Oct 16, 2015
It was the great virtuoso Wanda Landowska who spearheaded a revival of interest in the dormant harpsichord at the turn of the 20th century. Working closely with Pleyel of Paris, the instrument manufacturer, she helped develop and promote a sturdier and more sonorous instrument than was hitherto the case. Composers of the time weren’t slow to respond with wit and eccentricity, composing colourful new works that may have glanced to the past but were in clear harmony with the times. Raymond Bisha explores a selection of them on this month’s new release from leading contemporary harpsichordist Christopher D. Lewis.