Lute harpsichord (alternative name for Lautenwerck) was brought to my attention via this recording by Gergely Sarkozy of Bach's BWV 997, the timbre of the instrument just goes so well with the music:
As a Bach fan, I struggle to listen to his keyboard works played on piano. The fact that piano is percussive whereas the harpsichord is plucked results in such a change in tone! Thanks for sharing!
If you haven't given Wendy Carlos' Bach a try, you may be enjoyable - in my opinion the historic tuning takes the jankyness out and exposes the melody. You do have to suspend the gut reaction to synthesized music.
To add a concrete example of my comment above, I am listening to the NPR video right now and wow at 11:54 in the video the instrument really brings such a beautiful sound to that section change.
It was really interesting that you could hear small pieces in there from other songs.. or so it seemed - but wow that insturment is SO beautiful! Unbelievably built.
As a German, the naming of this instrument is also interesting:
- I guess Bach would have called it Lautenwerck, but in modern German spelling the "ck" has been dropped, so it should be spelled Lautenwerk (even the author used it three times in the article).
- I initially thought this was about a part of an organ, because that's the only "werk" I was aware of in connection with a musical instrument...
I question the assertion that the Lautenwerck was common — let alone as common as harpsichords and organs — even in Bach's time. It's not broadly mentioned in written sources of the time, and so many practical points are not in its favor. Knowing that Bach had two is some evidence, but I see it as analogous to knowing that a particular musician owned two 8-string guitars: it tells us nothing but that they exist, and that one person really likes them. I know this is a reporter talking, but still.
Also, as a violist, I have to point out that one of Bach's sons said the viola was his favorite instrument.
Wow. What a beautiful sounding instrument, and a great performance, too. Now I want to hear all of Bach’s harpsichord works on this thing. Also, I encourage the construction of the katzenwerk, but with less cruelty—perhaps using graduate students instead of cats.
https://youtu.be/V4ZRn6Hk8N0