Clavichord
| Clavichord |
|---|
| engl. : clavichord , it. : clavicordo |
|
| classification |
|
Chordophone keyboard instrument |
| range |
|
2½ octaves (late Middle Ages) over 4 octaves (17th century) to 5 octaves (late period) |
| Related instruments |
| Harpsichord , piano |
| Sound sample |
| Jean Perrichon - Volte |
| Musician |
|
List of harpsichordists Category: Harpsichordist |
The clavichord (also clavichord ) is a keyboard instrument from the chordophone family . The range of the clavichord was initially two and a half to three octaves, since the middle of the 16th century about four, in the 18th century five octaves and more.
Sound generation
The sound generation is based on the fact that strings (3) are struck and divided by means of so-called tangents (1A, 1B). Tangents are narrow metal plates arranged vertically on the rear ends of the two-armed rocker switches (2A, 2B) or flat forged metal rods at the upper end. If a key (A / B) is struck, the tangent strikes the associated string at a certain point and has a double function: it stimulates the string to vibrate when it is suddenly struck and at the same time takes on the function of a bridge that maintains the length of the sound the string limited. The other end of the sounding length, usually on the right, is given by a solid bridge (5) that stands on the soundboard (4) and transfers the vibration to it. A similar type of sound generation is known for the guitar as hammer-on ( tapping ), and for the violin as “knocking” (exercise to strengthen the grasping fingers).
So that the second part of the string on the left of the tangent does not sound, it is dampened with strips of felt or cloth (6) braided through the strings .
The struck note sounds as long as the key is pressed, i.e. the tangent rests on the string. When the key is released, the tangent is released from the string; the sounding part and the part of the string that is muted with a felt strip are again not separated and the damping effect occurs.
history
The clavichord is one of the oldest stringed keyboard instruments and emerged from the mechanization of the psalterium and monochord , a measuring and demonstration instrument of antiquity. With the monochord, a bridge that divides the sounding length is attached to different points of the string in order to generate different tones on a string. The clavichord takes up this idea and connects the movable bridges (here: the tangents) with keys while simultaneously increasing the number of strings.
The name "clavichord" was first used in 1396. The oldest preserved clavichord, built in 1543 by Dominicus Pisaurensis , is now in the Musical Instrument Museum in Leipzig. Important clavichord builders were Johann Adolph Hass in Hamburg, Gottfried Silbermann in Freiberg (Saxony) and Christian Gottlob Hubert in Ansbach.
Since its development, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, the clavichord played a major role in domestic music, which is comparable to that of the later piano used today. This is also borne out by the use of the term “clavier”, which up until the 19th century often referred to a clavichord. Due to its construction, the clavichord was cheaper than other keyboard instruments, especially the harpsichord, and was therefore widely used as a practice instrument. By the end of the 18th century, the instrument was widespread almost all over Europe.
With the tendency towards stronger sounds at the beginning of the 19th century, the clavichord slowly went out of fashion. At the beginning of the 20th century and in the context of the renewed interest in historical instruments, its special charm, which lies in the highly sensitive design possibilities of the sound, was rediscovered. However, clavichords from this period often do not tie in with the clavichord building tradition of the late 18th century: In terms of the design of the sound system (e.g. the scale length) and the variety, they are more based on the modern harpsichord making of their time and integrate the techniques of modern piano making. As a rule, the instruments are fretless, but often only single-choir strings. Since around 1990 there has been a return to historical building methods in clavichord construction.
Construction-specific variants
There are basically two types of clavichords: the bound and the fretless clavichords. With tied clavichords, 2 to 4 adjacent keys (A or B) use the same string or the same pair of strings (3) to generate the sound. The tangents hit this string (or this pair of strings) at different points: With button (A) the tangent (1A) sitting on it (2A) strikes at a point on the string that is closer to the fixed bridge (5) than it does is the tangent (1B) in connection with button (B) and rocker (2B). The string length divided shorter by the tangent (1A) results in a higher tone than the longer divided string (1B).
This idea stems from the monochord. The resulting saving in strings is connected with further advantages: Fewer strings also mean less effort when tuning the instrument and less static load on the overall construction, which means that the instrument can be built lighter and more "resonant". On the other hand, there is the disadvantage that the notes of a bond cannot be played at the same time. Often, therefore, only directly neighboring semitones are bound, which in the music of the time almost never sounded at the same time.
Fretless instruments have one string for each key or, in the case of double choirs, a pair of strings (see below). This design appears for the first time towards the end of the 17th century and is particularly widespread in the late phase of the clavichord from around 1750. However, it has never been able to replace the older design of the bound instrument.
In order to give the instruments greater “color”, historical clavichords were usually built with two choirs: instead of one string, pairs of strings were used. A tangent creates the same tone on two closely spaced strings. In the case of large instruments from around 1750 onwards, a third string tuned in octaves can be added in the bass range. For the single-choir stringing often found in clavichords of the 20th century, however, there are hardly any historical models.
Music making practice
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The tone of the clavichord is much quieter than that of harpsichords or even modern pianos. There are two main reasons for the low volume: The impact of the tangent on the string or the pair of strings is weak because of the lever and mass ratios typical of the clavichord, and it takes place precisely in a vibration node, namely at the end of the vibrating length. As a result, the strings are only weakly excited. Because of the low volume, the clavichord is hardly suitable for playing with other instruments or for performing in front of a larger audience. At his public concerts, Friedrich Gulda compensated for the lack of volume in the clavichord with electronic amplification.
The sound of the clavichord is highly modulatable and allows fine dynamic gradations to a limited extent. In this respect and because of its attack mechanism , the clavichord is considered to be a forerunner of the fortepiano . The finest articulatory gradations can be achieved. It tends to be less suitable for octaves , big jumps, virtuoso runs and fast chord repetitions .
As the only mechanical keyboard instrument, the clavichord offers the possibility of influencing the tone even after it has been struck, e.g. B. by the "Bebung", a periodic change in the pressure on the key, which creates an effect similar to vibrato on string instruments.
Precisely because of the comparatively direct contact between the player and the sounding string (via key and tangent), which remains during the entire duration of a note, the clavichord requires a very precise playing technique: the player must precisely control his attack during each sounding note in order to not to produce unwanted effects.
Music for the clavichord and important composers
Most of the music for keyboard instruments from the Middle Ages to the early classical period can be reproduced in style on the clavichord. In most cases the composers of these epochs do not explicitly prescribe which keyboard instrument to use to represent a composition. This also applies to Johann Sebastian Bach's major studies such as the Inventions and Symphonies or the Preludes and Fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier .
Most of the work by Johann Jakob Froberger can be played on a bound clavichord in the disposition C / E – c 3 with a short broken octave , making it one of the most important baroque pieces for clavichord players. One of the most important early classical composers for the clavichord was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach . Even Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had Clavichords and used them as instruments and travel to compose. Also Ludwig van Beethoven came through the sonatas of his teacher Christian Gottlob Neefe still with the clavichord in contact.
Great virtuosos
Because the literature is often the same, the clavichord is also played by harpsichordists. Nevertheless, the clavichord requires its own playing technique due to its tone generation.
See also
literature
- Igor Kipnis (Ed.): Harpsichords and Clavichords . Volume 2 of Encyclopedia of Keyboard Instruments . New York and Oxford: Routledge, 2007, ISBN 0-415-93765-5
- Christian Ahrens, Gregor Klinke [Red.]: The foundation of all clavirte instruments - the clavichord . Symposium as part of the 26th Days of Early Music in Herne 2001. Katzbichler, Munich / Salzburg 2003, ISBN 3-87397-582-3 .
- Alfons Huber: clavichord (clavichord). In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 2, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2003, ISBN 3-7001-3044-9 .
- Hanns Neupert: The clavichord. History and technical consideration of the "actual piano". With an appendix “Of the true goodness of the clavichords”. Based on a manuscript by JN Forkel . 2nd Edition. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel / Basel.
