By Lily Gannon, Contributing Writer
Harpsichords and classical music were the center of Associate Professor of Music Marcos Krieger’s faculty recital on Jan. 30 in Stretansky Concert Hall.
Krieger, who has been playing harpsichord for 30 years, performed on three different harpsichords: two of which were recently donated to Susquehanna University.
“It is a rare chance to compare and hear these instruments,” Krieger said.
The repertoire performed at the recital included “Toccata IX” by Alessandro Scarlatti, “Suite II, BWV 813” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Idee troppo funeste” by Carlo Foschi, “Two Intabulations” by Marco Antonio Cavazzoni, “Ciaccono” and “Capriccio sopra’il Cucu” by Johann Caspar Kerll and “Biblical Sonata Nr. 2” and “Saul Who is Cured by David through Means of Music” by Johann Kuhnau.
Adjunct Faculty in Music Nina Tober sang soprano for Foschi’s “Cantata da camera” from “Idee troppo funeste” while Kreiger played the harpsichord.
“I’ve never seen a harpsichord in person before, so it was interesting to hear one being actually played along with someone singing,” said senior Sally Schisler.
Krieger also tuned harpsichords differently depending on the piece, giving each song its own unique feel.
“I didn’t know what was happening at first,” said senior Rachel Heide. “He asked us to be quiet for a second and then started tuning the harpsichord.”
“It was interesting to watch,” Heide added.
According to the program, the first donation, a C.M. Crofton single manual harpsichord, was developed in 1974 and is a Zuckerman Concert II model.
The other donation, a Hubbard bentside spinet, was developed by Italian harpsichord maker Girolamo Zenti in 1630. Today it is more commonly known as the English bentside spinet.
Unlike the harpsichord, the string in a bentside spinet runs transversely instead of parallel to the key levers.
Regarding the choice of harpsichord, Krieger said he had already been learning baroque music and had played the clavichord, a cousin of the harpsichord.
Senior Michaela Wagner praised the opportunity to see a concert feature the two unique instruments.
“It was really awesome getting to hear a whole concert of harpsichord and spinet music,” Wagner said.
“I’ve never heard a spinet before but it had an interestingly sweet sort of sound,” Wagner continued. “Krieger did a fantastic job and… Tober also did a great job.”
Krieger emphasized that he wanted attendees to walk away from the recital with more knowledge than they came in with.
“[I hope they gained] a little more understanding about the difference between the three kinds of harpsichords that I used and also an appreciation for [different types of music],” Krieger said. “I played Renaissance music, early Baroque and late Baroque.”
“[That leads to] a better understanding of those stylistic differences and how… in those different eras composers were trying to do different things.”
