Italian Harpsichord

This was the most widely used instrument throughout much of Europe for the improvisation of basso continuo and for accompaniment in general - indeed, such operatic composers as Monteverdi, Vivaldi, and Alessandro Scarlatti prized the immediacy and 'speaking' qualities of these instruments, which were light in construction but big in sound. Equally significant, however, was the instrument's long and glorious pedigree as a vehicle for solo performance by some of the greatest virtuosi of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including Girolamo Frescobaldi, Bernardo Pasquini, and, of course, Domenico Scarlatti.

Through the generosity of Raymond and Nina Benders, San Giovanni d'Asso, the Piccola Accademia has just received the permanent loan of an original 1658 de Zentis harpsichord built in Rome most probably for Queen Christina of Sweden. It was formerly part of the collection of musical instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This instrument has recently been restored to playing condition and will be available for all students of the PAdM and for recordings.