Lyrichord proudly presents 21 recordings representing the richness of the keyboard’s contribution to the history of music. In fact, the history of western music owes much of its character to the development of those fabulous instruments that, through an ingenious arrangement of wood, wire, pipes, hammers or quills, bring forth glorious music from the mere depression of keys by ten fingers. The clavichord, virginal, harpsichord, organ, lautenwerck, fortepiano, and modern piano, all occupy prominent perches in the pantheon of musical deity.
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The Artists and Keyboards
Included in this special selection are Kathryn Cok, internationally praised performance of English composer John Bull on harpsichord and virginal. Clavichordist Richard Troeger’s four groundbreaking recordings of all of J.S. Bach’s keyboard works performed on the clavichord. Vol’s 1 and 2 of John Paul’s complete series of Bach’s claviers Suites performed on the rare gut strung lawtenwerck (lute-harpsichord). Paul also teams up with fellow lautenwerck artist, Shawn Leopard, in two volumes of Trio Sonatas by J.S. Bach, and others, transcribed for two of these delicate and unique keyboard instruments. Then Paul mounts his French double manual for a trip to pre-revolutionary France, to explore the complete keyboard works of Jacques Duphly. The Italian baroque masters Dominico Scarlatti & Girolamo Frescobaldi are represented in stunning harpsichord performances by Elaine Comparone, Elaine Thornburgh, and Paul Wolfe.
The “King of the Instruments”
A glorious tour of Italian organ music of the fourteenth through nineteenth centuries (composers include rarely heard Moretti, Gabrieli, Lucchesi, Galuppi, Cavazzoni de Bologna, Guami, Frescobaldi, and Pescetti) is brought to life by the finest organists in Italy. An experience second only to being there! Recorded throughout Italy by award winning producer David Litwin.
A Trio of Trios
Like your Beethoven on harpsichord? How about Mozart? Haydn? Harpsichordist Elaine Comparone The Queen’s Chamber Trio shows us thrilling new ways to appreciate these masterful trios and quartets with an older keyboard instrument! Her Queen’s Chamber Band deftly recreates Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Parisian salon in Pieces de Clavecin en Concert.
Revival Harpsichords
The “revival” harpsichords of the early 20th century soar once again in dazzling recordings by Landowska protégé, Paul Wolfe, and (the man called by Time Magazine, “The greatest harpsichordist in the world”) Fernando Valenti.
John Van Buskirk’s virtuosic The Art of the Fortepiano moves the hands on history’s clock up a bit, in his enthralling performances of J.C. Bach, Mozart, Clementi and Beethoven.
The Ampico Reproducing Piano
Even the most popular pianists of the 1920s, (Adam Carroll, John T. Howard, Fritz Kreisler, Pietro Yon, others) are heard in new digital recordings, performing a wonderful and nostalgic collection of period Christmas music, directly from the rolls of the magical antique Ampico reproducing piano. It is like spending a holiday by the hearth in one of the twentieth century’s most exciting and historic decades!
