What other questions do you have about Frescobaldi’s toccatas? And, as a bonus question, what’s your favorite piece by Frescobaldi? (I know it’s hard to pick just one!)
In his toccatas, he explains that the tempo is fluctuant, as you say. Frescobaldi didn’t assert that the tempo should be stable into the same sections. This affirmation is in contradiction with his explanations and demonstrations that the tempo must be fluent and depending on the context, the affetto, which is played. The first point of his introduction of the the books of toccatas, the 1635 and 1637 editions describes the relations of madrigals and toccatas. Don’t forget the madrigals aim a good understanding of the texts by the singers, and that the word painting is fundamental in these compositions. But the toccatas are instrumentals, without words and aim also to create emotions for the listeners… The use word painting artefacts can guide you to find the related affetti cantabili, suspensions, diminutions, dissonances, etc. at the origin of the created emotions. Some publications in the beginning of the seventeenth century explain the need to chose the right mode whitch suits the best to the written text. Frescobaldi’s toccatas, especially those written for organ, follow this rule of the thumb where ethos and affetti and artefacts of the madrigal word painting are perfectly matching. Most of the other toccatas follow the same principle, but it is less explicit. The other explanations written in the introduction of the two published toccata books are principally deductions, logical additions and clarifications of the the first one.
Thx for share videos about harpsichord playing technics. I'm looking for a video with wrist movement on a fast trill execusion to learning how to play BWV 861's long trills. I think a litle rotation from the wrist initated by fingers should be the solution. But I ve never seen how it look like and it's a bit difficult to stay constant and smooth without muscle tension:)
Thanks for your efforts in preparing this video and for creating your channel. It is refreshing to find a presentation that is academic, articulate, and filled with information that is practical and pertinent to musical performance. Your love for great music shines through. And you play beautifully with evocative expression. I hope many people enjoy your videos. I most certainly will.
@@harpsichord ciao a me piacerebbe improvvisare le sezioni imitate di Frescobaldi, ... Potresti fare un video dove faresti vedere come è fatta una sezione imitata ? 🙏
I just found your channel and it's amazing! I am myself a pianist, but I was wondering if you could make a similar video about playing the pavans and galliards of William Byrd in My Ladye Nevell's Booke?
Thank you, Dr Baldwin, for this clear explanation and demonstrations. Can we assume that these rules/instructions of Frescobaldi must also be applied when performing the music on the organ?
What a great question, Christiaan! Yes, these rules should indeed apply to Frescobaldi's organ works as much as his harpsichord works. Most of them come from the prefaces to his collections of toccatas, which were for organ as well harpsichord (some specifically for organ instead of harpsichord, even), and so they should apply equally well to his organ works (especially the toccatas).
Your video and the channel are golden! I appreciate your research and hard work. Just a quick question: Is there a video edit error in the Lombardic Rhythm section? You play two versions before and after explaining the special rhythm, but both times, the rhythm on the l.h. sounds very similar, I am just curious if my ears failed to differentiate the rhythm, or something else.
I have been playing harpsichord for a few years but only really messing around until the last year when I was able to start taking formal lessons. I am curious, what do you think would be a good toccata to start with?
Thank you so much for your question! I don't think there are any Frescobaldi toccatas that are necessarily "easier" than the rest, though there is one that Frescobaldi considered more difficult--Toccata No. 9 in Book 2 (Frescobaldi literally wrote in the score that you won't make it to the end of the toccata without fatigue!)--so definitely don't start with that one because it's quite tricky. But with that all in mind, what I personally find most difficult in the toccatas are extended passages where both hands are playing running notes at the same time, as well as toccatas that have openings with serveral chords before passagework begins (I always find it a challenge to figure out what to improvize in such sections or how I want to approach them). So I would start with a toccata that is light in both those two features, such as Toccata 5 in Book 1 (which was the first one I ever played and I love it!), Toccata 10 from Book 1, or even the toccata in this video (Toccata 3), which is one of the shorter ones and so might be a good choice in that respect. You could also look at one of the toccatas in the second book that's intended for organ (Toccatas 3-6) (they can certainly be played on the harpsichord, too), since those tend to have slightly less fast passagework, though some of them do have a pedal point (for organ pedals) that you'd have to leave out on the harpsichord. Toccata 3 or 4 in Book 2 (both without pedal points and both written for the elevation part of communion in the Mass) might be a good choice if you were interested in that route. Okay, that was a longer reply than I was intending, but hopefully you can find something useful in there! Happy practicing and best wishes!
@@harpsichord thank you! I'll take a look at those you have suggested! I started as a horn player and took up harpsichord in undergrad with very little prior keyboard experience so I am trying to build a solid and diverse repertoire. Luckily, I have been able to study harpsichord more seriously while in Graduate school for Musicology. I have worked on some Scarlatti, Frescobaldi (his Baletto Primo), Francois Couperin, Chambonnieres, Louis Couperin (I am currently working on the Suite in F major), and a couple early English pieces. I am planning to work on some Telemann next and perhaps one of these Toccatas!
What other questions do you have about Frescobaldi’s toccatas? And, as a bonus question, what’s your favorite piece by Frescobaldi? (I know it’s hard to pick just one!)
Toccata Nona from the Second Book!
Thank you for a very helpful video. I am learning Toccata 1 from book 1. Would you consider doing a similar video about this one?
I really loved this video.. Learnt many things especially about the performance of suspensions... thank you
Wow. What a refreshing surprise. A video on Frescobaldi--and well played indeed.
Brava!...
Very refreshing to hear a bit of discussion about Frescobaldi's music!
Thank you so much! So glad you liked the video!
Excellent, clearly reasoned analysis and presentation.
This is so helpful! Just discovered your videos. Thank you so much.
Admirable.
In his toccatas, he explains that the tempo is fluctuant, as you say. Frescobaldi didn’t assert that the tempo should be stable into the same sections. This affirmation is in contradiction with his explanations and demonstrations that the tempo must be fluent and depending on the context, the affetto, which is played. The first point of his introduction of the the books of toccatas, the 1635 and 1637 editions describes the relations of madrigals and toccatas. Don’t forget the madrigals aim a good understanding of the texts by the singers, and that the word painting is fundamental in these compositions. But the toccatas are instrumentals, without words and aim also to create emotions for the listeners… The use word painting artefacts can guide you to find the related affetti cantabili, suspensions, diminutions, dissonances, etc. at the origin of the created emotions. Some publications in the beginning of the seventeenth century explain the need to chose the right mode whitch suits the best to the written text. Frescobaldi’s toccatas, especially those written for organ, follow this rule of the thumb where ethos and affetti and artefacts of the madrigal word painting are perfectly matching. Most of the other toccatas follow the same principle, but it is less explicit. The other explanations written in the introduction of the two published toccata books are principally deductions, logical additions and clarifications of the the first one.
you are the best! love your channel. brings a lot of joy and learning!
Oh, it's a great video! I love so much Frescobaldi!
Thx for share videos about harpsichord playing technics. I'm looking for a video with wrist movement on a fast trill execusion to learning how to play BWV 861's long trills. I think a litle rotation from the wrist initated by fingers should be the solution. But I ve never seen how it look like and it's a bit difficult to stay constant and smooth without muscle tension:)
Thanks for your efforts in preparing this video and for creating your channel. It is refreshing to find a presentation that is academic, articulate, and filled with information that is practical and pertinent to musical performance. Your love for great music shines through. And you play beautifully with evocative expression. I hope many people enjoy your videos. I most certainly will.
Thank you so very much for your very kind words! I'm so glad you're liking my videos!
@@harpsichord ciao a me piacerebbe improvvisare le sezioni imitate di Frescobaldi, ... Potresti fare un video dove faresti vedere come è fatta una sezione imitata ? 🙏
Very good demonstration. And obviously wonderful technique. But that instrument sounds great. That should be mentioned
I just found your channel and it's amazing! I am myself a pianist, but I was wondering if you could make a similar video about playing the pavans and galliards of William Byrd in My Ladye Nevell's Booke?
Thank you, Dr Baldwin, for this clear explanation and demonstrations. Can we assume that these rules/instructions of Frescobaldi must also be applied
when performing the music on the organ?
What a great question, Christiaan! Yes, these rules should indeed apply to Frescobaldi's organ works as much as his harpsichord works. Most of them come from the prefaces to his collections of toccatas, which were for organ as well harpsichord (some specifically for organ instead of harpsichord, even), and so they should apply equally well to his organ works (especially the toccatas).
@@harpsichord Thank you for your answer, Dr Baldwin... much appreciated. I shall investigate!
PRICELESS !!!
Thank you!
Your video and the channel are golden! I appreciate your research and hard work.
Just a quick question: Is there a video edit error in the Lombardic Rhythm section? You play two versions before and after explaining the special rhythm, but both times, the rhythm on the l.h. sounds very similar, I am just curious if my ears failed to differentiate the rhythm, or something else.
would these tenets of frescobaldi be transferrable to froberger
The fuckin only one! Love u so much for your channel! U've been saved my life my dear !
I have been playing harpsichord for a few years but only really messing around until the last year when I was able to start taking formal lessons. I am curious, what do you think would be a good toccata to start with?
Thank you so much for your question!
I don't think there are any Frescobaldi toccatas that are necessarily "easier" than the rest, though there is one that Frescobaldi considered more difficult--Toccata No. 9 in Book 2 (Frescobaldi literally wrote in the score that you won't make it to the end of the toccata without fatigue!)--so definitely don't start with that one because it's quite tricky. But with that all in mind, what I personally find most difficult in the toccatas are extended passages where both hands are playing running notes at the same time, as well as toccatas that have openings with serveral chords before passagework begins (I always find it a challenge to figure out what to improvize in such sections or how I want to approach them).
So I would start with a toccata that is light in both those two features, such as Toccata 5 in Book 1 (which was the first one I ever played and I love it!), Toccata 10 from Book 1, or even the toccata in this video (Toccata 3), which is one of the shorter ones and so might be a good choice in that respect.
You could also look at one of the toccatas in the second book that's intended for organ (Toccatas 3-6) (they can certainly be played on the harpsichord, too), since those tend to have slightly less fast passagework, though some of them do have a pedal point (for organ pedals) that you'd have to leave out on the harpsichord. Toccata 3 or 4 in Book 2 (both without pedal points and both written for the elevation part of communion in the Mass) might be a good choice if you were interested in that route.
Okay, that was a longer reply than I was intending, but hopefully you can find something useful in there! Happy practicing and best wishes!
@@harpsichord thank you! I'll take a look at those you have suggested! I started as a horn player and took up harpsichord in undergrad with very little prior keyboard experience so I am trying to build a solid and diverse repertoire. Luckily, I have been able to study harpsichord more seriously while in Graduate school for Musicology. I have worked on some Scarlatti, Frescobaldi (his Baletto Primo), Francois Couperin, Chambonnieres, Louis Couperin (I am currently working on the Suite in F major), and a couple early English pieces. I am planning to work on some Telemann next and perhaps one of these Toccatas!