Interesting comments, but I would have to say that for any one manual against another, that the piano-forte and its predecessor are without a doubt the most difficult to play. It is a simple matter of the additional complication of dynamics . . . the harpsichord almost plays itself (on any given note) but the piano-forte does not. And this I say with the opinion that most people who are believed to play the piano-forte correctly, do not. As for the organ: pedaled piano-forte _do_ exist.
I'd like to say that some organs have *some* dynamics, but if you want to go for difficulty I would say that the harpsichord has some subtleties that make it hard to play (though i'm not sure what's harder). I'm not sure why it is interesting to try to find the hardest instrument to play, but for the sake of argument, the clavichord has the dynamics and vibrato so by that logic it is harder to play.
I second that, why do people get good comments just because they use period instruments? If we're talking about period practice, this is still way off.
This kind of attitude just allows these instruments to become vehicles for less able musicians to be heard.
@SidedPanic You comment reminded of one said to me, "You play the Harpsichord? So you couldn't cut as Organist or Pianist?" Actually, I've loved the sound of the instrument since I first heard, and yes, I was both a Church Organist and capable pianist. Unfortunately, musicians starving in garrets or religious that make their employees live vow of poverty is reason enough not to pursue a career in music.
There are many virtuoso Harpsichord players that are also excellent pianists.
You misunderstood. I myself have played the harpsichord quite a bit - it's a beautiful instrument. All I was indicating is that this particular performance doesn't do the music or the instrument justice - yet as you can see above and below are comments from people heaping praise.. 'Just Because' it's played on a period instrument.
@SidedPanic, There are as many bad performances on 'revival' or serien harpsichords (plucking pianos) as "period" instruments, more apparent on the revivals. The revival instrument is very different from the historical; the 4' stop on the upper manual, longer scales, high string tension on metal frames, thick cases tonally differ from the original.
A number very fine performances on revival instruments, which are IMHO ruined by frequent registration changes (pedal pushing).
Thiis waz tha vary ferst sung i had learned as a chiled ands now i can saey im proud to be tha descending heir Johann Sebastian Bach. Sorry for my englishz.
This piece is one of the most difficult to interpretate since is a special work, diferent in style and sense by bach. In my opinion the best version of this work up to date is the one done by harpsichordist george malcolm maybe in the late 50´s or early 60´s. It is fantantic. What a pity that mr. malcolm didn´t record on digital.
Just got a classical guitar transcription of this piece by bach. ill have a go, but not at your speed .well done nice and neat playing crispy refreashing legato thanks.
Thank you, but the harpsichord is only about 20 times harder to play than the piano. You're right: you can't pound a harpsichord. It takes intellect, something it seems in short supply, rather than brawn.
Hi Lance, I purchase my first Harpsichord 25 years ago. Many works of J S Bach became even more alive (too many to list) and the universe of baroque music unfolded.
Mark Kroll wrote an excellent book on expressive harpsichord playing.
Technique and Interpretation on the Harpsichord and Clavichord by Richard Troeger is very good, too.
The Harpsichord will meet you half way if you do likewise.
Lance, your ignorance astounds me. I find it ridiculous when people claim one instrument to be "harder" than other when it depends completely on the piece that is being played. You seem to forget the skill required to use dynamics and sustain on a piano effectively. The harpsichord is also limited, technically, in that notes cannot be held or accented etc. The harpsichord is certainly a challenging instrument to play, but to claim it is more so than the piano makes no sense.
@RobinScott93 I don't know if you play piano, harpsichord, or organ. I do. Of the three the Piano is the easier to play. The Harpsichord requires the proper "touch" and if you don't play the instrument correctly the harpsichord lets you and the audience no immediately. Errors in rhythm or timing are more apparent than on the Piano. Technique is used to "accent" notes.
The Piano can be just banged away on, with the damper depressed most of the time and no one would be the wiser.
@Renshen1957 Without context, the statement, "the piano is the easier to play" is completely meaningless. Of course, if you are playing a simple piece in which dynamics and ornaments are non-existant, it may be harder to play that piece on a harpsichord so that it is pleasing to the ear. However, do not tell me that touch and control on a piano are not important. The difficultly in playing an instrument is in how you want to play that instrument. No instrument is harder to play than another.
@RobinScott93 Within the constraints of 500 characters:
Altho' touch and control is important in a piano (volume and shading), it is nowhere near as important important as a harpsichord when depressing the key. I embarassed a professional Harpsichordist during an intermission call to try his instrument; the tone I brought forth surpassed as the audience remarked.
PS Organs built with mechanical (tracker) actions on require the strength/endurance of a blacksmith; Oboes are harder.
@Renshen1957 Again, your statement has no context. If a pianist wanted to use complex dynamics, the piece would be far harder to play on a piano than on a harpsichord. It's all about how you play the instrument. That's all I'm saying.
@RobinScott93, I am not talking about complex dynamics, I am talking about technical difficulties of playing an instrument that is as much if not more dependent on touch than a piano on tone.
In context, how about Scarlatti Sonata K.96? The arpeggios, rh, the leaps from bass to treble to bass, 2nd section? How about the wide reaches in WTC bk 1 the G minor Fugue at measure 18? I am assuming you play the piano. Try both pieces without the damper pedal. You do play a keyboard instrument?
After reading your replies to comments on other videos I am sensing that the hostility between us has begun to subside. I therefore ask that you disregard my last reply to a comment of yours, as it was written when I was still very much in a state of frustration. I apologise for my words, although still disagree with your statement.
You taught yourself to play the keyboard?! Nice job!
I had a friend, a long time ago, who set out to play the piano (with no instruction of any kind), by sitting down with the sheet music to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". After 9 or 10 months, he could play the whole piece! True story.
This instrument is build after a Ruckers Cembalo oft the 17th century, but they took other measures. It is shorter, because I have not so much space. I have planed the whole instrument (the type of wood for the corpus, the keys etc, the measurement, action, gamut....) and Neupert just build it. F.e. the bass sounding is very surprising, althoug the instrument takes only 1780 mm in length.
Disposition: 8',4'; 8',lute and couple (by pushing the upper keyboard); gamuut: H-e3.
I think you got me wrong. The model "Telemann" is one example for a modern reconstruction of harpsichords they did from the early 20s up to the 70s. But this style of harpsichord building has nothing to do with the real historical way of building. Today, Neupert builds harpsichords in the historical way and their sound is very different to those old reconstructions. This "recording" was made with a little digital camera, and its quality of sound is very bad. So it is hard to hear any difference
At the moment, I play organ, but I'll practise harpsichord in future. So, perhaps, I'll make a new vid, also with the fugue, but it takes time. My interpretation of this piece was another one then in the vid from OedipusColoneus on the right, because my was strongly influenced by Karl Richter. I am singing in a very good choir now, and I have noticed, while practising organ, I'm changing my conception by adopting the articulation and phrasing from the singing...
Wow, that gave me the chills. For those who come from another world (as I), this theme was used in Castlevania 2 for Gameboy on the final boss, Dracula...
don't mean to be sounding like a noob, but could a music history expert tell me why harpsichords and fortepiano have the colors of the keys opposite of modern pianos?
I'm no export but I will say that gspaulsson's theory seems ridiculous to me. Both ivory and ebony would have been expensive and only the tops of the keys would be covered. Furthermore, not all harpsichords used ivory and ebony keys, many would have used boxwood and rosewood. Also, not all early keyboard instruments used a 'reverse keyboard'--both types were present. This suggests to me that it was a matter of style, fashion, and tradition; just as is the case with white natural keys today.
Excellent, one of my favourite pieces of all time. I commend you especially for playing it on a harpsichord rather than a piano. I was also wondering if it would be possible for you to sometime in the future do BWV 911 Toccata and Fuge in Cm?
I don't know, which Ruckers cembalo he took. It has the dispoition 8'4';8'Laute;Koppel.
It is not transposing, because I don't want to play in a toooo historical way. I'm short in time at this moment, I will make a new version of the Fantasie and Fuge later, sorry.
Thanks for that. Sorry about the late response. No complaints about the playing at all. I'd just like to hear what the Fugue sounds like on this instrument. Keep up the good work!
I am german, and this instrument is made by Neupert. This Type is a special version, I told Neupert, how to build it. (how long, which keys, ...) the basic is a model from Ruckers.
awesome! congrats!
littlegiant1972 4 months ago
are the keys on a harpsichord softer to press than piano's?
hoiningt 5 months ago
@hoiningt of course they are
orangeandaxe 4 months ago
Some one unleashed the trolls 0_0
cowzwithgunzii2009 7 months ago
Respect! Thanx for posting.
scubaloom 9 months ago
cool!
masterkuprij 11 months ago
Interesting comments, but I would have to say that for any one manual against another, that the piano-forte and its predecessor are without a doubt the most difficult to play. It is a simple matter of the additional complication of dynamics . . . the harpsichord almost plays itself (on any given note) but the piano-forte does not. And this I say with the opinion that most people who are believed to play the piano-forte correctly, do not. As for the organ: pedaled piano-forte _do_ exist.
dolofonos 1 year ago
@dolofonos
Weird debate.
I'd like to say that some organs have *some* dynamics, but if you want to go for difficulty I would say that the harpsichord has some subtleties that make it hard to play (though i'm not sure what's harder). I'm not sure why it is interesting to try to find the hardest instrument to play, but for the sake of argument, the clavichord has the dynamics and vibrato so by that logic it is harder to play.
TheLiquidLen 3 months ago
Hey;
Hey!
HEY!
Where can I find the new version, which you promised to record, of this fugue?
plugee 1 year ago
you said you will post a new version, waiting for it. regards.
jummiewhore 1 year ago
Thank you for this performance. Is the final chord Dminor? I have a score where it is F#.
rodrigochanta 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Maestro,Maestro, you will be recieving an invite to play at my court of Hablock.
In ye olde times did play,
at royale banquets where ostrich plumes on displaye
A troubador strummeth on his lute
embroidered ermine were his boote
jacobbengali1 1 year ago
bravo.
enantiodrom 1 year ago
Fantastic!! you are so talented
ZanthiaKhala 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
amateur
kv310 2 years ago
I second that, why do people get good comments just because they use period instruments? If we're talking about period practice, this is still way off.
This kind of attitude just allows these instruments to become vehicles for less able musicians to be heard.
SidedPanic 2 years ago
@SidedPanic You comment reminded of one said to me, "You play the Harpsichord? So you couldn't cut as Organist or Pianist?" Actually, I've loved the sound of the instrument since I first heard, and yes, I was both a Church Organist and capable pianist. Unfortunately, musicians starving in garrets or religious that make their employees live vow of poverty is reason enough not to pursue a career in music.
There are many virtuoso Harpsichord players that are also excellent pianists.
Renshen1957 1 year ago
@Renshen1957
You misunderstood. I myself have played the harpsichord quite a bit - it's a beautiful instrument. All I was indicating is that this particular performance doesn't do the music or the instrument justice - yet as you can see above and below are comments from people heaping praise.. 'Just Because' it's played on a period instrument.
SidedPanic 1 year ago
@SidedPanic, There are as many bad performances on 'revival' or serien harpsichords (plucking pianos) as "period" instruments, more apparent on the revivals. The revival instrument is very different from the historical; the 4' stop on the upper manual, longer scales, high string tension on metal frames, thick cases tonally differ from the original.
A number very fine performances on revival instruments, which are IMHO ruined by frequent registration changes (pedal pushing).
Renshen1957 1 year ago
Please tell the gentleman to post the fugue as well (after he tunes his instrument). I like his playing.
lancemmyers 2 years ago
Thiis waz tha vary ferst sung i had learned as a chiled ands now i can saey im proud to be tha descending heir Johann Sebastian Bach. Sorry for my englishz.
austinb7861 2 years ago
This is fantastic!
And fantastic harpsichord.
maciex47 2 years ago
It's a Cembalo
ZorroTomas94 2 years ago
Do another please
bernard35 2 years ago
This piece is one of the most difficult to interpretate since is a special work, diferent in style and sense by bach. In my opinion the best version of this work up to date is the one done by harpsichordist george malcolm maybe in the late 50´s or early 60´s. It is fantantic. What a pity that mr. malcolm didn´t record on digital.
DBJ06 2 years ago
I prefer the work as Analog (LP and quality Record Player).
Renshen1957 2 years ago
i guess you played this song by listening, not?
cause you aren't using sheet-music..
amazing \,,/
Gladddy 2 years ago
me copo el tema la verdá
cagarosa 2 years ago 2
Norman Bates
Unicornsparkles 2 years ago
I enjoyed your playing very much ,your very good , All the best to you!
play on!
harpsi8 2 years ago 2
Just got a classical guitar transcription of this piece by bach. ill have a go, but not at your speed .well done nice and neat playing crispy refreashing legato thanks.
steelback2 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Playing this on a harpsichord is 10 times easier than on a piano.
Markohoppis 3 years ago
I suspect that's so, but doesn't make this any worse. I personally prefer the harpsichord for Bach pieces.
kageotaku 2 years ago 6
playing this on a piano is 100 easier than on a trumpet!
smakisssss 2 years ago
Markohoppis Is playing it on the piano 10 times easier?
From my experience about equal, however the harpsichord is a more demanding instrument to play.
The harpsichord does have a lighter quicker action, however, there is a lot more technique involved.
You can't pound away at a harpsichord the way you can on a piano. Any rhythm mistake on the harpsichord is immediately apparent.
The Piano has the sustain pedal which covers a multitude of sins, which is not found on the harpsichord.
Renshen1957 2 years ago 5
Thank you, but the harpsichord is only about 20 times harder to play than the piano. You're right: you can't pound a harpsichord. It takes intellect, something it seems in short supply, rather than brawn.
Lance
lancemmyers 2 years ago
Hi Lance, I purchase my first Harpsichord 25 years ago. Many works of J S Bach became even more alive (too many to list) and the universe of baroque music unfolded.
Mark Kroll wrote an excellent book on expressive harpsichord playing.
Technique and Interpretation on the Harpsichord and Clavichord by Richard Troeger is very good, too.
The Harpsichord will meet you half way if you do likewise.
Renshen1957 2 years ago
Lance, your ignorance astounds me. I find it ridiculous when people claim one instrument to be "harder" than other when it depends completely on the piece that is being played. You seem to forget the skill required to use dynamics and sustain on a piano effectively. The harpsichord is also limited, technically, in that notes cannot be held or accented etc. The harpsichord is certainly a challenging instrument to play, but to claim it is more so than the piano makes no sense.
RobinScott93 2 years ago
@RobinScott93 I don't know if you play piano, harpsichord, or organ. I do. Of the three the Piano is the easier to play. The Harpsichord requires the proper "touch" and if you don't play the instrument correctly the harpsichord lets you and the audience no immediately. Errors in rhythm or timing are more apparent than on the Piano. Technique is used to "accent" notes.
The Piano can be just banged away on, with the damper depressed most of the time and no one would be the wiser.
Renshen1957 1 year ago
@Renshen1957 Without context, the statement, "the piano is the easier to play" is completely meaningless. Of course, if you are playing a simple piece in which dynamics and ornaments are non-existant, it may be harder to play that piece on a harpsichord so that it is pleasing to the ear. However, do not tell me that touch and control on a piano are not important. The difficultly in playing an instrument is in how you want to play that instrument. No instrument is harder to play than another.
RobinScott93 1 year ago
@RobinScott93 Within the constraints of 500 characters:
Altho' touch and control is important in a piano (volume and shading), it is nowhere near as important important as a harpsichord when depressing the key. I embarassed a professional Harpsichordist during an intermission call to try his instrument; the tone I brought forth surpassed as the audience remarked.
PS Organs built with mechanical (tracker) actions on require the strength/endurance of a blacksmith; Oboes are harder.
Renshen1957 1 year ago
@Renshen1957 Again, your statement has no context. If a pianist wanted to use complex dynamics, the piece would be far harder to play on a piano than on a harpsichord. It's all about how you play the instrument. That's all I'm saying.
RobinScott93 1 year ago
@RobinScott93, I am not talking about complex dynamics, I am talking about technical difficulties of playing an instrument that is as much if not more dependent on touch than a piano on tone.
In context, how about Scarlatti Sonata K.96? The arpeggios, rh, the leaps from bass to treble to bass, 2nd section? How about the wide reaches in WTC bk 1 the G minor Fugue at measure 18? I am assuming you play the piano. Try both pieces without the damper pedal. You do play a keyboard instrument?
Renshen1957 1 year ago
After reading your replies to comments on other videos I am sensing that the hostility between us has begun to subside. I therefore ask that you disregard my last reply to a comment of yours, as it was written when I was still very much in a state of frustration. I apologise for my words, although still disagree with your statement.
RobinScott93 2 years ago
I don't care if robin's gone all nice on you now, you're still an ignorant lemon.
SidedPanic 2 years ago
Nice work, I love the harpsichord music, and you are one of my favorites playlist on youtube. Just excelent
LenguasUzziel 3 years ago
You taught yourself to play the keyboard?! Nice job!
I had a friend, a long time ago, who set out to play the piano (with no instruction of any kind), by sitting down with the sheet music to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". After 9 or 10 months, he could play the whole piece! True story.
ldixon11 3 years ago
Who is the harpsichord builder? Is it a French double?
cbfoto 3 years ago
Excellent playing and wonderful sound of the instrument. Bravo. Waiting also for the fugue.
Babejuda 3 years ago
i thought that a harpsichord plucks like a harp and not hammer like a piano. the chords u played lasted long! O_@
winxcat 3 years ago
What is the maker on this Harpsichord? I'm assuming it is a revival instrument from the sound?
rustydog1236 3 years ago
This instrument is build after a Ruckers Cembalo oft the 17th century, but they took other measures. It is shorter, because I have not so much space. I have planed the whole instrument (the type of wood for the corpus, the keys etc, the measurement, action, gamut....) and Neupert just build it. F.e. the bass sounding is very surprising, althoug the instrument takes only 1780 mm in length.
Disposition: 8',4'; 8',lute and couple (by pushing the upper keyboard); gamuut: H-e3.
OKIN1981 3 years ago
OH, yes I thought it sounded like a Neupert, I have the small Telemann Model that Neupert makes... Thanks for your answer, wonderful playing!
rustydog1236 3 years ago
I think you got me wrong. The model "Telemann" is one example for a modern reconstruction of harpsichords they did from the early 20s up to the 70s. But this style of harpsichord building has nothing to do with the real historical way of building. Today, Neupert builds harpsichords in the historical way and their sound is very different to those old reconstructions. This "recording" was made with a little digital camera, and its quality of sound is very bad. So it is hard to hear any difference
OKIN1981 3 years ago
@OKIN1981 you must be rich to get that stuff made
orangeandaxe 4 months ago
At the moment, I play organ, but I'll practise harpsichord in future. So, perhaps, I'll make a new vid, also with the fugue, but it takes time. My interpretation of this piece was another one then in the vid from OedipusColoneus on the right, because my was strongly influenced by Karl Richter. I am singing in a very good choir now, and I have noticed, while practising organ, I'm changing my conception by adopting the articulation and phrasing from the singing...
OKIN1981 3 years ago
Wow, that gave me the chills. For those who come from another world (as I), this theme was used in Castlevania 2 for Gameboy on the final boss, Dracula...
trudbol 3 years ago
pop culture: harpsichord = dracula duh!
camilocuesta 3 years ago
Is that so? Does Gameboy qualify for "pop culture"? Wouldn't that just be plain "geek"? =)
trudbol 3 years ago
sehr schoen! :)
diuscorvus 3 years ago
bravo! nice to hear it on a harpsichord.
gurshark 3 years ago
wow. i didnt know anyone could still play this masterpiece!!!
g2k25d94 3 years ago
GREAT!!!!!
sauterio 3 years ago
don't mean to be sounding like a noob, but could a music history expert tell me why harpsichords and fortepiano have the colors of the keys opposite of modern pianos?
Great playing by the way
voloz 3 years ago
Could it have to do with the price of ivory vs. ebony, before great white hunter go africa shoot many elephant?
gspaulsson 3 years ago
They weren't racist at that point in time.
Fryderyk104 3 years ago 2
Racist? How did that get into the conversation? I was speaking of economics.
gspaulsson 3 years ago
I'm no export but I will say that gspaulsson's theory seems ridiculous to me. Both ivory and ebony would have been expensive and only the tops of the keys would be covered. Furthermore, not all harpsichords used ivory and ebony keys, many would have used boxwood and rosewood. Also, not all early keyboard instruments used a 'reverse keyboard'--both types were present. This suggests to me that it was a matter of style, fashion, and tradition; just as is the case with white natural keys today.
dolofonos 3 years ago
(I'm no _expert_ either)
dolofonos 3 years ago
As far as I'm aware it was just the fashion of the time.
dominian42 3 years ago
It was to show off the whiteness of the players hands.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
Briliiant!
Expressive, fluid, crisp and sublime!
voidforpurpose 3 years ago
the part from 2:28 to 2:45 is so beautiful.
i wished i could play the harpsichord just to play that part
borizh 3 years ago 2
the tuning of this instrument has such a nice character to it also Would you happen to know the scale type?
432hertz 3 years ago
There was no scale type. I had only the a (tuningfork), the rest was tuning after hearing and this "recording" was after two weeks of tuning....
OKIN1981 3 years ago
its real good just start the video from the very begining
psychowolfman 4 years ago
Nicely done.
bulerias81 4 years ago
Excellent, one of my favourite pieces of all time. I commend you especially for playing it on a harpsichord rather than a piano. I was also wondering if it would be possible for you to sometime in the future do BWV 911 Toccata and Fuge in Cm?
TsarMulch 4 years ago
Yeah, what's the disposition and, being a Ruckers copy (Andreas or Johannes?), is it transposing?
Also, please can we have the fugue as well?
Thanks!
silverdalesapphires 4 years ago
I don't know, which Ruckers cembalo he took. It has the dispoition 8'4';8'Laute;Koppel.
It is not transposing, because I don't want to play in a toooo historical way. I'm short in time at this moment, I will make a new version of the Fantasie and Fuge later, sorry.
OKIN1981 4 years ago
Hi
Thanks for that. Sorry about the late response. No complaints about the playing at all. I'd just like to hear what the Fugue sounds like on this instrument. Keep up the good work!
silverdalesapphires 3 years ago
i would like to know more about the instrument you're playing -- maker, etc. is it yours? i'm a big harpsichord lover.
jcastano 4 years ago
I am german, and this instrument is made by Neupert. This Type is a special version, I told Neupert, how to build it. (how long, which keys, ...) the basic is a model from Ruckers.
OKIN1981 4 years ago
what is this instrument called?
what is the difference between the 2 layers?
bm23bm23bm23 4 years ago
very ,very well done mate !!
432hertz 4 years ago