The name "The Cat's Fugue" is because Scarlatti heard his cat named Pucinela walking in his harpsichord and composed this fugue based in the sounds produced by the cat walking in the intrument. source: "100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines" by Sam Stall pp.141-143
It's so sad that for so long everyone thought "klavier" only ever meant piano, so that millions of people for centuries never got to hear the greatest baroque period songs played properly on a harpsichord or spinet.
What an extraordinarily sweet surprise. Today I read a brief account of Scarlatti's cat, Pulcinella, in the book !00 CATS WHO CHANGED CIVILIZATION. It reminded me of when I got out of the army 54 years ago and was filled with anger at the stupidity and the injustices that I had WITNESSED. About once a week I would get together with two friends who also were recovering from their military experience. (We three were all subject to prison sentences if we discussed our military work with anybody who didn't have an appropriate security clearance). To help reclaim our sanity and serenity, we would listen to an LP record of Scarlatti sonatas and drink Viennese coffee, so when I read about Scarlatti's Cat's Fugue today I had to see if there were a version on UA-cam, and there you were. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU..
I love the way it has that self-confidant, plodding gait, like a cat sure-footing its way along the keys, but it's paired with a delightfully random-feeling background, like a capering cat. It almost goes out of control here and there, a truly feline quality, but always gets pulled back into harmony before it goes too far--it's just perfection. You can see how this piece came to be known as "the cat's fugue". Thank you so much for putting this on UA-cam, Ms. Comparone! You're amazing!
This is by far the best rendition of this piece I have heard so far. The twisting and pulling tempo somehow makes me want to tear my hair out (in delight)
This has always been one of my favourite Scarlatti Sonatas. You play it with such feeling and passion. What a beautiful sound you make from that wonderful instrument. Thank you.
I'm not familiar enough with those instruments to comment on your remark, but the harpsichord and piano have the same keyboard even while the harpsichord can have two---even three keyboards--like an organ, although that is quite rare. A harpsichord can have just one keyboard. Ditto for the organ.. After a period of adjustment, a keyboard player can play all three. If you can play one, you can play the other. I'm making it sound simpler than it is, but I would think any keyboardist would enjoy trying an alternate instrument.
Bravo! I have always wondered if a digital keyboard with a fine action would suffice to play the keyboard music of Scarlatti and Bach. I live in SE Asia where the rainy season constantly runs amok with the tuning of an acoustic piano. Moreover, I have always considered the digital counterpart to the pianoforte as one with a lighter action; consequently, this would possibly make it more suitable for the Baroque style than for the later classical and romantic styles. As I seldom play anything but Scarlatti and Bach, would a quality digital piano be acceptable in my case?
@@stelun56 You know, there's a digital harpsichord, if Scarlatti and Bach are your favorites. At least, there used to be, made by Roland, Model C-30. It even allowed you to feel the pluck, as in a real harpsichord. The thing is, the company probably doesn't make it anymore and they may not still be in business, but you could check on the internet.A friend/student used to go to the piano store every weekend and play the digital harpsichord----that was 10-15 years ago! Barring that, I'd go with the digital piano. Or maybe you can find someone who has the digital harpsichord and doesn't want it anymore. Good luck! Do let me know if you find the Roland anywhere.
@@ElaineComparone Are there any good alternatives to that for those not having the requisite funds for the purchase of such an instrument (though of course it is not expensive as a realy harpsichord)? I am thinking of the width, weight and feel of the keys, primarily, and not the sound of the instrument, as with electronic instruments, one can use very high quality sampled sounds.
In the baroque era it was common to play while standing (even for keyboard players!) during concerts. The instrument were not permanently connected to their base and so you usually had a pair of tall legs for concerts and a pair of small legs to sit in front of your instrument at home for practice.
Es muy interesante eso que comentas de las "piernas intercambiables" la verdad lo desconocia. Aunque yo siempre vi a Trevor Pinnock y a Koopman dirigir desde el clavecin sentados...
Ms. Comparone, your playing is wonderful! I love your passion for the instrument, it comes through in every note! I am sorry you have to put up with such harsh criticism. Perfection wouldn't be good enough for some people. Cheers!
You are very right. Also in both organ and harpsichord playing you mainly use wrist movements versus the piano which uses full arm movements to strike the keys. A more delecate touch is used with organ and harpsichord playing.
I commissioned the tall oak stand from Hubbard Harpsichords. It elevates my instruments and improves projection. Almost any harpsichord could fit on that stand. What musician, given the choice, would rather sit than stand, especially when one's colleagues all choose to stand when playing? I don't need my feet for pedals since replica or historical instruments don't usually have them.
WOOOW! I love Scarlatti too! Never seen a standing performance before. I LOVE your playing... risky, fearless, and at the same time so disciplined! PLEASE ADOPT ME! :)
Elaine plays the fugue wonderfully! Her interpretation made me love the piece, so much that I bought the score and tried it out on my own haprsichord (a replica of a C17 Dutch Ruckers instrument). But when I played it I was in for a great surprise: from bar 134 on there follows a number of beautiful dissonant chords, in fact the most beautiful dissonant chords I have ever heard! But they simply aren't there in her interpretation as she plays the piece too fast. And so she does the last 6 bars.
The Cat's Fugue is a plot element in the 1950s children's book The 13th is Magic, now sadly long out of print but worth chasing down in your interlibrary loan system. Two children adopt a black cat and name him Merlin. Then the fun begins.
Unfortunately, I never came across that particular book as a child. Next time I go to the library, I"ll ask if they can dig that one up. It sounds like a goodie!
Yeah there are a few "interesting" added notes but I think she did a pretty good job. I liked some of her articulation. I wonder if she would have done better sitting. Scarlatti wrote 5 fugues. This is his earliest and most popular. The one in d minor Kp.417 (correct me if I am wrong) is the only other one that is really played. I cannot find it on the site. A pity no one plays the others.
This fugue is included in the collection of Sonatas. Most of the 555 Sonatas are in binary form but a few fugues are included plus 1 or 2 pieces in variation form. Dominico composed much besides keyboard pieces including cantatas etc.
@cochinofeo Actually, I haven't heard any yet. Though they did use Bach's Chromatic Fantasia in one game (CV2 Belmont's Revenge I think) and Michiru Yamane did write a C-minor organ chaconne for Nocturne in the Moonlight that sounds like Bach's C minor organ passacaglia.
@MuscleSculptor You are right that playing hard or soft does not change the dynamics, but that is the purpose of having two keyboards. As you can see she is playing the quieter notes on the top keyboard. Definitely not as dynamic as the piano though.
Great playing and I love the standing position, ergonomically a wonderful idea.. So nice to have the option to stand or sit! ( I imagine you could always use high chair, or bar stool if you wanted to.). Thank you for sharing! I'm working on a classical guitar ensemble version of this piece this quarter at UCLA and it really helps to hear a professional interpretation. I occasionally stand and play classical guitar, why should violin players and bassists be the only ones to stand..
Thank you!! I actually have a high chair/barstool in the harps-room so yes! During a practice session, especially if I'm working on a difficult problem, it helps to have the option. Did you know that Dickens wrote at a high desk, as a lot of people did at that time (I'm assuming, not having been there myself!) I have seen guitarists stand. Maybe it's a little more difficult for you than for me. Don't you have to elevate one of your legs to support the instrument? Also, if you use Twitter, please sign on to my account: elaine comparone @ harpsiLaine. I'm trying to develop that account so I can send out live videos.
The story goes that Scarlatti's cat walked up the keyboard and produced the first six notes of the subject, which the downward scale resolves into a cadence; the haphazard set of ascending notes produce very interesting counterpoint, especially when they appear in the bass.
it prob was after watching a few of the videos playing i think there are a few msitakes but as many harpsichord pieces are relatively high speed its understandable.. but then again maybe we're wrong and it wasnt xD
few bits when camera panned I could not see keyboard - otherwise great way to learn piece. Learning now. Honestly if you get this right with good teacher you can do anything. Using ABRSM edition edited by Richard Jones. Although fingering looks nuts it does work.
Thank you for sharing this very musical and serious rendition of this particular little piece of Scarlatti. The harpsichord is certainly not an easy instrument to play. Please tell us if you intend to post further pieces, especially ones like the F#minor Fandango by Soler - I have a terrible soft spot for that one. All the best.
Thanks, Musamor! I have posted many pieces and will continue to do so. I'll definitely consider adding the Fandango to the list. The thing is, it's very long, and I'm not sure I'm interested enough in it to memorize it. Using the music means having a page turner, which is kind of a drag. I've had a lot of requests for that piece. I'll put in on my list for the future!
Unusual, but better than sitting down! You are more alert standing and can also apply more weight to an instrument if necessary. Some businessmen are aware of the first fact and use "standing desks".
@@adrianoseresi3525 I'm flourishing, thank you! What about yourself? What has helped me is my immersion in Rameau this past year as well as my dog and cat. Also, I live in a wonderful building in NYC with friendly neighbors.
I like this rendition -it can seem a flat performance but om op. it fairly fits a kind of enigma in music = obv.just pers.taste! Nice to listen to a piano rendition =
The opening notes are accidental one made by his cat. The rest, a luscious improvisation on the serendipidity. Delightfully and wittily played! (The standing harpsichord obviously allows you to get your whole body into it, the way Hendrix could with the guitar.)
Fantastic performance, I just discovered the harpsichord, I always knew of it's existence but never really paid attention to what the sound was, I knew it as the "16th century piano", such elegant sound, just beautiful.
There's nothing like a plucking keyboard! I prefer it to the one with hammers, but that seems to be most popular in this age. I'm glad more people are hearing what a harpsichord can do.
Elaine Comparone As a musician, how would you handle dynamics of, for example, the melody vs. the bass line? Obviously there are coupled keyboards, but this also changes the sonority... Does your harpsichord have stops or modern adaptations to overcome this? 🤔
This harpsichord has hand stops. I set up the combination of strings I want to use before each piece. With this piece, I believe I coupled the upper keyboard to the lower, allowing me to play two sets of 8' strings on the lower for the forte sections and one set of strings on the upper (no choice there since that keyboard operates just one set of strings) for softer sections. I also like to bring out one voice or another by playing forte on the lower with one hand and piano on the upper with the other. So even with a limited palette, I can change colors. And I should point out that there are no dynamics written in the score. The choice of volume or color is left to the performer.
I don't hear anything wrong with the trills. What do you mean by the other way and with less pause? It is quite baroque what she does. I don't like the alterations in the different keyboards she is using, but the piece is wonderfully played.
First time hearing this work; unfortunately, MY cat is buried under the blanket and won't hear this! AND . . . the standing harpsichord is something I've never seen. Anyone have any information on this type of instrument? (AND, the harpsichordist is QUITE splendid! Brava!
Thanks for your inquiry! I had the tall stand built by my harpsichord maker so that I could stand while playing like all the other members of my group liked to do. I've seen antique instruments where you have to stand to play, but they've been mostly single- manual rectangular instruments. I think I got the idea from Vermeer's painting of the lady standing at her harpsichord. I hope i can sell this stand at some point, because I won't be using it in public anymore probably, even though I play it at home. The main problem with it was transporting it when I played in public. Even in parts, it is very heavy. At present, I have 2 instruments---one on that stand and the other on a traditional one.
@@ElaineComparone Ah, so! I'll have to look up the Vermeer, although it rings a bell. I can see where the stand would be troublesome to transport. It IS quite a novelty though; first I've ever seen. I do love the harpsichord, and I much prefer Baroque (and earlier) works played that instrument.
that is what harpsichordist call a phrased chord (I think that translates it best to english). It is quite common to phrase chords like this in harpsichord playing.
The name "The Cat's Fugue" is because Scarlatti heard his cat named Pucinela walking in his harpsichord and composed this fugue based in the sounds produced by the cat walking in the intrument.
source: "100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines" by Sam Stall pp.141-143
Confirmed!
"Pulcinella", the Mask from Naples
I just read a children's book on this to my kids, Called scarlattis cat 🐈.
You are right. 🎉
Harpsichord pieces played on piano often don't satisfy those attuned to the special sparkle of the pluck.
..."sparkle of the pluck" - exactly.
So true
Absolutely. The harpsichord is a cat, the piano a rabbit.
It's so sad that for so long everyone thought "klavier" only ever meant piano, so that millions of people for centuries never got to hear the greatest baroque period songs played properly on a harpsichord or spinet.
Love the harpsichord and love cats- so this is perfection.
I love cats too!! Have since I was a tot (my grandmother had one!) They're my favorite animals. (I have a dog too and I do love her!!)
What an extraordinarily sweet surprise. Today I read a brief account of Scarlatti's cat, Pulcinella, in the book !00 CATS WHO CHANGED CIVILIZATION. It reminded me of when I got out of the army 54 years ago and was filled with anger at the stupidity and the injustices that I had WITNESSED. About once a week I would get together with two friends who also were recovering from their military experience. (We three were all subject to prison sentences if we discussed our military work with anybody who didn't have an appropriate security clearance). To help reclaim our sanity and serenity, we would listen to an LP record of Scarlatti sonatas and drink Viennese coffee, so when I read about Scarlatti's Cat's Fugue today I had to see if there were a version on UA-cam, and there you were. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU..
I'm glad this piece struck a chord with you!
Perfect tempo, neither too rushed nor dragging. And I agree, Scarlatti sounds better on a harpsichord than a piano.
Thanks for your appreciative comment!!
Wonderfull interpretation, for a strange piece, which gives at each moment a feeling of unbalance, but always lands on its feet...like cat!
I love the way it has that self-confidant, plodding gait, like a cat sure-footing its way along the keys, but it's paired with a delightfully random-feeling background, like a capering cat. It almost goes out of control here and there, a truly feline quality, but always gets pulled back into harmony before it goes too far--it's just perfection. You can see how this piece came to be known as "the cat's fugue". Thank you so much for putting this on UA-cam, Ms. Comparone! You're amazing!
Elaine is the cat's meow!
This is by far the best rendition of this piece I have heard so far. The twisting and pulling tempo somehow makes me want to tear my hair out (in delight)
This has always been one of my favourite Scarlatti Sonatas. You play it with such feeling and passion. What a beautiful sound you make from that wonderful instrument. Thank you.
Thank YOU for listening and appreciating!!
Previous piano training is not necessary for harpsichord study. The instrument teaches you . Go right to it!!
Elaine Comparone really? Amazing idea! I've also still yet to find a lap steel player who hasn't started as a guitarist first.
I'm not familiar enough with those instruments to comment on your remark, but the harpsichord and piano have the same keyboard even while
the harpsichord can have two---even three keyboards--like an organ, although that is quite rare. A harpsichord can have just one keyboard. Ditto for the organ.. After a period of adjustment, a keyboard player can play all three. If you can play one, you can play the other. I'm making it sound simpler than it is,
but I would think any keyboardist would enjoy trying an alternate instrument.
Bravo!
I have always wondered if a digital keyboard with a fine action would suffice to play the keyboard music of Scarlatti and Bach. I live in SE Asia where the rainy season constantly runs amok with the tuning of an acoustic piano. Moreover, I have always considered the digital counterpart to the pianoforte as one with a lighter action; consequently, this would possibly make it more suitable for the Baroque style than for the later classical and romantic styles. As I seldom play anything but Scarlatti and Bach, would a quality digital piano be acceptable in my case?
@@stelun56 You know, there's a digital harpsichord, if Scarlatti and Bach are your favorites. At least, there used to be, made by Roland, Model C-30. It even allowed you to feel the pluck, as in a real harpsichord. The thing is, the company probably doesn't make it anymore and they may not still be in business, but you could check on the internet.A friend/student used to go to the piano store every weekend and play the digital harpsichord----that was 10-15 years ago! Barring that, I'd go with the digital piano. Or maybe you can find someone who has the digital harpsichord and doesn't want it anymore. Good luck! Do let me know if you find the Roland anywhere.
@@ElaineComparone Are there any good alternatives to that for those not having the requisite funds for the purchase of such an instrument (though of course it is not expensive as a realy harpsichord)? I am thinking of the width, weight and feel of the keys, primarily, and not the sound of the instrument, as with electronic instruments, one can use very high quality sampled sounds.
I performed this in a guitar octet less than a week ago. A beautiful fugue and terribly fun to play. Well done!
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE OMG KEEP FUCKING ANDY WARSKI IN THE ASS PLEASE
I love the colors of the keys on the harpsichord. The naturals are black and the accidentals are white. It's cool!
Bizarre harpsichord, with such tall legs ...
Superb playing, of course.
Thanks for the upload.
In the baroque era it was common to play while standing (even for keyboard players!) during concerts. The instrument were not permanently connected to their base and so you usually had a pair of tall legs for concerts and a pair of small legs to sit in front of your instrument at home for practice.
DAOFB Nice!
Es muy interesante eso que comentas de las "piernas intercambiables" la verdad lo desconocia. Aunque yo siempre vi a Trevor Pinnock y a Koopman dirigir desde el clavecin sentados...
How do you control the sustain when playing a harpsichord this high? Does it even have sustain control?
The cat walking in the keyboard - El gato caminando en el teclado...
Yo no sabía que había sido Clementi el iniciador de ese chisme jajaja
Brava Elaine Comparone bella interpretazione del grande Scarlatti!
totally ace performance - really great. that harpsichord sounds so sweet - shining, twinkling stars.
You're awesome Mrs. Elaine! I love this song. Thank you so much for sharing.
wow so beautiful! now I wish I had a harpsichord I just love the sound of one.
Your interpretation is monumental!!!!!!!!!
Ave Cattus! Thanks for posting this!
I wish I could play an instrument as beautifully as you do!
fantastic job!
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Mrs Comparone your interpretation is extremely beautiful.. Thank you very much for sharing !!
I'm happy to share that piece with you! Thanks for responding!!~
Ms. Comparone, your playing is wonderful! I love your passion for the instrument, it comes through in every note! I am sorry you have to put up with such harsh criticism. Perfection wouldn't be good enough for some people. Cheers!
You are very right. Also in both organ and harpsichord playing you mainly use wrist movements versus the piano which uses full arm movements to strike the keys. A more delecate touch is used with organ and harpsichord playing.
You my dear are a gift to the world.
Thanks for your generous comment!!
A true masterpiece
I truly love this, more and more, every time I come back to it.
@@elainecomparone9586 Thank you for doing this, Professor. (:0) y
Rhythm & timing are everything harpsichord-wise.
That's why it sounds so clean.
I commissioned the tall oak stand from Hubbard Harpsichords. It elevates my instruments and improves projection. Almost any harpsichord could fit on that stand. What musician, given the choice, would rather sit than stand, especially when one's colleagues all choose to stand when playing? I don't need my feet for pedals since replica or historical instruments don't usually have them.
h
Thank you for posting this wonderful peace. Her playing soothes my ears.
Magnificent. Thank you very much..
Great performance.
It's exercizi k.30 on petrucci (ISMSLP)
or sonata k.30 on werner icking, domenico scarlatti
enjoy it
that is one talented cat, can't believe it composed this
It didn't ! But Clementi swore that the cat's steps on the keyboard made the initial statement of the melody. We'll never know!
@@ElaineComparone -- So the cat had some help. Scarlatti was an excellent choice!
WOOOW! I love Scarlatti too! Never seen a standing performance before. I LOVE your playing... risky, fearless, and at the same time so disciplined! PLEASE ADOPT ME! :)
Elaine plays the fugue wonderfully! Her interpretation made me love the piece, so much that I bought the score and tried it out on my own haprsichord (a replica of a C17 Dutch Ruckers instrument). But when I played it I was in for a great surprise: from bar 134 on there follows a number of beautiful dissonant chords, in fact the most beautiful dissonant chords I have ever heard! But they simply aren't there in her interpretation as she plays the piece too fast. And so she does the last 6 bars.
A copy. A replica must be made by the original crafter.
The Cat's Fugue is a plot element in the 1950s children's book The 13th is Magic, now sadly long out of print but worth chasing down in your interlibrary loan system. Two children adopt a black cat and name him Merlin. Then the fun begins.
Unfortunately, I never came across that particular book as a child. Next time I go to the library, I"ll ask if they can dig that one up. It sounds like a goodie!
I love this fugue- and everything you perform becomes my go-to version
Thanks for your appreciative comment!
She is epic!
Yeah there are a few "interesting" added notes but I think she did a pretty good job. I liked some of her articulation. I wonder if she would have done better sitting. Scarlatti wrote 5 fugues. This is his earliest and most popular. The one in d minor Kp.417 (correct me if I am wrong) is the only other one that is really played. I cannot find it on the site. A pity no one plays the others.
This fugue is included in the collection of Sonatas. Most of the 555 Sonatas are in binary form but a few fugues are included plus 1 or 2 pieces in variation form. Dominico composed much besides keyboard pieces including cantatas etc.
SENSACIONAL...
Stunning! ♥️
U play this piece like a cat toying with a mouse...thx for letting us enjoy your playing
My pleasurrrrrre (I'm purring!)
Another reason to perform standing is that it was common in the historical period to do so. See: "The Music Lesson" by Vermeer.
wow shes amazing
@cochinofeo Actually, I haven't heard any yet. Though they did use Bach's Chromatic Fantasia in one game (CV2 Belmont's Revenge I think) and Michiru Yamane did write a C-minor organ chaconne for Nocturne in the Moonlight that sounds like Bach's C minor organ passacaglia.
Mme Comparone plays inCOMPARably....and yes, Signor Scarlatti had an extremely talented gatto...
@MuscleSculptor You are right that playing hard or soft does not change the dynamics, but that is the purpose of having two keyboards. As you can see she is playing the quieter notes on the top keyboard. Definitely not as dynamic as the piano though.
Excellent.
Fantastic.
@Oneirocrates You are correct. Domenico Scarlatti.
You play so good!!
Very good words. very amazing.
great!
@NixiandFaunus No doubt. She's got some rather articulate and deliberate ornamentation going on for an "angry elephant."
Amazing!
I have to confess that I worked very hard on that piece. It was a real challenge!
And a real success as well!
Great playing and I love the standing position, ergonomically a wonderful idea.. So nice to have the option to stand or sit! ( I imagine you could always use high chair, or bar stool if you wanted to.). Thank you for sharing! I'm working on a classical guitar ensemble version of this piece this quarter at UCLA and it really helps to hear a professional interpretation. I occasionally stand and play classical guitar, why should violin players and bassists be the only ones to stand..
Thank you!!
I actually have a high chair/barstool in the harps-room so yes! During a practice session, especially if I'm working on a difficult problem, it helps to have the option. Did you know that Dickens wrote at a high desk, as a lot of people did at that time (I'm assuming, not having been there myself!) I have seen guitarists stand. Maybe it's a little more difficult for you than for me. Don't you have to elevate one of your legs to support the instrument? Also, if you use Twitter, please sign on to my account: elaine comparone @ harpsiLaine. I'm trying to develop that account so I can send out live videos.
she does indeed
Delicious and fascinating.
Bravo!
It,s it’s amazing
it was called the "mechanized lute" informally for a long time.
She plays the song beautifully, and if you think there's a better version by someone else, post it so i can digitally backhand you.
The story goes that Scarlatti's cat walked up the keyboard and produced the first six notes of the subject, which the downward scale resolves into a cadence; the haphazard set of ascending notes produce very interesting counterpoint, especially when they appear in the bass.
Love it!
@leandrusi Well I know Buttercup our youngest could never write a wonderful melodie such as this. She just like the sun and sweet kitty treats.
asi tocan los verdaderos pianistas salseros, parados...para vivir la música en el cuerpo!
it prob was after watching a few of the videos playing i think there are a few msitakes but as many harpsichord pieces are relatively high speed its understandable.. but then again maybe we're wrong and it wasnt xD
Perhaps Frederick the Great had this fuge in mind whe he gave Bach the theme for the Musical Offering.
few bits when camera panned I could not see keyboard - otherwise great way to learn piece. Learning now. Honestly if you get this right with good teacher you can do anything. Using ABRSM edition edited by Richard Jones. Although fingering looks nuts it does work.
Thank you for sharing this very musical and serious rendition of this particular little piece of Scarlatti. The harpsichord is certainly not an easy instrument to play. Please tell us if you intend to post further pieces, especially ones like the F#minor Fandango by Soler - I have a terrible soft spot for that one. All the best.
Thanks, Musamor! I have posted many pieces and will continue to do so. I'll definitely consider adding the Fandango to the list. The thing is, it's very long, and I'm not sure I'm interested enough in it to memorize it. Using the music means having a page turner, which is kind of a drag. I've had a lot of requests for that piece. I'll put in on my list for the future!
Freedom, projection, and it's fun!
Unusual, but better than sitting down! You are more alert standing and can also apply more weight to an instrument if necessary. Some businessmen are aware of the first fact and use "standing desks".
amen
It is a theme. A theme that crawls higher and higher and then descends in a quick scuttle.
Very poetic and imaginative description of the theme !
@@ElaineComparone Haha thanks for indulging in my silly things! How have you been, Elaine, if I might be so bold as to ask?
@@adrianoseresi3525 I'm flourishing, thank you! What about yourself? What has helped me is my immersion in Rameau this past year as well as my dog and cat. Also, I live in a wonderful building in NYC with friendly neighbors.
although, the "volume" of a harpsichord doesn't change by pressing the key harder or putting more weight into it.
True, you are more alert though.
I like this rendition -it can seem a flat performance but om op. it fairly fits a kind of enigma in music = obv.just pers.taste!
Nice to listen to a piano rendition =
The opening notes are accidental one made by his cat.
The rest, a luscious improvisation on the serendipidity.
Delightfully and wittily played!
(The standing harpsichord obviously allows you to get your whole body into it, the way Hendrix could with the guitar.)
Fantastic performance, I just discovered the harpsichord, I always knew of it's existence but never really paid attention to what the sound was, I knew it as the "16th century piano", such elegant sound, just beautiful.
There's nothing like a plucking keyboard! I prefer it to the one with hammers, but that seems to be most popular in this age. I'm glad more people are hearing what a harpsichord can do.
Elaine Comparone As a musician, how would you handle dynamics of, for example, the melody vs. the bass line? Obviously there are coupled keyboards, but this also changes the sonority... Does your harpsichord have stops or modern adaptations to overcome this? 🤔
This harpsichord has hand stops. I set up the combination of strings I want to use before each piece. With this piece, I believe I coupled the upper keyboard to the lower, allowing me to play two sets of 8' strings on the lower for the forte sections and one set of strings on the upper (no choice there since that keyboard
operates just one set of strings) for softer sections. I also like to bring out one voice or another by playing forte on the lower with one hand and piano on the upper with the other. So even with a limited palette, I can change colors. And I should point out that there are no dynamics written in the score. The choice of volume or color is left to the performer.
A standing harpsichord Oo seen it all now...
@KlioDucatillon
You're a hard act to follow! I just ADORE her !
Scraggy2011
I don't hear anything wrong with the trills. What do you mean by the other way and with less pause? It is quite baroque what she does. I don't like the alterations in the different keyboards she is using, but the piece is wonderfully played.
...and it really helps with the vacuum cleaning lol
First time hearing this work; unfortunately, MY cat is buried under the blanket and won't hear this! AND . . . the standing harpsichord is something I've never seen. Anyone have any information on this type of instrument? (AND, the harpsichordist is QUITE splendid! Brava!
Thanks for your inquiry! I had the tall stand built by my harpsichord maker so that
I could stand while playing like all the other members of my group liked to do. I've seen antique instruments where you have to stand to play, but they've been mostly single- manual rectangular instruments. I think I got the idea from Vermeer's painting of the lady standing at her harpsichord. I hope i can sell this stand at some point, because I won't be using it in public anymore probably, even though I play it at home. The main problem with it was transporting it when I played in public. Even in parts, it is very heavy. At present, I have 2 instruments---one on that stand and the other on a traditional one.
@@ElaineComparone Ah, so! I'll have to look up the Vermeer, although it rings a bell. I can see where the stand would be troublesome to transport. It IS quite a novelty though; first I've ever seen. I do love the harpsichord, and I much prefer Baroque (and earlier) works played that instrument.
@@richardcleveland8549 You have good taste!!
@@ElaineComparone Grazie, Signorina, mille grazie!
@@richardcleveland8549 Prego!
The original keyboard cat... Referring to scarlatti's cat not elaine
@kyled137 Thank You!
Playing standing up...?Unusual
teach meee
I wish I have a harpsichord, hell if only they sell them here in LA. Oh well, I guess a piano would suffice for now:(
She's a GODESS!
omg i can't believe she's standing! that's so crazy!
that is what harpsichordist call a phrased chord (I think that translates it best to english). It is quite common to phrase chords like this in harpsichord playing.
Very nice! Do you tune the d sharps up to e flats? It sounds like it! I like the tuning a lot.
@MasterMorty Muzio Clementi invented that story, - but I admit, that it sounds very much like my cat taking a stroll on my harpsicord :D
" I myself constructed a keyboard score based on my pet dog's theme. "LOL
I believe many early keyboard instruments were played standing.
la fuga del gato