There are many reasons why Bach's Concerto for Four Harpsichords in A Minor, BWV 1065 hasn't been performed at Yale in 35 years. Yet four School of Music students will take up the challenge at a concert being held at 8 p.m. on Monday, May 5, in Morse Recital Hall of Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St.
The piece is among six Bach concerti for two or more harpsichords that will be performed at the concert by Paul Cienniwa, Jessie Lee, Alexander Bauhart and Jessica Bruser, all students of Professor Richard Rephann, director of the Collection of Musical Instruments.
One of the reasons that the concerti are not often performed anywhere, says Professor Rephann, is the size and nature of harpsichords. "It is not a simple matter to assemble four harpsichords in one place," he says. "And, it is evident to anyone familiar with harpsichords that the frequent tuning required presents a unique problem as the first even may go out of tune while the fourth is being tuned."
Another reason lies in the nature and temperament of harpsichordists. "Plucked string instruments are either exactly together or not!" Professor Rephann notes. "Therefore, all matters of tempo, character, registration and ensemble must be settled before the rehearsal with the orchestra. ... Anyone acquainted with all these considerations will also be acutely aware of exactly how difficult it is to find four harpsichordists who will speak to each other, let alone willing or able to perform together." In fact, the last time that the Bach concerti were performed at Yale was in 1962, when Ralph Kirkpatrick had a class of four students, notes Professor Rephann.
In addition to the four-harpischord concerto, the May 5 concert will include the C Minor, BWV 1060, C Major, BWV 1601 and C Minor, BWV 1602 for two harpsichords; and the D Minor, BWV 1603 and C Major, BWV 1604 for three harpsichords.
"In this performance," notes Professor Rephann, "the musicians will follow the Baroque practice of not using a conductor. Although questions of style and tempo are decided beforehand, the performance is the result of good musicians performing together, listening to each other, and in the best tradition of ensemble playing, reacting spontaneously to the performance as it develops."
Admission to the concert is free. The public is invited. For information, call 432-4157.