World's Oldest Playable Harpsichord

What does a harpsichord sound like? Harpsichordist Catalina Vicens tells you all about it in this video shot at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, S.D. on Friday, May 8, 2015.

[@theresametcalf7066]

okay - so let's hear it without anyone yapping over it.

[@robertlancaster8190]

Absolutely!

[@ManganeseMan]

Could you play it more than 5 seconds at the end?

[@ElvisTranscriber2]

Yep, I agree, briefest of samples here: 0:36 and 1:28 it does NOT take a genius to choose to showcase the sound of this very unique instrument because the vast majority of people will not be able to hear it live. But you ALWAYS get the dummies in charge of these videos and it's most of the times, a disappointment.

[@Wolfganger]

Lol

[@rochelleb973]

Exactly

[@dasytphantom9354]

Why sounds this video like their micro is 500 years old too?

[@v_anh_b6474]

Haha it's to get an authentic XVIth century sound.

[@wedemeyerr]

Because it's basically like a time machine

[@joshuamiller-le753]

harpsichords are my second favorite instrument, after the pipe organ.

[@winfriedbanzhaf1067]

...and should be built by the same people and not, as in Germany, by piano makers.

[@dnuma5852]

@@winfriedbanzhaf1067 whats wrong with harpsichords being built by piano makers? the piano is a lot more similar in the mechanism than it is to the pipe organ

[@winfriedbanzhaf1067]

@@dnuma5852 All you need to look and hear and even lift what piano builders have produced. That should answer your question.

[@IamAlessandro1]

Would be nice to know little more about this hapsichord. Dated from? Who buided it? Recoverd where, when etc. etc. But nice to see an old instrument like this.

[@MarkHoemmen]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZeahWCabat1o6s

[@steveojobspodcast1836]

1480 niga

[@priscianusjr]

This instrument was built in Naples around 1530. It was acquired by the National Music Museum in Vermilion, S.D. in 2009 from the previous owner in Argentina. It was in good condition, so the restoration was not maximal and was done in house. Among other things, it was given a cleaning and a new set of jacks. The harpsichordist, who was born in Chile, is Catalina Vicens.

[@forestsoceansmusic]

After watching 3 videos tonight where you only play (and beautifully), it was so nice to hear your voice Catalina, and your enlightening thoughts on various old instruments. ¡Eres una deslumbrante belleza chilena!

[@magedmakram4487]

I have an antique Austrian piano thats looks very similar to the one behind the man with the white hair Mr. John Koster even the colour is the same and according to its serial number it was built in Vienna in 1864 these pianos are very valuable and have great sounds an key touch.

[@carolwalters7069]

Beautiful! I wonder how they maintain these wonderful old pieces in such good, playable condition? Whatever that is, I hope they keep doing it as these pieces truly are like stepping back through time and hearing them played in their prime. Lovely!

[@wedemeyerr]

I feel the same like the woman. It's a time machine, like reading a very old book

[@gerardoconnell6539]

The harpsichord is a keyboard development of the medieval psaltery; where the chords were plucked using quills as plectrums.

[@therealtaubyfakebrah4076]

Then a three year old just BANGS on the keys HARD.

[@BlackHayateTheThird]

Which actually wouldn't do much. The harpsichord's strings are plucked, unlike a piano which is hammered, which means there's not much for the harpsichord in terms of volume/ how loud it can get. That's what was so revolutionary about the pianoforte- literally meaning soft-loud. The hammering action is able to translate how the keys are pressed a lot more intricately compared to the harpsichord, which made it a really dynamic instrument

[@phpn99]

It is not true that this is the oldest playable harpsichord in the world. There are playable italian harpsichords dating 1525-30 available in Europe. The museum's website lists its earliest harpsichord this way: "NMM 14408. Harpsichord, Naples, ca. 1530. Single manual, C/E-c3 (4 octaves), originally 1 × 8' (altered to 2 × 8' in the 17th or 18th c.)."

[@webnet15]

love the sound waves.........

[@arsantiqua8741]

john looks like beethoven

[@marcussfebruary9104]

Haha!

[@adrianapartida5888]

True

[@blipblip88]

so many of historical harpsichords were ruined when they were strung with modern wire-they imploded. thankfully, in the past 40 years or so, we have re-learned historical music wire composition and drawing methods such that historic sounds and better preservation can be achieved.

[@mercoid]

blipblip88 ....Yes. I was going to comment that unless this instrument is strung and quilled with the historically proper materials, it would not sound like it did when it was new. I’m not certain wire was in use for harpsichords in the 16th century.

[@Luiz-w5s]

The question is: how was the original strings from that time made? Were them similar to the modern ones used in this video? Just the wooden part is not guarantee that we are hearing it like the people from that time heard it.

[@JanUllrichVetter]

I have the same Broadwood Grandpiano like it is on the stage therw! :) Built around 1835/40, Construction-Number 867

[@jamallabarge2665]

I don't believe that it sounded this way originally, but it was probably close. Wood ages, time marches on. Unless it was stored in a vacuum it's aged. What of the strings? How do they keep?

[@hinkage]

Recorded with the world's oldest microphone

[@orrintorkelson7451]

Is there any record as to what the music desk for this instrument would have looked like?

[@JENDALL714]

I built my own guitar, I hope in 500 years, people are watching a holographic video of my guitar. Also, I will be haunting it.

[@flyingjudgement]

Hahaha Im really thinking about building a Hapiscord Probably the tree I will murder for it will haunt it :D

[@Nicolas-zb9uw]

Historically , guitars don't last long . Tension is too high on the wood frame . Get informed !

[@JENDALL714]

@@Nicolas-zb9uw Totally not true, there are Martin guitars that are well over 100 years old and still play like new. It all depends on the craftsmanship and how well you take care of it.

[@Levi-qm5cg]

@@Nicolas-zb9uw what ? what are you saying dude ?

[@mabel8179]

It is lovely.

[@ritschardt]

I am interested in this' lost tradition' of harpsichord building I am not familiar with it I have been building harpsichords for most of my life I thought i was on the right track, obviously not, neverthless I have heard modern copies that sound as good as this one.

[@flugelflugel4556]

Can we hear it?

[@electronicsandmusic2077]

Stop talking about how it sounds and let me hear it for more than 2 seconds before you tell me how good it is. I just want to hear it without going to South Dakota

[@BetamaxFlippy]

What piano is it behind the harpsichord? Nemetschke?

[@renatoaraujinho]

very well done!

[@Waldvogel45]

Ok so we have to guess: It was probably made in "the Olde Worlde, by somebody who made musical instruments, I think I'm close on that one. Maybe it has a label XXX fecit MD**. but that is asking a lot.Ps Ms Catalina, hear and listen are not the same verb.

[@ivoryconsort]

You have truly missed the point of the specialness of this (or any) musical instrument by not allowing the listener to SIMPLY HEAR THE INSTRUMENT UNINTERRUPTED! How very typically modern and unthinking of you folks: offering something talked about, looked at, but not given a real chance to BE HEARD!

[@zerotonic2659]

Sadly the sound of this video is very weak. Inspite of that I love the video anyway.

[@RosssRoyce]

Huge part of sound comes from the plectrum material and action. I’m sure these have nothing to do with original.

[@teodorkonopka2884]

Tylko kilka sekund muzyki na tym instrumencie. Za dużo mówi się zamiast prezentować brzmienie. :(

[@38KSW]

I have two harpsichord's

[@RememberGodHolyBible]

Oldeſt harpſichoꝛd... neuer filmed the keys... ſmh

[@Wolfganger]

Pretty cool I guess

[@keplergso8369]

If you want to hear this harpsichord : kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ7KloSwptijhpY

[@Arrslicker]

Her mike was horrid. Bad placement. Otherwise great!!

[@GiorgiIssakadze]

💓💓💓

[@peterkrauss2590]

it sounds like a zuckermann from 1959

[@Veritas1980-Chill]

Play crazy train on it

[@AndSendMe]

Wow ca. 1525 Naples, that is indeed amazingly old. Lovely sound, but not unexpected. About 30 years ago some of the modern harpsichord builders started to figure things out. I'll take an early Cristofori pianoforte though, transparent tone with dynamics, best of both worlds, in the transition between the two.

[@gustavogonzalez3041]

My dad fixed it

[@MegaMech]

I love the sound of her voice. Like why even bother putting the harpsichord noise in the video at all. kappa

[@so_how_do_i_work_this_app]

harpsicords are baroque i believe

[@williamgriebenow8193]

More Renaissance. Fun fact: the first pianos (which did NOT work, sound or work as a modern-day piano) was invented in the late baroque era

[@arsantiqua8741]

William Griebenow those are the virginals, clavichords, and those small handheld organs.

[@matttheoddmusician2208]

William Griebenow true! In fact, the modern idea of a piano was invented in the mid late 1800s with the iron frames.

[@xxfalconarasxx5659]

They are actually a Medieval invention. The earliest recorded use of a harpsicord was in 1397. Medieval Harpsicords were smaller than most variants we see today. It was during the late 1500s that we began to see larger stationary hapsicords that more resembled pianos.

[@GlenShannon]

JS Bach knew about hammer pianos, but they weren't iron yet

[@gandalf8216]

For metal fans, there's as "ballad" called Lake of Innersfree by Sir Lord Baltimore from 1970. It has beautiful sections of harpsichord in it.

[@Mau365PP]

It would be better with only the instrument and not with their commentary

[@UndeadOutlaw30]

John koster looks like beethoven ...

[@jhonnycagexrage7458]

I am not from this world

[@gregmonks]

Show, not tell. Nix the talking.

[@johnharrington4757]

Shes very cute id be happy to have her explain why the harpsichord is "intimate" like she said

[@RobertOrgRobert]

The conservator guy hasn’t had a haircut in 500 years

[@Nicolas-zb9uw]

He wants to have historical hair !

[@richardwilliams3472]

this has to be the worst presentation ever

[@Lammergeir]

Yap yap. Silly video.

[@ichirofakename]

Sounds fine, just like a modern harpsichord. Or the harpsichord setting on my Casio.

[@danyelnicholas]

probably the worst film ever made about a musical instrument―and the is ferocious competition!

[@F0nkyNinja]

She makes me wish I was the world's oldest playable harpsichord