All the music in this programme comes from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and most of it was collected by it's founder, Richard, Seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion (1745 - 1816). A polymath, lover of music, amateur composer and harpsichordist, musically active from about 1760 until his death, Fitzwilliam created a legacy of exceptional importance to English musical culture. The recording features the Boni harpsichord from the Fitzwilliam Collection, was originally made by Giovanni Battista Boni who worked in Cortona in Tuscany. In some ways it is conventional for it's time, having a slab sawn cypress soundboard and light cypress case, but it's original set-up was a highly unusual one, with three sets of strings at the same (8 foot) pitch. During a previous restoration, by Trevor Beckerleg in 1975, the third register, which had been out of use, was re-instated and this gives the player more resources than does the usual Italian harpsichord: both the front and back rows of jacks pluck the same set of strings but in different places, which gives them a distinctly different timbre, and the various combinations of the three registers provide the player with five distinct sounds to choose from.

Tracklist:

Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 99, Praeludium
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 70, Tirsi, Di Luca Marenzio
Tisdale’s Virginal Book: Passamezzo Pavana
Tisdale’s Virginal Book: Galliarda Passamezzo
18 Sonate Da Organo Di Varii Autori (Excerpts): No. 18, Aresti
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 71, Freno
18 Sonate Da Organo Di Varii Autori (Excerpts): No. 7, Colonna Di Bologna
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 82, Amarilli
Toccate E Partite D'intavolatura, Libro 2: No. 7, Toccata In D Minor, F 3.07
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 76, Passamezzo Pavana
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 77, Galliarda Passamezzo
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 78, Chi Farà Fede Al Cielo
18 Sonate Da Organo Di Varii Autori (Excerpts): No. 2, Pollaroli Di Venezia
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 72, Così Morirò
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1 (Excerpts): No. 95, Toccata
Sonate D'intavolatura Per Organo E Cimbalo, Op. 1, Pt. 1: No. 11, Canzona In G Minor
Violin Sonata In D Minor, Op. 5 No. 7 (Arr. For Harpsichord): I. Preludio. Vivace
Violin Sonata In D Minor, Op. 5 No. 7 (Arr. For Harpsichord): II. Corrente. Allegro
Violin Sonata In D Minor, Op. 5 No. 7 (Arr. For Harpsichord): III. Sarabanda. Largo
Violin Sonata In D Minor, Op. 5 No. 7 (Arr. For Harpsichord): IV. Giga. Allegro

UPC: 095115081921
Label: Chandos
Release Date: 5.3.19
Format: CD

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