The Harpsichord Owner's Guide: A Manual for Buyers and Owners
by Edward L. Kottick
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Book Summary Information
Author: Edward L. KottickEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1992-10-26
ISBN: 0807843881
Number of pages: 180
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Book Reviews of The Harpsichord Owner's Guide: A Manual for Buyers and Owners
Book Review: Indispensible
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's assume you have just spent X dollars on a harpsichord. Make it X + 25 and get this book. It's as important as the stand (did you remember to get a stand or legs? Those are handy too). Now let's consider another situation. You are thinking of getting one. Same thing. This book will give you a very sound historical perspective, set you on your feet and help you make a wise purchase. How about the hard-core crowd? I'll bet even you will find countless invaluable data, ranging from the average key-dip (~0.3125" in the treble, your instrument is probably set up with too cavernous a key-dip, nothing a little felt won't fix), to tips like remembering to check that the cloth strips on the end of the key levers aren't rubbing against neighbors, to tuning by ear and the way to make many minor repairs. There are sketches, photos, diagrams, and this is exactly what the title says, a practical manual for owners and pre-owners. Kottick has a lot of experience, having built many instruments, and he doesn't waste time on idle speculation; everything is practical, and oriented to making the instrument work for you. His advice on cleaning up a coffee spill on the soundboard is typical: don't stop to think, rip out the strings over the area with your bare hands and start blotting up and down with a paper towel. This is at the same time a work of encyclopedic breadth, the summary of a lifetime of infectious fascination.
If you are the type who is looking for the one book to get, this is it, and there is even hope you will find this one so enjoyable that you will buy a few more. Nurmi's Plain And Easy Introduction to The Harpsichord is, by the way, likely (still) the ideal follow-up volume, with emphasis of how to make the best use of the instrument, including simple exercises and annotated classical pieces to play, unabridged, as well as a lady's approach to maintenance.
The harpsichord differs from the piano in that it is a simple mechanism, its wooden body and resonance suggests a guitar, it's "organic" in a nice way. Last week I spent several days away from my harpsichords, and I never expected to be so lonely and dissatisfied with even the finest pianos. The harpsichord owner is expected to perform day to day maintenance -- it's nothing complicated, and this is how you show your beloved instrument(s) you care. There is no more fundamental and more useful book on the market than Kottick's to make this intimate relationship all that it should be.
While pianos are very standardized, no two harpsichords are the same. It is worth mentioning that Kottick is biased towards fine thin-cased instruments built according to historical designs. This is the 5K and up market. But even the old Zuckermann kits vary enormously, from imploding plywood wrecks to vastly underrated instruments that can be purchased very inexpensively. This is the under 2K market. To navigate these waters requires some expertise. The initial appearance of the case is not the important factor, unless the objective is to quickly deposit a pretty piece of furniture in the living room. The buyer who thoroughly studies Kottick's book beforehand will know what matters, and can be rewarded with either a superb instrument that can later be traded up without loss, or a (very) decent harpsichord at a bargain price in exchange for a little elbow grease, some extra parts, and attention. Only a person with no interest in the harpsichord should pass this volume by.
Summary of The Harpsichord Owner's Guide: A Manual for Buyers and Owners
Kottick presents technical information in an accessible, but entertaining, way: the forms and styles of harpsichords, advice on purchasing decisions, maintenance techniques (such as voicing, regulating, and changing strings, tongues, plectra, springs, and dampers), aids in troubleshooting common problems, and detailed instructions on tuning and temperment. As builder of some thirty keyboard instruments, Kottick is well qualified to speak on the subject.Piano Books
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