General Harpsichord and Clavichord Thread

[Mandryka]

Ich gieng einmal spatieren -- the most successful harpsichord performance I've heard -- colourful.

Peter Waldner must like the music, because I've got a recording of him playing it on organ too in Innsbruck in 2017 -- maybe The Squid gave me the recording, I don't know how I got it.  The fact that he likes it comes across in the verve and élan of the performance -- in fact the whole CD is a great favourite of mine.

[prémont]

Ich gieng einmal spatieren -- the most successful harpsichord performance I've heard -- colourful.

Peter Waldner must like the music, because I've got a recording of him playing it on organ too in Innsbruck in 2017 -- maybe The Squid gave me the recording, I don't know how I got it.  The fact that he likes it comes across in the verve and élan of the performance -- in fact the whole CD is a great favourite of mine.

I haven't gotten around to this yet, but from what I've heard until now, I have no doubt that Waldner loves the music he plays very much, and it's one of the reasons why his recordings are so refreshing and enriching to listen to.

[Mandryka]

I haven't gotten around to this yet, but from what I've heard until now, I have no doubt that Waldner loves the music he plays very much, and it's one of the reasons why his recordings are so refreshing and enriching to listen to.

Turns out that the Waldner live performance in Innsbruck is on claviorgan! Did you buy his Schubert CD?

[prémont]

Turns out that the Waldner live performance in Innsbruck is on claviorgan! Did you buy his Schubert CD?

Yes, and I have listened to the first movement of the "Fantasie" sonata D 894 and the first three Impromptus D 899. For some reason he leaves out the fourth Impromptu in A flat major. He wrote to me that he plays Schubert's music taking into account the Baroque Affectenlehre, and it fascinated me to hear it. Here, too, you can hear his love for music, and the result is very touching.

[prémont]

That's quick action! 

Please let me know if the Fischer recording is any good, when you get to it...

You can listen to examples from Fischer's works on Waldner's home page:

https://www.peterwaldner.at/start.html

Click: Photos & Media and scroll down to the Fischer examples.

There are lots of other interesting things on this home page.

[prémont]

Ich gieng einmal spatieren -- the most successful harpsichord performance I've heard -- colourful.

I listened to Waldner's John come kiss me now CD today. The whole CD is outstanding and I enjoyed it immensely.

[Mandryka]

A really impressive, serious, Pasquini recording from Arthur Haas. By serious, I mean Haas makes each piece sound like a real contrapuntal masterpiece.  well recorded, super colourful instrument and an good, stimulating, selection of music. Annoyingly, Plectra has not put the booklet online.

The harpsichord is apparently from something called The Flint Collection -- presumably Karen Flint.


https://eu.delawareonline.com/story/entertainment/music/1/01/01/striking-chords-brandywine-baroque-founder-plays-antique-instruments/2916541/
https://wsdg.com/projects-items/flint-barn-karen-flint/

[prémont]

A really impressive, serious, Pasquini recording from Arthur Haas. By serious, I mean Haas makes each piece sound like a real contrapuntal masterpiece.  well recorded, super colourful instrument and an good, stimulating, selection of music. Annoyingly, Plectra has not put the booklet online.

The harpsichord is apparently from something called The Flint Collection -- presumably Karen Flint.


https://eu.delawareonline.com/story/entertainment/music/1/01/01/striking-chords-brandywine-baroque-founder-plays-antique-instruments/2916541/
https://wsdg.com/projects-items/flint-barn-karen-flint/

How would you rate it compared to Lydia Maria Blank's Pasquini CD? She is also relatively contrapuntally minded.

[Mandryka]

How would you rate it compared to Lydia Maria Blank's Pasquini CD? She is also relatively contrapuntally minded.

Well just an immediate comment -- I think Haas's instrument is special enough to make it well worth investigating, whatever the interpretative merits vis-a-vis Blank. Haas is very eloquent, he lets the phrases breath, and have their effect on the listener.  You can see, I like the Haas very much.

[Mandryka]

Jean Rondeau playing some Louis Couperin on a harpsichord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvZndPH7ftk

[Mandryka]

I made a deal with Peter Waldner that he should send me all the Tastenfreuden CDs, so I shall hopefully hear it soon.

I'm not sure what to make of this recording. There is dynamic variation in a way which is a bit unusual for a harpsichord - it could be the instrument (which is big and has suffered some serious ravalements.)  It could be the recording engineering. The big speakers bring it out most clearly, but it's very audible on the Lebègue Chambonnières chaconne. At first I thought there was something wrong with my hifi - but no.

Turned out that all this stress was due to a loose interconnect, making one channel cut out intermittently.

[Harry]

I could select 12 albums on Qobuz with Peter Waldner, lets hear what its all about.

[prémont]

I could select 12 albums on Qobuz with Peter Waldner, lets hear what its all about.

Peter Waldner is an outstanding interpreter of early renaissance keyboard music and baroque keyboard music (harpsichord, clavichord, organ). I only got to know him by chance because his CDs are distributed by small labels. But having heard a few of his CDs I decided to get hold of all of them. This is something I don't do that often. They can be ordered from his own website. And listening to them has to me been a wonderful musical journey all through. The most rewarding and uplifting musical experience since long. I can only encourage others to do the same.

https://www.peterwaldner.at/start.html

[prémont]

Turned out that all this stress was due to a loose interconnect, making one channel cut out intermittently.

How do you explain this if it's your hi-fi gear?

I think it's just the extraordinary sounds you can get out of this harpsichord actually  - I've got a recording by Bob van Asperen on the same instrument and it's the same effect occasionally (Asperen's is well worth having, it has excellent and rare music.)

[Mandryka]

How do you explain this if it's your hi-fi gear?

Imagination is the best explanation I can offer.

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHI_tNEgNU0&ab_channel=KanjiDaito

Kanji Daito concert.

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLcvmswgqog&ab_channel=StripedGazelleMusic

An impressive performance of the 23 fist tone Magnificat fugues by Pachelbel -- I never thought I'd ever say this, but I hope he records the rest.

The performer is an not mentioned directly, I'll ask the uploader.

The uploader goes by the enigmatic name of Striped Gazelle. His work looks interesting

https://stripedgazelle.bandcamp.com/

[Mandryka]

Interesting article on Gustav Leonhardt and Martin Skowroneck

https://www.semibrevity.com/2014/04/gustav-leonhardt-martin-skowroneck-making-harpsichord-history/