Western Early Keyboard Association

The Harpsichord

The harpsichord was developed toward the end of the 14th century and produced until about 1800. The instrument was still played alongside the newer fortepiano through the classical era, but forgotten during the romantic era. The harpsichord was then revived in the mid-20th century.

Harpsichords may have two keyboards (manuals) and several sets of strings with different tone colors, allowing the player to create tonal variety using various combinations of strings. The lautenwerck or lute-harpsichord has gut rather than metal strings and sounds like the lute. 

The harpsichord was used for solo playing and accompaniment, and favored by Renaissance composers such as Byrd, and Baroque composers such as JS Bach, Couperin, D'Anglebert, Frescobaldi, Froberger, Handel, Rameau, and Scarlatti.

The clavichord, used for keyboard practice, composing, and performance in small spaces, was prized for its dynamic range and expressiveness, especially by 18th century composers.

With improvements to the action, the young instrument became popular after about 1750. The sound of the early fortepiano is lighter and more transparent than that of the modern piano, and appropriate for late Baroque and Classical music.  

Later, the instrument gained new qualities of tone, volume, size, weight, and range in response to changes in musical style, and was called pianoforte. Two types of action were common: the lighter Viennese action with a brighter tone (preferred by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert); and the heavier English action (based on Cristofori's) with a more mellow, deep tone. The latter persisted in the modern piano which had evolved by about 1880,  complete with heavy construction, metal frame, and wound strings under great pressure. The earlier fortepiano models fell out of use; they are now reconstructed by modern builders, as are the harpsichord and clavichord. 

Modern players are generally taught to produce an even, legato tone and shape a smooth, long line - an entire sentence - unless otherwise marked. However, writers of the earlier era urged that constant nuances of “shadow and light” are needed to express the musical gestures at the smaller level of words. As JJ Quantz wrote in 1752, “No listener will be particularly moved by someone who always produces the notes with the same force or weakness and, so to speak, plays always in the same color...”