Three Centuries of Harpsichord Music Hardcover - 1967

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1967. Original brown cloth with gilt lettering. Forward by Ralph Kirkpatrick. A definiteve study by one of the leading exponents in the contemptorary rediscovery of the harpsichord. Strategically illustrated. Exhaustive bibliography. The period covered ranges from approximately 1500, when concrete data became available, to 1800, after which the nature of the instrument is no longer of musicological significance. A chapter each is devoted to the five most important schools of harpsichord making. Over forty plates illustrate the most typical harpsichords of each country. Each set of drawings includes a plan drawn to scale, the interior of the instrument, and interesting details of action and construction. These are supplemented by reproductions of illustrations taken from early sources. The appendixes contain texts of relevant documents, including inventories of the shops of some prominent French makers and contemporary descriptions of instruments. Pages are clean (no writing, underlining, or highlighting) but yellowed with age. Front hinge is loose (and text block pulling away from binding) but pages are still secure. Outer page edges are slightly finger soiled. Lower pages are moderately warped from moisture (especially first portion of book). Covers are heavily scuffed with a large circular moisture stain to front panel. Rubbing to extremities and lower corners fraying. This is not a remainder or ex-library. No previous owner markings. . Second Printing. Hard Cover. Fair +/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.