English keyboard art from Robertsbridge Codex (c. 1325) to John Field. Illuminating coverage of organ, harpsichord, pianoforte, other instruments; works of Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons, Tomkins, many others. Bibliography.

A select bibliography and extensive endnotes enable the reader to take all of the issues further."--Jacket.

Excerpt from Early Keyboard Music, Vol. 2: A Collection of Pieces Written for the Virginal, Spinet, Harpsichord, and Clavichord Besides dances, composers of this period occupied themselves with Fantasias, Preludes, Toccatas, and Variations. The Toccata was one of the earliest specifically instrumental forms. It had no well-defined requirements; but one of its obvious features was a flowing movement, often regularly recurring figures, frequently of rapid running passages, with little decided melodic character; thus, like the Fantasia and Prelude, it was in the nature of a brilliant improvisation. In the Variation was soon found a medium for the development and display of the composer's ingenuity and the executant's technical facility; and it was considered appropriate to many of the dances just described. When composers came to perceive the value of the artistic balance and contrast to be obtained by grouping together dances of different tempos, rhythms and character, grave and gay, the Suite came into being. There was no definite rule, even in the latest and lightest development of the Suite, establishing the kind and order of the movements to be used; and in the earliest examples we find an infinite variety. However, the Suite was always in the same key throughout. By the beginning of the seventeenth century some general principles of choice and arrangement were cur rently accepted; with or without a Prelude, the Suite was often constituted of an Allemande, a Courante, a Sarabande and a Gigue, in the above order; but sometimes other movements were employed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The twentieth-century revival of early music unfolded in two successive movements rooted respectively in nineteenth-century antiquarianism and in rediscovery of the value of original instruments. The present volume is a collection of insights reflecting the principal concerns of the second of those revivals, focusing on early keyboards, and beginning in the 1950s. The volume and its authors acknowledge Canadian harpsichordist Kenneth Gilbert (b. 1931) as one of this revival’s leaders. The content reflects international research on early keyboard music, sources, instruments, theory, editing, and discography. Considerations that echo throughout the book are the problematics of source attributions, progressive institutionalization of early music, historical instruments as agents of artistic change and education, antecedents and networks of the revival seen as a social phenomenon, the impact of historical performance and the quest for understanding style and genre. The chapters cover historical performance practice, source studies, edition, theory and form, and instrument curating and building. Among their authors are prominent figures in performance, music history, editing, instrument building and restoration, and theory, some of whom engaged with the early keyboard revival as it was happening.

This is a richly illustrated history of the clavichord, the forerunner of the modern piano.

The name of Ruckers is as important to early keyboard instruments as Stradivarius is to strings. This book describes in close detail the art and technique of the Ruckers family, who produced harpsichords and virginals throughout a period of over 100 years. Dr O'Brien provides detailed information about the construction and decoration of Ruckers harpsichords and virginals, as well as the numbering, pitch, stringing, and the determination of the original state of their instruments. Like Stradivarius violins, Ruckers instruments were later altered, and the nature and musical significance of these alterations are discussed, as is the influence of the Ruckers style on later building practice. The instruments in their original and altered states are considered in relation to the music of the time and to contemporary performance practice. The text is richly illustrated with diagrams and pictures of original instruments, and with plan-view photographs reproduced at a scale of 1:10. The book also contains a partially illustrated catalogue of authentic and fake instruments, followed by extensive appendices.

The New Grove Musical Instruments Series, a companion to the much-acclaimed New Grove Composer Biography Series, presents in book form many of the lengthy and informative articles published in The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. Each book is a comprehensive guide to all facets of an instrument: its history, construction, repertory, playing techniques, and makers, written by leading authorities.

Classic Keys is a beautifully photographed and illustrated book focusing on the signature rock keyboard sounds of the 1950s to the early 1980s. It celebrates the Hammond B-3 organ, Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, the Vox Continental and Farfisa combo organs, the Hohner Clavinet, the Mellotron, the Minimoog and other famous and collectable instruments. From the earliest days of rock music, the role of keyboards has grown dramatically. Advancements in electronics created a crescendo of musical invention. In the thirty short years between 1950 and 1980, the rock keyboard went from being whatever down-on-its-luck piano awaited a band in a bar or concert hall to a portable digital orchestra. It made keyboards a centerpiece of the sound of many top rock bands, and a handful of them became icons of both sound and design. Their sounds live on: Digitally, in the memory chips of modern keyboards, and in their original form thanks to a growing group of musicians and collectors of many ages and nationalities. Classic Keys explores the sound, lore, and technology of these iconic instruments, including their place in the historical development of keyboard instruments, music, and the international keyboard instrument industry. Twelve significant instruments are presented as the chapter foundations, together with information about and comparisons with more than thirty-six others. Included are short profiles of modern musicians, composers, and others who collect, use, and prize these instruments years after they went out of production. Both authors are avid musicians, collect and restore vintage keyboards, and are well-known and respected in the international community of web forums devoted to these instruments.

Written by Joan Benson, one of the champions of clavichord performance in the 20th century, Clavichord for Beginners is an exceptional method book for both practitioners and enthusiasts. In addition to detailing the historical origins of the instrument and the evolution of keyboard technique, the book describes the proper method for practicing fingering and articulation and emphasizes the importance of touch and sensitivity at the keyboard.

Guides the reader through the unusual and fascinating keyboard holdings of sixteen nations, thirty-five cities, and forty-seven museums.