We’re proud to introduce you to our new “baby,” Roland the Harpsichord!

Our Chorus Master, Scott Stewart, offers these additional thoughts:

During the resplendent days of the Baroque Period, the harpsichord was the keyboard instrument that colored music with its rich, distinctive tone.  The Florentine Opera can easily enjoy its sophisticated sound and elegant form with our purchase of the Roland Classic Series C-30 Digital Harpsichord. This instrument produces authentically exquisite centuries-old harpsichord sounds, draws inspiration from 21st century ingenuity, and uses digital technology to enhance playability and expressiveness. It is modeled on the virginal, an ancient rectangular type of harpsichord; and is encased in an authentic wooden cabinet with a high quality mahogany finish.

When played, it actually feels as if plectrums connected to the keys are plucking strings. As with an acoustic harpsichord, if you press with a delicately light touch, you get the same key movement that occurs before the plectrum plucks the string.

Just as on traditional harpsichords, the black keys have a distinctive tip shape with flat tops, and a matte finish to provide a comfortable feel, enabling the player to enjoy and experience harpsichord playing as it was centuries ago.  You can easily switch between the built-in French and Flemish types of harpsichord. Both of these have four dispositions — 8’ I (back eight), 8’ II (front eight), 4’ (upper octave), and lute (buff mute) — and each disposition has its own dedicated selection button. You can play with a single disposition or layer more than one. Also, as well as sound sets for two types of small positive organs, a fortepiano is also built in. You can play the Baroque music of Handel and Bach on harpsichord and organ, and then change to fortepiano for the early Romantic music of Mozart and Beethoven.  We can experience playing this historic music with the authentic sound of different period instruments.  “Roland” is a welcome addition to the growing Florentine inventory of keyboards – and a perfect match to the Lueders Opera Center’s grand Steinway.