Period Piano

[Pianorak]

. . . a programme about what could have given Cristofori and other experimenters the idea about hammered strings. . .

There is no record of him [Cristofori] receiving any training from a recognized harpsichord maker, and indeed it could be argued that the very absence of such a training might account for some otherwise inexplicable idiosyncrasies in his working practices. . . The plain, uncompromisingly functional character of his handiwork suggests a craftsman who had formed his own ideas of what was beautiful, and this, taken together with his unusual methods of making keyboards, might suggest that there is more than mere originality at work - in short, that he may have come to keyboard instrument making by some unconventional route. Certainly if he ever had a master among known harpsichord makers, nothing that has been observed in his surviving work can now guide us towards an identifcation. . . . By 1711 he had completed at least three of them, as we learn from a detailed and penetrating description published by Marchese Scipione Maffei in the Giornale di Litterati d'Italia.

(from: The Pianoforte in the Classical Era by Michael Cole, Clarendon Press Oxford 1998)

cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolomeo_Cristofori

[John Shelton]

Yes; and in Stravinsky's Ragtime and Renard and Birtwistle's Gawain, too.

And Kurtág

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJmr3bF8WWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8nYDpq-NRQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz3hbG6zFow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfeJes8uP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRSIOO8U628

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS70cC6gFPs

(haven't found the Haydn trio yet)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And Kurtág

[Bryn]

What? Nobody seems to have mentioned the Bartok's 1st Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra. Fine use of the cimbalom there.

[amateur51]

And Kurtág

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJmr3bF8WWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8nYDpq-NRQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz3hbG6zFow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfeJes8uP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRSIOO8U628

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS70cC6gFPs

(haven't found the Haydn trio yet)

Wow!!

I've never heard any of this music before - what wonderful stuff - many thanks for posting these links, Hey Nonymous

[salymap]

We have a band of gypsy players who regularly play in our town square - violin, double bass and cimbalom. I find the sound absolutely fascinating and could listen to it for hours. I also love the appearance it makes in Kodaly's "Hary Janos" suite.

I was just going to mention that work. Years ago I was lucky enough to see Kodaly conduct Hary Janos and the cimbalom player had to be 'borrowed' from the Hungaria Restaurant in Piccadilly, one not being available at the BBC. i've never heard that part played so well.

[MrGongGong]

Wow!!

I've never heard any of this music before - what wonderful stuff - many thanks for posting these links, Hey Nonymous

Kurtág's Játékok
is a work of genius
the duet pieces are brilliant and the idea of learning the piano by playing games is inspired

And this one is wonderful if you are a cimbalom enthusiast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dznlkl4fTA&feature=relmfu

[Bryn]

And let's not forget:

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I listened to part 2 and came away with the feeling that this was one of the most interesting programmes on Radio 3 in recent months.

[David-G]

I listened to part 2 and came away with the feeling that this was one of the most interestingprogrammes on Radio 3 in recent months.

I have been looking forward to this anyway, and you have now seriously whetted my appetite!

[gurnemanz]

And let's not forget:

or this

[doversoul1]

Ah well. It takes the piano to get people to notice Early Music Show

There is no record of him [Cristofori] receiving any training from a recognized harpsichord maker, and indeed it could be argued that the very absence of such a training might account for some otherwise inexplicable idiosyncrasies in his working practices. . . The plain, uncompromisingly functional character of his handiwork suggests a craftsman who had formed his own ideas of what was beautiful, and this, taken together with his unusual methods of making keyboards, might suggest that there is more than mere originality at work - in short, that he may have come to keyboard instrument making by some unconventional route. Certainly if he ever had a master among known harpsichord makers, nothing that has been observed in his surviving work can now guide us towards an identifcation. . . . By 1711 he had completed at least three of them, as we learn from a detailed and penetrating description published by Marchese Scipione Maffei in the Giornale di Litterati d'Italia.

(from: The Pianoforte in the Classical Era by Michael Cole, Clarendon Press Oxford 1998)

cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolomeo_Cristofori

Many thanks for the link. How about a programme on How the Piano Became?

[ed] The JC Bach was fascinating.
BACH, J.C. / ABEL / HAYES / HOOK: Keyboard Concertos (The World's First Piano Concertos) (Norris)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Worlds-First-Piano-Concertos/dp/B00008V6XL/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1350294685&sr=1-2

[Pianorak]

Ah well. It takes the piano to get people to notice Early Music Show

Er - not much point without a piano.