HARPSICHORD GETS ITS DUE ONCE AGAIN
A once-prominent instrument gradually fell quiet for about a century, resigned to the duties of a refashioned desk.
As the piano gained widespread popularity in the 19th century, its precursor, the harpsichord — a stringed, keyboard instrument often used in Baroque court music — became a hot commodity in homes, not for its intended purpose but as furniture pieces.
Today, passionate musicians, such as the Iranian-born Mahan Esfahani, have reintroduced the harpsichord into the mainstream classical and contemporary concert scene. On Tuesday, Esfahani will perform with Da Camera of Houston in “From Renaissance to Reich,” a solo recital that showcases music from the past and present at The Menil Collection.
“It’s not simply about the concerts,” Esfahani said. “I have to sort of address the whole dearth that’s been around my instrument for a long time. The harpsichord is so misunderstood. It’s not like the piano. It’s been the victim of so much misinformation and misunderstanding for so long that you really feel like you’re doing missionary work.”
The 33-year-old virtuoso first encountered the harpsichord on a cassette recording while at a public library with his father. Only 8 years old at the time, he became instantly and deeply immersed in the sound, but another eight years would pass before he purchased an assembly kit to build his own harpsichord.
Unlike the piano, which Esfahani previously studied, the strings of a harpsichord are plucked, not struck, producing sensual sounds similar to that of the sitar, he said. “I’ve had this relationship of wonderment with this instrument. Every day I see the harpsichord, it kind of takes my breath away.”
Still, only after studying musicology and history at Stanford University and ultimately moving to Prague, where he is currently based, did Esfahani realize his profession could be that of a concert harpsichordist. His mission to obliterate all misconceptions associated with his instrument — such as the idea that it’s archaic and, therefore, obsolete — is an anomaly, but he has found success in his persistence, drawing the attention of both critics and audiences worldwide.
At the Menil, Esfahani will play early music by composers William Byrd and J.S. Bach, alongside modern works that include an arrangement of “Piano Phase” by Steve Reich, “Rain Dreaming” by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu and “Jardin Secret II” by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. The latter is one of two pieces he will play with electronics, and it involves quadraphonic sound, an early version of surround sound in which four speakers are placed in four corners of the listening space.
There is no underlying theme tying the works together. His selection blends decades and centuries of repertoire, the outspoken harpsichordist plays what he wants with the intention of impressing upon his audience why he believes each piece deserves recognition and serious consideration. And he strives to portray the harpsichord’s ability to transcend societal limitations.
“The revival of the instrument coincides with the writing of new music,” he said, “and I want to emphasize that because the revival of the instrument does not mean by definition simply reviving old music. It’s writing new music.”