Legato playing and hidden polyphony on the harpsichord

Legato playing and hidden polyphony on the harpsichord
by Jovanka Marville
Part of the Hautes écoles de musique de Suisse romande research project Beethoven according to Moscheles, under the direction of Pierre Goy.
French version: • Jeu lié et polyphonie ...

[@themrbadluck]

For anyone wondering, the piece at the beginning is from Handel 437, allemande part.

[@riverwildcat1]

What a joy to hear someone so accomplished and able to demonstrate such beautiful technique, on a magfnificent 250 year-old instrument, no less. Brava! Ça me réjouit.

[@irvingblacker]

Wow! Totally mind blowing. I’ve been listening to Bach, Scarlatti, Rameau, etc. for 40 years but this helps immensely in appreciating the art of harpsichord playing. Merci beaucoup!

[@areareare9953]

This is utterly fascinating. I can see how composers of the day may have tried to push the harpsichord as far as it could go musically, especially as other instruments of the time were able to hold notes and slur together (violin etc). Who knows, they may have also played the pieces more crisply, in the case of group performance, but then more of this legato style if an intimate solo performance. It would also be interesting to see if some of the advances being made in organ music (mention of the voices) may have also pushed harpsichord performance forward.

[@miguelrotaeche8582]

Révelateur! Je comprends beaucoup mieux François Couperin maintenant, et je vois maintenant que ses partitions sont des vrais joyaux. Je comprends aussi maintenant mieux ces phrases de CPE Bach auxquelles je n'avais pas attaché d'importance. Vous êtes charmante.

[@dylangamble4810]

Magnifique

[@777rogerf]

Lacking credentials as a musicologist, I can only say that it seems to me that these principles regarding legato and non-legato are relevant not only to the harpsichord but to instrumental and vocal music of Baroque and earlier periods. None of the "big name" artists or conductors grasp these principles. In my non-expert opinion (for which no one. asked). one who does understand remarkably well is the German Kay Johannsen. He had a good number of exceptional TH-cam recording of J. S. Bach work for the organ.

[@raquel_hakeu]

Maravilhoso! 🌹

[@jansteen72]

Bravissima e bellissima!

[@groezy]

the halvorsen transcription of the passacaglia is one of my favorite pieces, but the two voices in one hand really don't show on strings!

[@laurensheijs355]

Superbe!

[@ChelimYrneh]

♥

[@alfredoa.potthoff6709]

Mercie bien! 😍😘

[@janrecorder]

Excellent!

[@JoséHenriqueAgnerRibeiro]

What piece is played in the intro of the video?

[@monsieurgrigny]

👍

[@Braininajarsociety]

What's the piece played at 11:22?

[@sandronatelashvili1613]

carl phillipp emanuel bach sonata b minor h.245 rondeau espressivo ^_^

[@Braininajarsociety]

Thanks. @@sandronatelashvili1613

[@jimbo2629]

I’ll stick to playing the notes as written. Lovely French harpsichord from the peak time and place of making.

[@southfloridaarcheryguy114]

So you’re going to stick to playing it incorrectly?? Why?

[@karlpoppins]

Don't forget to _not_ add any ornamentation, dynamics, or tempo variations, because those aren't written either!

[@TehKaiser]

@@karlpoppinsNo improvisation either. Skeletons only, no meat

[@karlpoppins]

@@TehKaiser You know those sections in Bach where he just writes half note chords in the middle of a busy piece? He totally doesn't want you to improvise your own arpeggio; _just play it as written!_