Dulcimer; harpsichord; any musical instrument with hammers to strike strings.
Short form of clavicembalo, an accompanying harpsichord. In classical orchestral music, such as by Handel or Haydn, the cembalo part is taken by the conductor, its music being improvised over a figured bass.

ETYM Old Fren. harpechorde, in which the harpe is of German origin. Related to Harp, and Chord.
Keyboard; strings are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots.
The largest and grandest of 18th-century keyboard string instruments, used in orchestras and as a solo instrument. The strings are plucked by “jacks” made of leather or quill, and multiple keyboards offering variation in tone are common. The revival of the harpsichord repertoire in the 20th century owes much to Wanda Landowska and Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911–1984).
Harpsichords have to be tuned regularly, and may therefore be adjusted in temperament according to repertoire. Famous makers of harpsichords include the English Kirckman and the Flemish Ruckers families. A modern repertoire has developed for the concert harpsichord, with concertos by Carter 1961, Frank Martin 1952, and Continuum for solo harpsichord by Ligeti 1968. + prikaži više