Pressestimmen
" ... full and detailed, the result of hard work, very wide reading and, as often in this area of study, personal experience as an instrument maker... A History of the Harpsichord can thus serve many purposes, for anyone from student players to museum curators."-Times Literary Supplement, 13 February 2004
Kurzbeschreibung
A History of the Harpsichord brings together for the first time more than 200 photographs, illustrations, and drawings of harpsichords in public museums and private collections throughout Europe the United States. Edward L. Kottick draws on his extensive technical knowledge and experience as a harpsichord builder to detail the changing design, structure, and acoustics of the instrument over seven centuries. Based on painstaking research, the book considers the place of the instrument in society and vividly describes the market forces that brought about changes in its form, decoration, and cultural importance. An accompanying CD includes performances on several of the historical instruments described and illustrated in the volume, including a 1580 spinett virginal by Martin van der Biest and instruments built by Ruckers and Pleyel. The volume devotes attention to American harpsichord design as well as to present and future uses of the instrument. Also of interest The History of the Pianoforte A Documentary in Sound Eva Badura-Skoda 0-253-33582-5 HB GBP37.95
