Harpsichord

The organist and harpsichordist John Worgan (1724–90) was one of the most highly respected musicians in the London of his day: Handel admired his playing, and Burney described him as ‘very masterly and learned’. All that survives of his harpsichord music are a ‘New Concerto’, an independent Allegro non tanto and two collections, one of six sonatas and the other of thirteen teaching pieces, but they encompass an eclectic variety of styles and a surprising range of emotions – proud, spirited, witty, impulsive, touching, vivacious – making Worgan sound something like an English Domenico Scarlatti.

Melodiya presents recordings by Alexander Korneyev, (1930-2010) was an outstanding flutist, People's Artist of the RSFSR and laureate of the State Prize of Russia. A world famous soloist, Korneyev won recognition primarily as a concert musician. He has performed with well-known Russian musicians such as Lev Oborin, Ivan Kozlovsky, Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Mstislav Rostropovich and the Beethoven Quartet.

"Bach saved my life… You always feel in his music that God is present somehow." This is not empty declamation. It is a deep confession of harpsichord player Zuzana Růžičková, a survivor of the inconceivable horrors of the Nazi concentration camps of Terezín, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. She always felt that Bach's music was one of the things that helped her survive. In a certain way this is also true the other way around: Zuzana Růžičková gave new life to Bach's music by persistently promoting the use of harpsichord (as opposed to commonly used piano) in performing Bach repertoire in concert.

If you’re looking for an acceptable, low-cost cycle of Bach’s harpsichord concertos, this Brilliant Classics set may be of interest. Discs 1 and 2 contain all of the concertos for solo harpsichord and continuo, as well as the Concerto BWV 1060 for two harpsichords and Concerto BWV 1065 for four harpsichords, performed by the modern-instrument ensemble Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum, with soloist Christine Schornsheim, joined by fellow harpsichordists Armin Thalheim, Mechtild Stark, and Violetta Liebsch in the multiple keyboard works. These performances were originally issued in the U.S. nearly 25 years ago on the now defunct Capriccio label.

Charles-François Clément, born in Provence around 1720 and died in Paris in 1789, was professor of harpsichord in Paris, where he published: three cantatilles entitled Le Départ des guerriers, le Retour des guerriers in 1750 and Le Célibat in 1762; a book of Sonates en Trio pour un Clavecin et un Violon5 in 1743; a Harpsichord Journal, containing ariettes and arias transcribed for Harpsichord alone or with violin accompaniments; The music was chosen from the interludes and the successful comic operas. This journal was published monthly in Paris during the years 1762, 1763, 1764 and 1765, in-4 ° obl.