- Ralph Kirkpatrick
Ralph Kirkpatrick (
June 10 ,1911 –April 13 ,1984 ) was a musician,musicologist andharpsichord ist, born inLeominster, Massachusetts .Life and work
Ralph Kirkpatrick studied Art History at
Harvard University and went on to further studies withNadia Boulanger and harpsichord revival pioneerWanda Landowska inParis , as well asArnold Dolmetsch inHaslemere ,Heinz Tiessen inBerlin andGünther Ramin inLeipzig . From 1933 to 1934, he taught at theMozarteum inSalzburg ,Austria . A Guggenheim Scholarship later enabled him to study manuscripts and sources in Europe.From 1940 he was a professor at
Yale University , where he published his biography ofDomenico Scarlatti and a critical edition of Scarlatti's complete works (1953). These are now conventionally designated by their Kirkpatrick numbers (shown as Kk. --), which is now considered the standard, authoritative numbering system for Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas (despite at least two rival systems) (seeopus number ).Kirkpatrick made a number of recordings of the harpsichord works of Bach (Archive recordings). He also produced an edition of Bach's
Goldberg Variations (1938, G. Schirmer, Inc. New York - 37149) which includes extensive discussion of ornamentation, fingering, phrasing, tempo, dynamics, and general interpretation. He also authored the posthumous "Interpreting Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier: A Performer's Discourse".Kirkpatrick also played modern music, including
Quincy Porter 's Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra,Darius Milhaud 's Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord, and the Double Concerto for Harpsichord, Piano and Chamber Orchestra byElliott Carter , which was dedicated to him.As a performer and recording artist, he became best known for his
harpsichord performances of the keyboard music ofJohann Sebastian Bach andDomenico Scarlatti . He also recorded on theclavichord (e.g. Bach's two- and three-part inventions) and on thefortepiano (especially works byMozart ).Ralph Kirkpatrick died in
Guilford, Connecticut at the age of 72.External links
[http://www.bu.edu/library/music/ralphkirkpatrick.html Ralph Kirkpatrick: A Bibliography and Discography]
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