Igor Kipnis, English Harpsichord Music
Released 1965 by Columbia, Epic scx 6159
Mr. Kipnis’ harpsichord was built for him in New York in 1961 by Rutkowski and Robinette. It has the following specification:
Lower Manual-8 leather (Peau de buffle) .
8 quills. 4 quills. harp (buff stop) on both 8s :
Upper Manual-8 quills ; Manual coupler.
Thanks to Daniël, who let me browse the famous Daniël Beuman harpsichord collection

SIDE 1
00:00 1. Clarke: The Prince of Denmark’s March Z.S125 (Ed.lgor Kipnis)
01:23 2. Clarke: Trumpet Tune, Z.S124
02:35 3. Farnaby: Loath to Depart (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book No. 230)
06:32 4. Farnaby: Tower Hill (F. V.B. No. 245)
07:14 5. Farnaby: Fantasia No.10 (F.V.B. No. 129)
6. Handel: Suite in B flat major (Book /I, No. 1)
12:07 1. Prelude.
13:54 2. Minuet.
17:49 3. Aria con Variato

SIDE 2
22:22 1. (a) Byrd: Pavana, The Earl of Salisbury (Parthenia No. 6)
24:08 1. (b) Byrd: Galiardo (Parthenia No. 7)
25:58 2. Byrd: Wolsey’s Wilde (F.V.B. No. 157)
27:39 3. Byrd: The Queenes Alman (F.V.B. No. 172)
31:32 4. Byrd: A Gigg: F. Tregian (F.V.B. No. 181)
32:24 5. Purcell: Aire in D minor, Z.T675
33:54 6. Purcell: Round 0 (Rondo), Z.T684 .
7. Purcell: Suite in C major, (from Musick’s Hand Maid, Part II, Z.665)
35:33 1. Prelude.
36:34 2. Almond.
37:49 3. Corant.
38:46 4. Saraband.
39:46 5. Jigg.
40:47 8. Bull: Queen Elizabeth’s Pavin (trans. & ed. Dart)
46:42 9. Bull: The Prince’s Galliard (trans. & ed. Dart)

King Henry VIII was an extravagant monarch
who insisted on owning a profusion of whatever
was the latest thing in European gadgetry. When
he died he bequeathed to his successors thirty
virginals, double and single, and three “longe
virginales made harpe fasshion”, a lavish number
of instruments for the period and indicative
of the English court’s strong interest in patronizing
solo keyboard music and virtuoso performers.
It was on these instruments-together
with later royal acquisitions-that Byrd and
Bull, Tallis and Gibbons performed all the newest
things in Elizabethan and Jacobean harpsichord
music.
In England, before the eighteenth century,
the full-sized harpsichord was primarily an
instrument of the court. It was imported from
Flanders or Italy and was both expensive to buy
and expensive to keep. The humbler folk, as well
as many members of the nobility, contented
themselves with the small, square harpsichord
called the virginals. Music for this instrument
was widely circulated in manuscript, and ‘improvisations
on popular airs and dance tunes
made up a large part of its repertoire. The first
collection of virginal music published in England,
titled Parthenia, or The Maydenhead, came
out in 1612 or 1613 and contained music by Byrd,
Bull and Gibbons. Another important collection
of the time was one now known classically as
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book; it was assembled
in manuscript by the Catholic Francis Tregian
during his imprisonment for religious nonconformity,
from 1609 to 1619.

#RutkowskiAndRobinette #IgorKipnis