Historical Keyboard Forum
This page provides information on historical keyboard instruments and their performance, and will include details of related RCM events and research projects.
Events
TUESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2008
10.30pm, Durrington Room
Re-invention: New music for harpsichord
Keyboard Seminar given by Jane Chapman
TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2008
6.00pm, Inner Parry Room
Music for keyboard, guitar and lute from the Renaissance and Baroque eras In collaboration with the London International Guitar Festival 2008 ESPAÑA! event. Featuring keyboard music performed on harpsichord, lute clavicembalo alongside lute and guitar. For further details click here. THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2008 7.00pm, Inner Parry Room Toasting forks and skeletons?
Harpsichord Workshop given by Jane Chapman
Exploring a rich variety of solo works, including electroacoustic pieces by leading composers, and examining different approaches to learning this repertoire. Those wishing to play at the workshop should prepare extracts from Ligeti's three 'classic' works: Do bring other contemporary pieces if you feel inspired. Even if you have never tried playing anything modern on the harpsichord just come along, enjoy the experience, and take part in the discussion.
TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER 2008
6.00pm, Museum of Instruments
The Keyboard Music of John Blow (1649-1708)
Harpsichord Workshop given by Robert Woolley
RCM students play and explore Blow’s keyboard music on the RCM Museum’s Stephen Keene spinet, c.1685 and Jacob & Abraham Kirkman harpsichord, 1773.
John Blow was the most important composer of the ‘second’ English harpsichord school of the late 17th century. His keyboard writing is distinctive, bold and characterful. Founded on the tradition of the English virginalists, Blow’s keyboard music was also strongly influenced by contemporary Italian, French and German composers, notably Frescobaldi and Froberger. His large-scale Grounds and Chaconnes are his most characteristic and individual works: these extended virtuoso pieces are unique in the canon of 17th century English keyboard music, and set Blow apart from his contemporaries.
Those wishing to play in the workshop should bring one or more pieces by Blow - click here for a list of editions and further information.
There will be a Library Exhibition entitled 'John Blow and Early Keyboard Music' in the Donaldson Room, November 1 - 13.
TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 2009
William Byrd, His Virginals and Ladye Nevells Booke 11.00am-1.00pm, Museum of Instruments (NOT open to the public) 5.00-7.00pm, Museum of Instruments A Quart from a Pint Pot Malcolm Rose will talk about virginals with the very limited compass needed in Byrd's music, with particular reference to an original which belongs to the Musikinstrumenten Museum, Berlin. Followed by a workshop given by Terence Charlston and Robert Woolley RCM students explore the musical scope and range of My Ladye Nevells Booke using a faithful reconstruction of a virginals from Byrd's time.
Research Projects
These pages are only available from the internal RCM web area. It is hoped to make some of these resources more generally available in the future. Further details will be posted on this page. RCM users may access the pages via the Moodle link by clicking on the title of each section. These pages provide digitised images and transcriptions of the seventeenth century keyboard source, RCM MS 2093 - an important tutor book containing music by major composers (including Byrd, Bull, Gibbons, Locke and Blow) and important performance practice instructions. This project is in the early stages of development and the range of available resources will be expanded over time.These resources are provided solely for private study and research purposes. All information and images are subject to copyright and users are requested to respect the copyright of the Royal College of Music and individual authors.