klavikord

Klavikord, or clavichord in English, is a keyboard instrument that emerged in Europe in the late Middle Ages and remained common through the 18th century. When a key is pressed, a small metal tangent rises to strike the corresponding string and may stay in contact briefly. The sound is produced by the string being struck, and its volume and tone are controlled by touch. The instrument is valued for its expressive control and intimate, soft character, but its volume limits public performance.

Construction and mechanism: The clavichord is typically compact, with a wooden case and brass strings, usually spanning about four to five octaves. The keyboard operates by a tangent that rises to strike the string; the tangent then returns under spring or gravity. Dynamics arise from touch, and a subtle vibrato-like effect called bebung is produced by rapid finger motion on the string.

History and use: It originated in the German-speaking lands and the Low Countries and achieved prominence in the 17th and early 18th centuries as a domestic instrument for study, composition, and private performance. It offered a sensitive legato and phrasing that were difficult to obtain on other keyboard instruments, but its quietness and limited range contributed to its decline with the rise of the fortepiano and harpsichord.

Modern period: Today, clavichords are still built by specialty luthiers and used by early-music performers and scholars to study historical practice. Modern replicas seek to reproduce historical action and timbre, and the instrument remains important for examining keyboard technique, including bebung.