GG: Flat Preludes

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@UMICH.EDU>]

Cristian Tota asked:

>I've been working on the 5th prelude (in E Major) from the Six Little
>Preludes and noticed that the Glenn Gould harpsichord recording of it is
>one semitone lower, as if it were written in E Flat Major. Does anybody
>have any idea why? I guess it could be because of some kind of
>deterioration of the original recording media (tape stretching maybe),
>because all of the six preludes are one semitone lower. Any thoughts?

What Gould harpsichord recording is that?!

Don't assume it's a tape problem.  Many harpsichords are built to the
pitch A=415 as a "standard," i.e. a semitone below A=440.  Often they also
have a sliding mechanism for the keyboard(s) letting it go one note to the
right or left...some instruments have two positions, some even have three!
This allows the harpsichord to be played with Baroque instruments at
A=415, or with modern instruments at A=440, or with French Baroque
instruments at A=392.  Tunings can also be "in the cracks" between those;
A=430 is also fairly popular for late 18th century work.

I have a CD of works of Frescobaldi played by Pierre Hantai: on that one,
the harpsichord is tuned a fourth (!) lower than modern pitch.

Indeed, some of the two-manual harpsichords in original condition had the
two keyboards different from one another in pitch: differing by a fourth.
The two manuals were used not for color contrast but to accompany
different groups of players or singers, at whatever pitch was most
convenient for the work.  Most of these instruments got rebuilt in the
17th or 18th century so the two manuals play at the same pitch.


Bradley Lehman, Dayton VA
home: http://i.am/bpl  or  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl
CD's: http://listen.to/bpl or http://www.mp3.com/bpl

"Music must cause fire to flare up from the spirit - and not only sparks
from the clavier...." - Alfred Cortot