The electroacoustic harpsichord

This article examines six works from the repertory for harpsichord and electronics by François-Bernard Mâche, Kaija Saariaho, Roderick de Man, Mike Vaughan, Elsa Justel and Simon Emmerson. The author defines ‘local' considerations which seek to extend but not to break the live instrumental presence, while ‘field' transformations place these in a landscape or environment. The various possibilities of local and field combinations between the two poles of live harpsichord and electronics are examined and contrasted between the works. A wide variety of possibilities is illustrated to suggest ways of composing for such mixed resources. The response of composers to the sound morphology of the harpsichord is also thereby contrasted.