Les Cyclopes: Harpsichord Solo

Harpsichordist Elaine plays Jean-Philippe Rameau's "Les Cyclopes"--rondeau in d minor--on a 1972 Ruckers-Taskin replica built by Frank Hubbard in 1972. Videography by Steve Jambeck. www.harpsichord.org; www.lyrichord.com.

[@hollychop6605]

The original boss fight theme.

[@yayaslocs6877]

Holly Chop I got a good laugh from that Thank you

[@usul573]

Or perhaps Toccata and Fugue on Organ: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqCco42godisj7s

[@kadergumus2598]

A 1790's fight.

[@AutoMatiks]

Your comment made me really laugh. Thank you

[@jamesgodfrey5887]

Would be some really epic retro music

[@ginkohsu]

I feel so grateful that we have Internet. Otherwise it would be such a shame not to witness the beauty of this old, bizarre, enchanting instrument far away.

[@almostliterally593]

And this old bizarre woman that plays it!

[@WiggaMachiavelli]

+Soutine Coconut What is bizarre about the instrument?

[@vidiexNM]

+Soutine Xu I found one a few months ago in the cafeteria of a language institute, in Uruguay. Pretty hideous.

[@SharonYang-cf9zj]

Soutine Xu, so true.

[@kessiabertram8644]

This instrument looks like the stud

[@theliddler]

The sound that the harpsichord produces is so wonderful and unique

[@Anonymous-re9fd]

Becca Liddle first time i’ve ever heard a harpsichord I thought it was an acoustic guitar

[@bandname]

@@Anonymous-re9fd Each string is plucked rather than hit so it will sound that way.

[@Anonymous-re9fd]

Wayward Offsider's ik

[@bandname]

@@Anonymous-re9fd So why did you think it was an acoustic guitar?

[@Lampey22]

Yeah! İt’s like a mixture of accordion and harp

[@comandos253]

This is a good vampire.

[@cpegg5840]

Caio César Romão Lol if you watch the TV show Supernatural, there is an ancient vampire called "The Old Man" who owns one of these.

[@iloveppoppies]

Kind of reminds you of the whole music playing for Interview with the Vampire ain't it?

[@krispynachos9980]

holy fuck savage bruh

[@kessiabertram8644]

seu cu

[@landenx]

Any time I hear the harpsichord I think of the song “wood carving partita” from castlevania 🧛🏻‍♂️

[@Supermario0727]

Yes, this will do. Have my minions bring my cape. The night is young.

[@belindawilliams4915]

😆😆😆😆😆

[@banassultpuppies8062]

bruuuuuuuh

[@Morenita892]

🤣why did I feel like this after listening to this song 🔥

[@Trcls]

"so this where 8 bit and 16 bit music sounds like on a real instrument." -kids from the future. Long live the harpsichord.

[@LordSandwichII]

***** Hmm... That's an interesting point! I guess the composers of 8 bit video game music were limited by the same kind of constraints that baroque and renaissance harpsichord composers were limited to (i.e lack of crescendo and smaller octave range)! I think the original composers did it better though! :D

[@Voldemorts.Nipple]

Damn never thought of it that way

[@iliveonatropicalisland6086]

Oh shit ur right

[@PhirePhlame]

@@LordSandwichII There are still two completely different cultures and styles surrounding those two things, so I'm not sure it's entirely fair to say that one or the other did it better. In fact, as I was writing this comment, another limitation to old video game music came to mind. You can theoretically hit every key on a harpsichord and hear every one of then sound off properly, but those old sound chips cannot produce nearly as many sounds at once. For instance, the NES can only produce four sounds at the same time, but even then, what can be done with those four sound channels is limited - two of them are only capable of producing square waves, one is only capable of producing a triangle wave, and one is only capable of producing noise. ...okay, there is a fifth sound channel on the NES that can play back sound samples, but this is rarely used due to the extremely low storage capacity of the cartridges.

[@Mollymauking]

ok boomer

[@mamamimi4699]

can't even imagine how long it took her to become the pro she is at this!!! frikin awesome job man...

[@ccdrz]

The left hand is really stretched and jumpy in the main theme hard

[@katiehelms8903]

Believe it or not it is lighter and easier than the piano but what shes doing it pretty hard probably about seven years (that is how long I played piano, I could do this on harpsichord) However I sense she can do even harder things than this

[@erebosphoenix380]

It is great that rare instruments like the harpsichord are being popularized through the internet and "held alive" by passionate artists like Elaine! I have to admit that I like this particular instrument more in combination with other instruments in classical music, but this solo is interesting to hear! Thanks! :-)

[@ElaineComparone]

I don't blame you! The harpsichord enhances the sounds of other instruments while at the same time it blends. The piano tends to stick out and doesn't blend as well even when played softly.

[@franciscouderq1100]

Indeed and agreed 150% with discount already counted!

[@lev7509]

Old comment, but I think maybe "Into Sandy's City" from Doom II had a hand in popularizing the instrument (at least the sound of it) among 90's gamers? Idk

[@NodDisciple1]

@@lev7509 I wouldn't mind hearing her play that, tbh. :P XD

[@CenturianCornelious]

46 cyclopses dislike this.

[@theholmes8308]

CCornelius bravo sir, bravo!

[@finncoppack]

I Ain’t A Cyclops M8 So I Wont Be Disliking

[@MrGREY-bs9lu]

Now 125 Cyclops dislike, along with 1 Poseidon.

[@orionlopez8707]

Hecking one eyes

[@Opry99er]

Cyclopsi?

[@randallkoch6183]

That harpsichord itself is a work of art imo. And you have to love the sounds it produces.

[@gwonk8722]

the saddening for me is the absence of nuances

[@LouBasques1423]

That is not just your opinion. It is also fact.

[@gazalsalehi1452]

The harpsichord is a wonderful instrument! It sounds amazing

[@ElaineComparone]

Glad you like it!!

[@TomoyaOkazaki13]

i always thought this sound was produced by a guitar and im like "HOW CAN THEY PLAY THE GUITAR THAT FAST?!?!"

[@AnnaWebb37]

It's the child of a piano and a guitar.

[@nautilusnexus5120]

+Sasha Blouse NOOOOO!!!! It's definately the child of a guitar.....but piano's followed maybe more than a hundred years later! the piano is the child of the harpsichord, not the other way around :)

[@AnnaWebb37]

***** *pipe organ and guitar

[@panarapichu1241]

Omg this comment had me DED

[@afiqh9909]

Nautilus Nexus nonono im the immoral child out if wedlock. I hold no candle to the harpis!

[@ChupeTTe]

I dont know whats more beautiful and badass The womans skill? That this is basically a boss theme Or the lovely instrument

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you so much for your comment!!

[@adrianoseresi3525]

I absolutely love this passage, heard at 2:25. You can hear some percussive, wooden sounds of the instrument as Elaine performs her digital (as in ‘finger’) acrobatics; it reminds me of the sounds of castanets in a Spanish dance. It certainly sounds like it! Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

[@acforfun2947]

The wooden sound you can hear depends on the very fact that she ignores the proper harpsichord playing technique: she's clearly a pianist stomping on the harpsichord keyboard. This is not good for at least two reasons: you can make mistakes (sometimes she does) and you could even break the instrument! The piece interpretations is good though but you don't need all that force to play the harpsichord and you loose all the beauty of the harpsichord sound

[@sirlordwhitman]

oh my god.. Elaine rocks on so many levels!

[@geometrydashbayve5004]

I really want to get my hands on a harpsichord one day. This and the oboe are two most underappreciated instruments there are as far as I know.

[@lighttheheir7483]

same here lol

[@DeckardCain1986]

OMG what a perfect skilled woman.. thank you so much for sharing this marvelous piece of perfection

[@geliopouthapesei]

Deckard Cain Life's good, isn't it? ;-) lol did you get my joke?

[@Neophage]

Glad to see you stayed a while and listened.

[@dereckheitmiller1043]

Hey, appart from her being a great artist, can we acknowledge the fact that the video has incredible quality and its from 12 years ago?

[@jorixonian]

480i was the standard for digital home video since the 80s, I'd say this video has average to lower quality especially for the time. The sound quality, however, is excellent.

[@Un1234l]

2009 is pretty solidly in the HD era. PS3 was released 2006. This video however is probably recorded on a very good camera with someone who knows how to preserve the bitrate, or who didn't compress the footage much.

[@xxEzraBxxx]

@Matrix Reloaded If you had 16mm, 35mm or higher film, properly scanned or projected you can get HD footage from the 1930s

[@DonBurtango]

I feel splendidly evil while hearing this

[@kaiyuen7883]

*Splendidly* evil.

[@twenteetoo]

You are splendidly influenced by television

[@arsantiqua8741]

The Cyclops?

[@26Nanosuit]

I AGREE....especially if it sounded more ominous.

[@tom_something]

You know what made it more sinister for me? I initially mistook the upper row of keys for a reflection. Which made it seem that her hands didn't have a reflection. And later she reaches through the lacquered wood (that isn't really there) and starts playing the reflection instead of the original keys. It was at that moment I decided I should get something to eat.

[@ColdFuse96]

"It's raining heavily outside, in the dead of night. I lie awake, agonizing over a terrible headache I just cant shake. I get up and walk around this house. Barren and empty. Far too big for one person. Its dark, and the storm knocked out the power. I light a candle and sit at the table with my head in my hands. With every clap of thunder, my migraine spikes like if my brain was shaken and smashed against the side of my skull. What an agonizing night this will be."

[@LordSandwichII]

Paracetamol is your friend! :)

[@quykim8339]

@@LordSandwichII haha

[@jamesdaniel5122]

As an anatomist I can see how much straining and work this takes on the hands and fingers... You can see the bulkiness of her flexor (The underside of the forearm).. Just from that I can tell this woman has been playing this for over 20 years, EASILY. GREAT JOB!!

[@ABCDuwachui]

Do you teach?

[@watchbozotv9153]

Playing an instrument properly shouldn’t “strain” your hands. To play this fast requires years of training and can only be done when playing perfectly relaxed in the hands and body.

[@katiehelms8903]

I am a pianist and this stuff would actually take about ten years. I know this because I played for ten years and I can do this

[@Lampey22]

Harpiscord is one of the hardest and most underrated instruments ever. I love it

[@ElaineComparone]

Those "in the know" love it! Like you and me!!

[@broquemusician]

I completely agree.

[@stepanhrebicek8309]

It's definitely underrated but I wouldn't say it's one of the hardest

[@SCHUBERT73]

Belle technique, belle interprétation !

[@ElaineComparone]

thanks very much! glad you liked it!!!

[@HANKSANDY69420]

*Noice*

[@delphzouzou4520]

My left hand suffers for hers...

[@alexanderprousalis6006]

well that sounds weird

[@zavilov]

Agreed

[@manoelfernandez3461]

Actually harpsichord keyboards are very light to play!

[@Yikes705]

@@alexanderprousalis6006 Hello me

[@punic4045]

@@Yikes705 hello another me

[@abnorcscreenname8489]

There are others who play this more technically perfect, but Elaine Comparone's rendition is so awesomely passionate!

[@rachelshaskin2584]

This woman is insane.

[@Moishe555]

lol

[@bigd1594]

In a good way

[@Emperatriz_Valentina]

Rachel Shaskin trust me, there are crazier. They need to be in a mental hospital

[@Shroomov]

Insanely awesome =)

[@ridzkiandiyono4773]

Insanely good, yeah.

[@AoWGamer]

This is still my favorite tune for Harpsichord. I really wish, I could play as good as you can.

[@Fox_in_Thoughts]

Oh my gosh! Amazing! :D I just wanted to hear what a harpsichord sounded like...and then I found this amazing performance! Such effortless playing *applause*

[@ashtara8520]

Finally I discovered this instrument and its name that I was wondering for sooo long whenever I heard old songs what was this amazing sound 😍❤️

[@ElaineComparone]

I'm so glad you found it! Enjoy your new discovery!!

[@MrNuclear54]

I´m so impressed by this music and technique. Beautiful !

[@ElaineComparone]

The music is the greatest! I've loved it for many years!!

[@wilbur1960]

Interesting. I like how Elaine introduces the "swing rhythm" in the middle section. This music only lives through interpretation and performance. Who knows how Rameau played it himself ... we can only guess from his own book on theory and performance. Still a lot of fun to watch and listen to.

[@takatominemoto7703]

Your playing is loaded with expression and emotion. True masters don't need dynamics! Beautifully performed and a GORGEOUSLY tuned instrument!

[@ElaineComparone]

Not everybody responds to the tuning, but I'm glad you did. I appreciate your comments. Sorry for the delay in replying!!

[@abueloraton]

But harpsichords do have dynamics!

[@user-74652]

I don't think I've ever heard a harpsichord that sounds like this before. I love this sound.

[@Takato142]

JESUS she's amazing. And this is yet another thing to prove that the harpsichord is the most underrated instrument ever.

[@ChevyToughRebel]

By far my favorite piece on the harpsichord that I’ve heard thus far! I love music that tells a story, this is so fun to listen to and watch as it is being played. Such a well composed piece, and well executed by Elaine.

[@ElaineComparone]

I'm so glad you like it! I have friends who have heard me play a lot of pieces, but just adore this one.

[@Mindmodic]

Keep coming back to this one, it tells a story without words.

[@ElaineComparone]

Glad you like it!

[@PaulPrinceArt]

This is inspirational and educational. Thank you.

[@tabre]

Everyone is talking about the instrument.. the song... castlevania... but did anyone notice what an outstanding player this woman is? That song takes incredible skill.

[@cobboGHS91]

wow this lady is like the "Slash" of the harpsichord world, this is awesome.

[@ElaineComparone]

What a funny comment from someone using your KZbin"name"! Thank you!!

[@JohnSmith-io5zt]

Insanely brilliant.

[@urmomandad]

I WANT A DAMN HARPSICHORD IN MY ROOM! ever since I heard the solo part in Brandenburg Concerto 5... forgot which movement specifically >.< This is amazing too.

[@lumdisumdi]

this is a unique piece of baroque music but very harmonious. No dynamics but still beautiful. Love the aggressive touch to it!

[@coffeeandkeys1980]

Mad finger skills. She has that thumb tuck down.

[@bobloblaw9679]

thank you for sharing your artistry. so wonderful to see the souls of these pieces live on in performers like you!

[@BEAKER6868]

the harpsichord. such a beautiful instrument. I wish it was more common.

[@abueloraton]

BEAKER6868 It's becoming more and more common.

[@gonpachirokamaboko3617]

Diosssss por fin encuentro de donde proviene ese sonido que llamo "elegante/de la realeza/antiguo" aaaaaaaa que felicidad

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you very much!!

[@AoWGamer]

I like the sound of this Harpsichord. It is quite charming and this melody makes it even more adorable.

[@Parlophonic]

I love Rameau's music and have thoroughly enjoyed your expert and sympathetic performance. Many thanks.

[@fdk7014]

Impressive!

[@user-wq3hu2pq4e]

Almost forgot to watch this today.

[@darrenhirst9900]

Absolute pleasure listening to you play. Your performance takes me back to the time it was first played. Thank you.

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you for your lovely comment!

[@toddao70mm]

Extraordinary ! What a pleasure seeing you playing with virtuosity and a breathtaking precision of rhythm. BRAVO Elaine !

[@FREEGTAMONEY]

💯💯🤙🏽🤙🏽🔥🔥🔥🔥 THIS BUMPS HARD IN THE WHIP

[@theveganismhotline9930]

FOOP BANAENAE 🔥

[@CR33SIVE]

NO CAP

[@nope8827]

*Igorrr has joined the chat*

[@Ouishank651]

Well that was amazing. Thank you for the gifted performance and all the work you put in to be able to do that.

[@Bolognalegs]

Amazing performance and instrument. That harpsichord is really beautiful. I also like the fact that she is standing in the way that harpsichordists would have up until the late 1700's.

[@aryakeepsafe4142]

I love love love harpsichord music . Its magical ,its uplifting , its romantic ....

[@Sircade]

Can’t stop listening at 1:07 so good

[@ElaineComparone]

Glad you like it!~~!

[@DawidGabriel]

Such beautiful grace achieved by the lady and harpsichord! You can immerse yourself in the bygone melody, feel the clock slowing down and hope you just could trash your cellphone forever.

[@megwilliams5455]

Thank you very much for this video. How splendid!!!

[@jaisapara]

my girl goin ham on the harpsi

[@keylllogdark]

insaneeeeeee...

[@r8To]

Wow. Such talent and so fun to watch and listen! Thank you!

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you so much! You might enjoy another of my videos. Maybe take a look at the selection, and see what you think!

[@erikkire7748]

this takes you in an other era....so amazing sound!....

[@NickRossi]

1:04 that spread in the bass...

[@matchamatcha1860]

RIP CELESTIA LUDENBERG even though this was not her execution song , some times it did sound like it though

[@benjaminjohannessanchez3310]

Lol one can never escape the fandom...

[@benjaminjohannessanchez3310]

Yet I agree lol

[@LuckyLootCrate]

Haha i never expected to get spoiled by a 4 year old comment on a harpsichord :(

[@benjaminjohannessanchez3310]

@@LuckyLootCrate lololol

[@mordecairaps8393]

I love the harpsichord. Always have. This is a beautiful piece plays with talent and skill.

[@ctmagnus760]

Love this piece, and she plays it very well indeed. I really liked her introduction too. Thanks for posting!

[@AndroxineVortex]

now i want to listen to Igorrr's version...

[@ccdrz]

Kipnis is so great

[@seoulstn]

I have never expected Igor Kipnis to be mentioned here.. Indeed he's a great pianist.

[@PedroDias-hj2jy]

😂😂😂 He means the eletronic artist called igorrr. He has a song which uses this sample, he also samples scarlatti

[@PedroDias-hj2jy]

Listen to unpleasant sonata by igorrr

[@babypizza3903]

I like dis

[@theinternet519]

ilik dss

[@constiff]

Also, I really love how this video is in square form and not wide form, like the old times, it fits my iPad's screen too at fullscreen, and it applies an extra vintage effect, which fits with the piece..

[@elainecomparone9586]

I'm glad it works with your equipment.

[@ctmagnus760]

Best youtube name ever

[@corinneolivier1871]

Wasn't it Odysseus that stuck the twig in the cyclops eye?

[@feloria1862]

Yup

[@dustinthecynicalassoholicb3621]

They used his Latin name rather than his Greek name.

[@alexyee9273]

Ulysses and Odysseus is the same person

[@fernandopugaquintanilla3345]

So THIS is terezi's instrument huh... Well done by the way, i was surprised by how well you play the harpsjfjfj

[@fnstation]

I was waiting for a comment like this

[@AtulJataayu]

Indeed grateful to you for allowing to experience the beauty of this beautiful instrument of the bygone era.

[@ElaineComparone]

I'm grateful for your comment!!

[@jandlhoward1]

That was incredible, thank you for sharing.

[@fezzes428]

Is this played like a piano? This looks like a very interesting instrument

[@austin7]

I Wear A Fez Now I think the keys don't have as much resistance, like the Organ, since the Harpsichord doesn't have much dynamic contrast... But that's just what I've heard.

[@ElaineComparone]

One plays it a little differently since there is little dynamic control----similar to a pipe organ. But you have a choice of stops in both instruments. In the organ, pipes that make different sounds, and in the harpsichord, several different sets of strings that one can combine or play by themselves. The choice is not so great on the harpsichord, but the silvery quality of the plucked strings makes it a very pleasurable instrument to play.

[@oilyboy7243]

Savant

[@Rayo75]

yes

[@nicocaro9]

This is amazing.

[@Bragir]

Love this piece. Beautifully played.

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you!!!

[@socialistenrd5843]

"Leeeeeeeccieee KLOP". Fantastic Music tho

[@Youlises95]

polyphemus and i had one hell of a battle...

[@EmpiricalPragmatist]

So you're Nobody...

[@Indigenous51]

A wonderful piece expertly and beautifully executed. 👌💖

[@CosmosWorld]

The sound is absolutely perfect!

[@nautilusnexus5120]

I respect the artist, but she has a really weird tempo articulation for the main section of the piece....almost boogie-woogie style like, I notice some organists also treat Bach that way

[@wayne1288]

+Nautilus Nexus I really like the expressions, there is a vid of a guy who plays it almost robotically. I dont get anything off it.

[@giobrach]

It’s called inegalité, it was convention to play like this in Rameau’s France

[@DaRussians]

Great harpsichord piece and well played, but it's not Ulysses versus Polyphemus it's Odysseus versus Polyphemus!!

[@ElaineComparone]

DaRussians I guess Ulysses is his name in Latin, where Odysseus is the Greek version of the name----and the original, of course.

[@erikkire7748]

+DaRussians I am Greek..so in Greek is Odysseus (Οδυσσεας) in Latin though his name is Ulysses...so she is absolutely right :)

[@jeffreyhawthornegoines8727]

But for the Romance people, French, Italians, Spanish and Portuguese, it is, indeed, Ulysses ;-)

[@maoristereo]

+DaRussians nobody cares, we're here for Elaine

[@TlogicoP]

You may be Greek, but certainly you don't know Homeric Greek. That would be like me saying I have any friggin clue how to read Beowulf just because I'm American. Odysseus is a transliteration of Ὀδυσσεύς, not Οδυσσεας.

[@sandyhackney]

Wow!! Beautiful and many thanks.

[@ignaciorodriguez8931]

Outstanding performance!

[@greatlarks6545]

This lady plays with more balls than Trevor Pinnock.

[@trashbagsmiley1999]

She plays incredibly well, but Trevor Pinnock will always be my top harpsichordist

[@coolbranbran8252]

i bet no one watches this... 2019?

[@ElaineComparone]

So why do you?

[@coolbranbran8252]

Elaine Comparone ??

[@ElaineComparone]

Who else?

[@guscox9651]

I watch it I'm an organist and I'm wondering how stiff it is seeing as it is coupled. I Don't know about harpsichords but the keys are harder to press when coupled on organ

[@greengrassofhome]

The harpsichord makes such beautiful sounds. Thank you for this excellent recording.

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you for taking the time to listen!!

[@lemonsodumb]

i love rameau's harpsichord stuff, it's always interesting to hear many musician's interpretations of these exciting pieces

[@matthewraphael]

Amazing performance, lots of character.

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you so much!!

[@madisonthing]

Thank you so much, one of y favorite pieces by Rameau.

[@nubiansista4life]

Simply marvelous.....Bravo!

[@GyromiteROB]

BRILLIANT !! coordination of hands and emotion is all on point. This may be the very best rendition of the piece I've heard.

[@ElaineComparone]

Thank you so much! that's high praise!!

[@LDA313]

Educating us AND entertaining us.. thank you 🎶❤️

[@ElaineComparone]

My pleasure and privilege!!

[@MarieTudorr]

Comme c'est beau et envoutant, cet instrument est une œuvre à lui seul. Le clavecin figure et figurera toujours parmi l'un de mes instruments favoris... merci pour cette magnifique compisition !

[@hameley12]

I finally found this wonderful channel! I definitely enjoyed the the musical piece, thank you 😊

[@ElaineComparone]

Glad you like it! Thank you!

[@RiverVmanna]

Invigorating to watch her play this. I have loved this piece for decades. Seeing it played is so colorful and adds dimension.

[@ElaineComparone]

It always helps to see something happening live: to see it and to hear it. Thanks for your appreciation!

[@charlie-kn5pb]

I love your rendition of this piece! It's unlike any other that I've seen. It's stylistic, lively invigorating and I love it!

[@ElaineComparone]

Somehow this piece just sticks in people's minds, once they've heard it. I have a friend who always asked me to play this piece. She first heard me do it when we were in college----long time ago. I wonder how I played it then?!