Sir András Schiff credits the clavichord for shaping his interpretations of Bach

After his landmark recordings of J.S. Bach’s most important keyboard music, Sir András Schiff has turned his attention to the composer’s preferred instrument.

Universally regarded as one of the great Bach interpreters of his time, Schiff believes that the clavichord is an invitation into “a new world, a quiet oasis in our noisy, troubled times,” he said in the liner notes of his latest disc, released in January on ECM. “Thanks to the clavichord, I now play and hear Bach differently.”

When he appears in an SCP Piano recital Nov. 12, Schiff will perform on a standard concert grand, most likely a Bösendorfer. As is his practice, he will announce his program from the stage. 

Invented in the 14th century, the clavichord uses small metal bars or wires called tangents to strike a suspended string and produces a much softer sound. Schiff calls the clavichord an intimate and personal instrument — “a most gentle creature, ideal for playing alone.” However, it can be, as Schiff concedes, a demanding and unforgiving teacher. “On the clavichord, we have only our fingers at our disposal,” he said. “They must create the music with the finest gradations of touch.”  

On this disc, early keyboard works are emphasized, bringing listeners closer to the sounds of Bach’s day, and the “cantabile art” of the clavichord. The album opens with the Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratro dilettissmo, journeys through Inventions and Sinfonias, and concludes with an extraordinary account of the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue. 

For this recording, Schiff’s first on the clavichord, he plays a replica of a 1743 Specken instrument, built by Belgian craftsman Joris Potvlieghe. The album was recorded in the Kammermusik Saal of Bonn’s Beethoven Haus and produced by legendary producer Manfred Eicher.