Mischa Zupko: Harpsichord Concerto

This world-premiere recording of Chicago composer Mischa Zupko’s 2002 Harpsichord Concerto, scored for harpsichord and string quartet, spotlights two-time Grammy-nominated American harpsichordist Jory Vinikour, praised for his “sense of spontaneity and security” (San Francisco Chronicle). He is joined by a quartet of artists known for their longstanding collaboration, refined ensemble playing, and combination of technical command and bold interpretive choices: multi-Grammy-nominated violinist Desirée Ruhstrat, hailed for her “intensive fire, sleepwalking assuredness, and deeply grounded musical personality” (Berlin Tagesspiegel); violinist Charlene Kluegel, recognized for her “unsentimental verve, musical feeling, and great technical skill” (New York Classical Review); rising Chicago-based violist Margaret O’Malley, a multi-award-winning artist; and cellist David Cunliffe, “a cellist whose polish gives way to moments of artful recklessness” (WQXR).

The piece draws on influences from J.S. Bach’s motor-rhythmic Prelude in C Minor (Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I), François Couperin’s French-style ornamentation, and Domenico Scarlatti’s bright and percussive keyboard writing. Traveling through three movements, the concerto is naturally propelled by writing that fits the harpsichord’s traditional format, and is brought into contemporary tonality through the reshaping of older musical styles into a modern expression.

In the first movement, “Preamble,” the harpsichord deploys a continuous 16th-note pattern, reminiscent of Bach’s C-minor Prelude, while the strings enter with sustained notes that support the harmony. As the harpsichord shifts harmonically, the strings lag and fall out of alignment, gradually creating wildly different textures between the two parts. The second movement, “Whispers,” incorporates French techniques, with the harpsichord performing ornate trills characteristic of Couperin’s compositional style. Creating a colorful, impressionistic texture, the harpsichord is distanced from the string quartet, becoming a voice of longing, against the quartet as a voice from the beyond. The final movement, “The Dance,”  is inspired by the Baroque tradition of such endings and Scarlatti’s upbeat keyboard writing. Opening with a ritornello that recurs several times throughout the movement, the theme is developed through interventions by the string quartet, creating striking contrasts with the straightforward presentation of the dance theme, including breaking into a tango.

The Harpsichord Concerto marks Zupko’s third release on Cedille Records, Vinikour’s fourth, Ruhstrat and Cunliffe’s 14th, and Kluegel and O’Malley’s first. The work was made possible by a grant from the Fromm Music Foundation.