<<  -- 6 --  Bill Newman    MIND MY HARPSICHORD!

Just two years my senior, 72 is no great age. On scanning The Gramophone CD Catalogue, the space is wide open for a tribute by CBS-Sony from the following:

Showpieces for Harpsichord : 25 works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Scarlatti, Rameau.

Bach on the Harpsichord and Clavichord : Italian Concerto, English Suite 1, 12 'Little' Preludes, Fantasia in A minor, etc

German Music for harpsichord and Clavichord : J S and C P E Bach, Kuhnau, Kirmair, Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Telemann.

Spanish Music for harpsichord : De Nebra, Scarlatti, Soler (the Fandango is tremendous!).

Italian Baroque Music for harpsichord : Scarlatti, Frescobaldi, Galuppi, Pasquini/Rossi, Cimarosa.

French Baroque Music for harpsichord : Couperin, Rameau, Boismortier.

Two Concertos for Harpsichord and Orchestra : Mozart -- No 9 in E flat, K271; Haydn -- in D major, Op 21 ... both with Marriner directing the London Strings.

The concert performance of the Mozart at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall was catastrophic. Having 'the' harpsichord alongside the conductor's podium was just not on! It was too large, so had to go behind the orchestra where nobody in the audience could hear it at all. Neville was very upset afterwards, but Igor laughed himself silly!