Harpsichord concerto

A harpsichord concerto is a piece of music for an orchestra with the harpsichord in a solo role (though for another sense, see below.) Sometimes these works are played on the modern piano; see piano concerto. For a period in the late 18th century, Joseph Haydn and Thomas Arne wrote concertos which could be played interchangeably on both harpsichord, fortepiano and (in some cases) pipe organ.

The Baroque harpsichord concerto

Harpsichord concertos were written throughout the Baroque era, notably by Johann Sebastian Bach: see harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach).

The harpsichord was a very common instrument, but it was never as popular as string or wind instruments in the concerto role, probably due to its relative lack of volume when in an orchestra.Fact|date=February 2008 In this context, harpsichords were more usually employed as a continuo instrument, playing a harmonised bass part in nearly all orchestral music, the player often also directing the orchestra.

Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major, BWV 1050, may be the first work in which the harpsichord appeared as a concerto soloist.Fact|date=February 2008 In this piece, its usual continuo role is alternated with prominent solo "obbligato" episodes in all three movements. In the first movement the harpsichord, after rapid scales up and down the length of its range, embarks on a solo cadenza which lasts for 3-4 minutes, while the orchestra is silent.

The concerto for solo harpsichord

It was also popular at this time to adapt Italian concertos for other instruments (such as violin and orchestra) for solo harpsichord (or organ), something that Bach did with many of Vivaldi's concertos. Bach's Italian concerto BWV 971 is in this transcription style, though it was written as an original piece for harpsichord. The concerto transcriptions Bach made for harpsichord are listed as BWV 972–987 (see List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach).

The new harpsichord concerto

With the revival of the harpsichord in the 20th century, harpsichordists commissioned new pieces for the new 'revival' instrument: Wanda Landowska commissioned concerti from Francis Poulenc and Manuel de Falla. Though the 'revival instruments' have now fallen out of favour, concerti continue to be written for harpsichord, though are now more likely to be played on a copy of a historical instrument, perhaps with a small orchestra or some amplification to ensure it can be well heard.

List of harpsichord concertos

*Johann Sebastian Bach (all 1720s-1740s)
**BWV 1052 for harpsichord and strings in D minor, after the sinfonia and opening chorus of Cantata BWV 146 "Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal" and the sinfonia of Cantata BWV 188, both of which are presumed to have been transcriped from a lost violin concerto previously written by the composer himself
**BWV 1053 for harpsichord and strings in E major, probably after a lost oboe concerto
**BWV 1054 for harpsichord and strings in D major, after his violin concerto in E major, BWV 1042
**BWV 1055 for harpsichord and strings in A major, after a lost oboe d'amore concerto
**BWV 1056 for harpsichord and strings in F minor, probably after a lost violin concerto
**BWV 1057 for harpsichord, 2 recorders and strings in F major, after Brandenburg concerto no.4 in G major, BWV 1049
**BWV 1058 for harpsichord and strings in G minor, after his violin concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
**BWV 1050 - Brandenburg concerto no.5 in D major, for harpsichord, flute, violin and strings
**BWV 1044 for harpsichord, violin, flute and strings in A minor, 1st and 3rd movements after his Prelude and Fugue in A minor for harpsichord, BWV 894 and second movement after the second movement from his trio sonata in D minor for organ, BWV 527
**BWV 1060 for 2 harpsichords and strings in C minor, after a lost violin and oboe concerto
**BWV 1061 for 2 harpsichords and strings in C major; the harpsichord parts alone are considered the original concerto 'BWV 1061a' with the string parts added later
**BWV 1062 for 2 harpsichords and strings in C minor, after his double violin concerto in D minor, BWV 1043
**BWV 1063 for 3 harpsichords and strings in D minor
**BWV 1064 for 3 harpsichords and strings in C major, after a lost triple violin concerto
**BWV 1065 for 4 harpsichords and strings in A minor, after Vivaldi's concerto for 4 violins in B minor, RV 580 (l'estro armonico op.3 no.10, RV580)
*Thomas Arne - 6 Favourite Concertos for harpsichord, piano or organ (late 18th century)
*Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - about 50 keyboard concertos, including one for harpsichord and fortepiano.
*Johann Christian Bach - 6 Concertos for Harpsichord, Op. 1; 5 Concertos for Harpsichord; Concerto for Harpsichord in F minor; 6 Concertos for Keyboard, Op. 7; 6 Concertos for Keyboard, Op. 13
*Manuel de Falla - Concerto for harpsichord (1926)
*Joseph Dillon Ford Concerto for Harpsichord (2006)
*Philip Glass - Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra (2002)
*Henryk Górecki - Harpsichord Concerto (1980)
*Frank Martin - Harpsichord Concerto (1951-52)
*Bohuslav Martinů - Harpsichord Concerto (1935)
*Georg Matthias Monn - Harpsichord concerto in G minor, Harpsichord concerto in D major (18th Century)
*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Harpsichord concertos Nos 1–4 (KV. 37, 39, 40 and 41), arrangements of sonata movements by other composers.
*Francis Poulenc - Concert champêtre (1927-28)
*Roberto Gerhard - Concerto for harpsichord, percussion and strings (mid 20th century)
*Walter Leigh - Concertino for Harpsichord and String Orchestra (1934)

Several other works feature the harpsichord as a solo instrument alongside others, including:

*Elliott Carter - Double Concerto (1959-61, for harpsichord, piano and orchestra)
*Alfred Schnittke - Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1977, for two violins, harpsichord, prepared piano and orchestra)
*Frank Martin - Petite symphonie concertante for harp, harpsichord, piano and double string orchestra.

External links

* http://piano-concertos.org/ - a list of classical and romantic piano concertos

References