Luogo e data di registrazione		Prinsenhof, Delft (Olanda) - 1976
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		Adriaan Verstijnen
	Recording Supervision		Wim Verschoor
	Edizione LP		TELEFUNKEN - 6.42212 AP - (1 LP - durata 26' 47") - (p) 1976 - Analogico
	Originale LP		HARLEKIJN - 2925 522 - (1 LP - durata 26' 47") - (p) 1976 - Analogico
	Prima Edizione CD		-
	Note		Produced by Harlekijn, Holland

The harpsichord is probably of Italian origin and there is documentary evidence of it going back to the 14th century; the oldest instrument that has been preserved was built in 1521 in Rome. Up to the middle of the 17th century Italy held a leading place in harpsichord construction, and it was not until the activities of the Ruckers family in Antwerp that the point of emphasis shifted to the north. The instrument played in this recording is a copy of the harpsichord in the Frankfurt Museum constructed by Stephanini, the details of whose life and circumstances are obscure; the copy itself is located in the Prinsenhof at Delft. The instrument features all the characteristics of Italian harpsichord construction in its 17th century heyday. It has two manuals and two choirs, as well as two 8’ and one 4’ stops, indicating a clear preference for the upper voices. From the literature point  of view interpretation is restricted on such instruments, but graduated expression can be achieved by way of the stops. The instrument played here provides within a restricted framework the possibility of influencing tonal quality by touch. The classical Italian disposition of that time, as provided with the instrument played here, despite the clarity in all tonal ranges of the pieces recorded here, is unable to emphasise individual voices in polyphonic music with simultaneous clear tracing of the others. (A two-manual harpsichord in Bach’s day contained as a rule one 4’, two 8’ and one 16’ registers, as well as a lute stop). In the 17th century, however, there was a particularly intensive alternating relationship between instrument building, composition and performance techniques. It was also part of the mentality of Italian music of that time that it preferred melodic styles of composition.The organ music of Frescobaldi for instance, the famous contemporary of Picchi, as opposed to German organ music of the 17th century, placed little importance upon development of the pedal, but was virtuoso in the treatment of the upper voices (the Italian organs in their disposition were more oriented towards development of the upper voices than towards the pedal). In these recorded compositions of Giovanni Picchi (born 1575, died probably soon after 1630) the attitude towards the instrument at the height of contemporary development is clearly expressed. From the point of view of development history, his balli are among the most important collections of Italian dances for keyboard instruments. They are, with one exception, in two parts; the ballo in even time is followed by a second part in uneven time. The virtuoso developed performance technique incorporates ornamentation which is more than mere embellishment; it is an essential, integral part of the composition. Another noteworthy point is the differentiation of national dance characters. How important Picchi must have been in his day is evident from the fact that one of his toccatas was included in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, the most significant collection of English virginal music. Ton Koopman has examined in detail the various styles of harpsichord playing and construction; prizes and awards in competitions founded and furthered his international reputation as a harpsichord player and expert on early music. Ton Koopman (English translation by Frederick A. Bishop)