The 20th-century revival of the harpsichord initially enabled the playing of 17th- and 18th-century keyboard music on the instrument for which it was originally composed. But its sound gradually began to inspire 20th-century composers, and a contemporary repertoire of original harpsichord music developed.
Harpsichords built in the 20th century varied considerably in style and construction. Some of the earliest builders paid little attention to the light construction of surviving historic examples; the heavy casework and metal framing they introduced had a profound effect on the sound. The incorporation of a 16ft stop became common (rarely found on historic instruments) and pedaloperated stop mechanisms enabled rapid changes of registers in what became known as a colouristic style of playing. Some of the 20th-century repertoire was clearly composed with such instruments in mind. In the second half of the century, however, harpsichord makers began to adopt a more carefully researched historical approach to construction, closely and accurately replicating instruments of the past, producing a rich sonority and clarity. This in turn had an influence on the music composed during the latter part of the century.
Stephen Dodgson's first set of six Inventions were composed in 1955 for the former type of instrument, but on the acquisition by his wife, the harpsichordist Jane Clark Dodgson, of a harpsichord by Feldberg after an 18th-century instrument by Jean-Claude Goujon, Dodgson increasingly composed with such an instrument in mind. His Sonata-Divisions date from 1982, and the fifth (and final) set of six Inventions from 1993.
Elizabeth Maconchy composed only two works for solo harpsichord, which are recorded here for the first time. Her Sonatina, for Alan Cuckston, dates from 1965, and Notebook, for Zuzana Ruzickova, from the following year. Both were intended for a mid-20th century-style instrument with pedaloperated stop mechanism.
The harpsichord's contemporary repertoire has grown steadily, and in the third decade of the 21st century, composers are continuing to find inspiration from the instrument and its players. Having a contemporary repertoire has indeed enabled the harpsichord to achieve a maturity in which it is heard and appreciated in a way that enhances its long history and heritage, of which the music on the CD is especially representative. Andrew Mayes
