, perhaps with a small orchestra or some amplification to ensure it can be well heard. Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
has also written a concerto for harpsichord.
List of harpsichord concertos
- Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
(all 1720s-1740s) composed several Harpsichord concertos. For a detailed description and samples of the harpsichord concertos see the dedicated article Harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach)Harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach)The harpsichord concertos, BWV 1052-1065, are concertos for harpsichord, strings and continuo by Johann Sebastian Bach. There are seven complete concertos for a single harpsichord, , three concertos for 2 harpsichords , two concertos for 3 harpsichords , and one concerto for 4 harpsichords,... - Thomas Arne - 6 Favourite Concertos for harpsichord, piano or organ (late 18th century)
- Carl Philipp Emanuel BachCarl Philipp Emanuel Bachright|250pxCarl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and second son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach...
- about 50 keyboard concertos, including one for harpsichord and fortepianoFortepianoFortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
. - Johann Christian BachJohann Christian BachJohann Christian Bach was a composer of the Classical era, the eleventh and youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is sometimes referred to as 'the London Bach' or 'the English Bach', due to his time spent living in the British capital...
- 6 Concertos for Harpsichord, Op. 1; 5 Concertos for Harpsichord; Concerto for Harpsichord in F minor; 6 Concertos for Keyboard, Op. 7; 6 Concertos for Keyboard, Op. 13 - Gianluca Bersanetti - Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Strings in G minor (2009)
- Hendrik BoumanHendrik BoumanHendrik "Henk" Bouman is a Dutch harpsichordist, fortepianist, conductor and composer of music written in the baroque and classical idioms of the 17th & 18th Century.- Biography :...
- Concerto for Harpsichord and String Orchestra in D major (1998) - Manuel de FallaManuel de FallaManuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
- Concerto for harpsichordHarpsichord Concerto (De Falla)Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Violin and Cello is a concerto written for harpsichord and chamber ensemble by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla in 1926.The work is in three movements:* I: Allegro* II: Lento...
(1926) - Joseph Dillon FordJoseph Dillon FordJoseph Dillon Ford is an American composer, author, and educator.He holds undergraduate degrees in music and graduate degrees in both musicology and landscape architecture...
Concerto for Harpsichord (2006) - Philip GlassPhilip GlassPhilip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
- Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra (2002) - Henryk GóreckiHenryk GóreckiHenryk Mikołaj Górecki was a composer of contemporary classical music. He studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice between 1955 and 1960. In 1968, he joined the faculty and rose to provost before resigning in 1979. Górecki became a leading figure of the Polish avant-garde during...
- Harpsichord Concerto (1980) - Frank MartinFrank Martin (composer)Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:...
- Harpsichord Concerto (1951–52) - Bohuslav MartinůBohuslav MartinuBohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...
- Harpsichord Concerto (1935) - Georg Matthias MonnGeorg Matthias MonnGeorg Matthias Monn was an Austrian composer, organist and music teacher whose works were fashioned in the transition from the Baroque to Classical period in music....
- Harpsichord concerto in G minor, Harpsichord concerto in D major (18th Century) - Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
- Harpsichord concertos Nos 1–4 (KV. 37, 39, 40 and 41), arrangements of sonata movements by other composers. - Francis PoulencFrancis PoulencFrancis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
- Concert champêtreConcert champêtreConcert champêtre is a harpsichord concerto by Francis Poulenc, which also exists in a version for piano solo with very slight changes in the solo part....
(1927–28) - Roberto GerhardRoberto GerhardRobert Gerhard i Ottenwaelder was a Catalan Spanish composer and musical scholar and writer, generally known outside Catalonia as Robert Gerhard.-Life:...
- Concerto for harpsichord, percussion and strings (mid 20th century) - Walter LeighWalter LeighWalter Leigh was an English composer. Leigh is most famous for his Concertino for harpsichord and string orchestra, written in 1934. Other famous works include the overture Agincourt and The Frogs of Aristophanes for chorus and orchestra...
- Concertino for Harpsichord and String OrchestraConcertino for Harpsichord and String OrchestraConcertino for Harpsichord and String Orchestra is a short harpsichord concerto written in 1934 by English composer Walter Leigh. It was premiered by the English composer and pianist Elizabeth Poston.Movements:#Allegro#Andante#Allegro vivace...
(1934) - Jean-Jacques Coetzee - Concerti for Harpsichord, Opus 2 (2008) and Opus 5 (2009)
- Michael NymanMichael NymanMichael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
- Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings (1995)
Several other works feature the harpsichord as a solo instrument alongside others, including:
- Elliott CarterElliott CarterElliott Cook Carter, Jr. is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s, and then returned to the United States. After a neoclassical phase, he went on to write atonal, rhythmically complex music...
- Double Concerto (1959–61, for harpsichord, piano and orchestra) - Alfred SchnittkeAlfred SchnittkeAlfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
- Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1977, for two violins, harpsichord, prepared pianoPrepared pianoA prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers....
and orchestra) - Frank MartinFrank Martin (composer)Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:...
- Petite symphonie concertantePetite symphonie concertantePetite Symphonie Concertante, Op. 54, is an orchestral composition by the Swiss composer Frank Martin, one of his best-known works.Martin received the commission for the work in 1944, though progress was delayed by work on the oratorio In Terra Pax...
for harp, harpsichord, piano and double string orchestra.