Dayton, Virginia -- (A.Mus.D., harpsichord, University of
Michigan, 1994) What's a clavichord?The clavichord is the
simplest keyboard instrument, and was invented in the 13th or
14th century. The key is a lever directly pressing a metal
"tangent" against the string. This gives the player immediate
and constant contact with the string during a note: the player's
touch can control the tone quality, volume, and pitch (even a
vibrato!) of every note. The expressive range is from gentle
delicacy to fiery abruptness. The clavichord is an especially
quiet instrument, producing barely a whisper of sound. Its most
popular use historically has been as a home instrument,
especially useful for practice by organists and harpsichordists.
An entertaining article about clavichords is here. The
clavichord used in this recording: Listening stationsMost of my
clavichord selections are also available on mp3.com listening
stations for free audition. Simply click on any of these links
to go there, and play the music as streaming a