The Cambridge Companion to the Harpsichord

by Mark Kroll (Editor)

Written by fourteen leading experts in the field, this Companion covers almost every aspect of the harpsichord - the history of the instrument, tuning systems, the role of the harpsichord in ensemble, its use in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and includes separate chapters devoted to Domenico Scarlatti, J. S. Bach and Handel. Chapters featuring almost every national style are written by authors with close connections to the countries about which they are writing, including England, The Netherlands, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, as well as the less extensive harpsichord traditions of Russia, the Nordic and Baltic countries, and colonial Spanish and Portuguese America. With musical examples, illustrations, a timeline of the harpsichord, and an appendix of composers, reliable editions and original sources, this book is for all who love the harpsichord, or want to learn more about it.

Genres: Music

406 pages, Hardcover

Published February 14, 2019

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fairly niche, as it centers around an instrument that is largely associated with early music. The chapters cover the history of the harpsichord, its music and use in most European countries plus colonial America, the major Baroque composers of harpsichord music, modern harpsichord music, and tuning. Most of the chapters were very interesting, although the chapter on tuning was a bit over my head. I liked that the authors did not resort to laundry lists when covering different country's music and style. I especially enjoyed the chapter on colonial America.