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I have been recruited to play harpsichord for a Messiah sing next month, with a full orchestra. However, I have very little experience with the harpsichord beyond fooling around every now and then. Luckily, the part is a full realization. Does anyone have any advice for someone who has a month to sound like he knows how to play the harpsichord?

Try it out beforehand. The touch is very different, as the harpsichord plays at the top of the stroke, rather than the bottom. If you are practicing on a piano, practice without the damper pedal. There is no pedal on the harpsichord.

Some DPs have a pretty good harpsichord sound. That would allow you to preserve your experience with the touch of a piano but still get the sound you need for the concert.

This is a huge subject, covering many topics. Most people assume it is nearly the same as playing a piano, but there are quite a few differences; a few lessons with a harpsichordist can be very helpful.

Often the keyboards will have reverse-color keys, but the perceived 'strangeness' will go away after a few minutes. Try to spend time with the instrument well in advance of the first rehearsal.

This is very important to keep in mind. If you play to the bottom of the key you will make the jacks jangle and thump. To help play at the top of the key, you might think of plucking a harp or strumming a guitar - it really helps.

Keep your fingers as curved as possible. You might find that the keys are a bit narrower, and they most likely will be shorter too.

An unbelievable amount of tension can build up in the hands, so make sure to rest and stretch them during quiet moments.

You'll need to know how to register the different choirs of the harpsichord and become very familiar with selecting stops quickly. When all the registers are retired, nothing will sound - don't panic! Some harpsichords have foot-pedals for selecting registers, which function by hitching them down and to the side. More commonly, you will find levers above the keyboard or to the side of the instrument.

All harpsichords have an 8' stop as the basis for 'normal' playing; a larger instrument will also have a 4' stop, which sounds an octave higher. You would add that to the 8' in order to get a more brilliant sound. I'd use that for forte sections, whereas I might only use the 8' when accompanying a soloist. Make sure to notate any registration changes at the beginning of each movement so there won't be any surprises.

If there are two manuals you can quickly alternate between a louder sound (bottom keyboard with 8'+4') and softer one on the upper manual. The upper manual will likely only have an 8' stop.

For maximum volume you would pull out all speaking stops and couple the keyboards together. Coupling is typically done by pushing in the lower keyboard. The touch will be heavier, as the lower keyboard engages the upper one and causes those keys to move as well.

Another registration is to couple both keyboards and leave off the 4' stop; the upper will have a soft 8' and the bottom will have both 8' stops. This is a handy registration to try if you are not sure you'll be needing the 4'.

Harpsichords often have a buff stop, or lute stop; this moves a piece of felt against the string and causes a gentle plucking sound. You might also encounter a peau de bouffle stop; this has jacks quilled in leather, which creates a softer sound. You wouldn't use these stops when you need to play loudly.

The instrument sounds rather loud to the player, and you might feel rather exposed and self-conscious. Be assured that the sound doesn't travel as much as you might think; play with confidence. Remember that you are there to 'spice up' the accompaniment, and to give a percussive articulation to the ensemble. You have to anticipate where the pulse is - don't drag.

I tend to roll large chords - it is elegant and typical of the style. If you have a slow piece, you should roll the cadential chords more slowly. You will usually have 'the last word' at the end of each movement. For a more galant sound, I might roll the final chord up, then down.

There is an entire style of playing, with agogic accents, etc. - too much to go into here. For the time you have, you should listen to lots of recordings.

Typically the harpsichordist tunes their own instrument. I assume someone else will do this? You should start making inquiries about that now.

Sorry for the long post - do keep us updated!

I forgot to mention something.

The most challenging thing will be the recitativo sections, as these are very free-form and you'll be very exposed. You, the soloist, and the conductor need to all agree on how these should go. Sometimes the cellist will also be present.

I would ask the conductor about scheduling a special rehearsal for the 'recits'.

The only thing I'd like to add on this thread is difference in dynamic range and different playing styles due to it. You probably have experienced that on the harpsichord you cannot do the piano vs. forte playing as on the piano. So hitting the key harder for an emphasis (as any piano player would do) only creates a louder contact noise. During my first lesson on the harpsichord, my teacher emphasized on the articulation to achieve various dynamic effects. The phrasing is more flexible in time; you can accelerate and decelerate to mimic crescendo and decrescendo. You will probably want to avoid vertically synchronized chord playing; use rollup and down as whippen_boy mentioned above.

I'd recommend a comparative listen, perhaps of the same piece (e.g., Bach's Goldberg variations) on the piano and the harpsichord. You will hear the differences in playing style and hopefully you will find them helpful. Good luck with the concert!

Ianholic.

This is all wonderful advice. Thanks, everyone. I will post a follow-up after the concert.

I thought I would post an update.

All in all, everything went pretty well. The harpsichord was tuned a couple hours before the concert, but when I arrived at the hall, I noticed that one string was out of tune. Luckily, the tuner left the tuning equipment behind, so I tried to fix it myself. As the orchestra was warming up, I continued to try to tune this one string, but it kept slipping. When I initially looked at the harpsichord a couple weeks before, there were several strings missing, so I figured that this was a new string, and just needed to be stretched out or something. However, I think it wasn't attached properly at the other end, since it eventually either came off or snapped

The harpsichord had two choirs of strings which both sounded at the same octave, controlled by levers at the sides of the keyboard. Initially, I figured I would use only one for quiet numbers, and both for louder ones. However, the orchestra was so loud that I eventually gave up and played at full volume all the time. I suggested that we raise the lid, but the conductor thought that would obstruct others' views. I don't know what the common practice is.

It is true that playing harpsichord in an orchestra felt a lot more like playing percussion than playing piano. It was really pretty low pressure, since it's pretty hard to discern the individual pitches over everyone else. The recits were really no problem, either. I hope to be able to do this again sometime.

That's an interesting update, spatial. I've never played the harpsichord with more than a small group. Overall they are much softer than a modern piano, and usually the harpsichord is played with a small size chamber orchestra so it usually isn't completely drowned out by the orchestra. Did you try flipping open at least the front flap? This might of helped somewhat. In some instances I've seen the harpsichord with the lid removed so that it doesn't block the view for the player or the conductor.

Regarding the slipping strings. This may have to do with the type of tuning pins. In some instruments the builder used the antique-style square peg instead of the modern zither pin. The antique pegs do not have any hole to hold the string around it. Instead it's the pressure of the string against the shaft of the pin and the pressure of the windings that keep it from unwrapping. To be honest, the newer zither pins make this a lot easier because like piano tuning pins, but only smaller, they have a small hole in them to hold the string so it doesn't unwrap. Another issue that can cause strings to keep slipping is the loop end is not tight enough, or too tight. In the instances where the string loop is too loose, the string will untwist from its self. Once this happens, it will let go, but unfortunately it can't be put back together because the soft brass or light steel can't be rewound again. In cases if the string is too tight, you are seeing fatigue so the string is stretching beyond its tensile point, and will snap. This happens if it is up above pitch, and in particular if the instrument has a frame stability problem. I have this problem with my clavichord, which I ended up dropping in pitch to A395 from A415. At A415, the strings would snap on their own as the weather fluctuated. Other times, I would find a string out of tune, but try to bring it up to pitch and it would snap.

But anyway, welcome to the world of Baroque music, and to the keyboard instruments of that era. There's a lot more to the harpsichord and its music than what you've been exposed to so far. I recommend trying an instrument at another time on your own so you can explore what they are capable of. Remember the harpsichord is all about different levels of textures and rhythm. There's no way of controlling the volume directly, as you've found out, other than by adding and subtracting the sound. In order to achieve this within the music its self, other than by constantly changing stops, the performer will alter the rhythm to introduce different textures. He or she will also hold notes down and arpeggiate chords to increase or decrease their overall volume. When done effectively and tastefully the music will come alive even though the overall volume of the instrument is the same.

I'm glad you shared your experience with us.

John

The tuning pin may have been tapered, depending on the differences in diameter to keep it in place. It takes a special technique to tighten the tuning pin without having it lift and release.

Wolfgang Zuckermann's book on modern harpsichord makers (now not so modern!) lists a lot of problems he ran into repairing harpsichords that were used in concert situations. It is kind of fun reading, although I understand a lot of people were really angered by it.

I read that book ages ago when it was current. It was an interesting book, and I ended up visiting some of the builders mentioned in there afterwards. William Dowd and Eric Herz were among them. I remember his remarks about plucking pianos when referring to the Pleyel and Neuport instruments. I ended up purchasing one of Wally's clavichord kits, which now sadly needs a bit of rebuilding. Heck I paid $295 for it way back in the 1970s.

Interesting point about the tuning pins. The small square pins are a pain the butt though to keep in tune. On some instruments I've played with them, I've seen the tuner tap the pins into the pin block to tighten them up more. I agree it does take a special technique to keep from lifting the pin as I've had that happen myself.

John

That is why it is called a tuning hammer.

Welcome to the Rhythm section. Yes the Harpsichord then served the same basic purpose as a piano in a jazz band does now -- mostly rhythm.

Glad to hear it went well. The mishap with the string reminds me of what happened at a period instrument ensemble's Christmas concert I attended last month. The keyboard player traded off between harpsichord and positive organ, and the organ was fairly loud. During the last number, all of a sudden the strangest sounds started emanating from his direction and the poor keyboardist had a look of wide-eyed horror on his face. It became obvious that a note had stuck and once he figured out the problem, he was frantically trying to silence it. Finally, he did get it to shut up, and quickly scooted over to the harpsichord to finish the music, which had continued while this little drama played out. But the organ did emit one more odd little bleat all on its own a minute or two later. The whole thing was pretty funny in retrospect, and the guy's look when he was becoming aware the instrument a mind of its own was priceless.

I guess that is why they call those stuck notes ciphers.

I originally trained on the piano, to which I have now returned, but owned a harpsichord for 20 years on which I performed in public: solo, chamber, orchestral. For anyone who believes that the orchestra - even a medium sized on playing modern instruments in a modern fashion with a conductor - won't notice you, think again. I learned early on in rehearsal that any slight wobble in my beat threw the orchestra. The hpd is called a continuo instrument for good reason: it provides continuity in rhythm and harmony. Orchestral players really do listen to each other and they soon pick up on the penetrating sound of the hpd within the band. They can hear you - they have to look up to see the conductor.
I agree with previous posts that playing the hpd and piano demand very different approaches. With precise variations of articulation and phrasing, and the speed of touch, you can provide the equivalent of light and shade, which is what dynamics are about. With subtle changes of speed/rhythm the listener hears what are the equivalent of accents as well as the dance-like nature of baroque music.
Think of the hpd as a new instrument to be learned from scratch: I didn't touch the piano for years (and it took me a while to get back to it, especially the physical strength for, say, Beethoven and Schumann) but the joy of the hpd is in the subtle precision of its delicacy, if that makes sense. No clouds of pedal! Still miss it, but it had to go to buy and house my first grand.
Different subject: of the major baroque keyboard composers, Bach and Scarlatti can be most effectively be realised on the piano. Handel fares poorly and Couperin and Rameau do not transfer over at all. I have the complete works of C and R which I revelled in on the hpd which now sit on a shelf, unused and forlorn. Hpds and piano really are different.