One of the Real Gold treasures of Auckland Libraries is the only known copy of The Harpsichord Master, an early form of music tutor book for “learners on the Spinnet or Harpsichord” dating from 1697.
Music by Henry Purcell, Jeremiah Clark and various other composers of the period are included in this fascinating little book.
In this clip we hear Peter Watts playing three of the pieces composed by Henry Purcell as they were notated in The Harpsichord Master (1697).
To learn more you can follow our blog post Heritage et AL.
View a digital version here:
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/540/rec/1
You are welcome to view the original score in the Special Collections Reading Room on Level 2 of Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library or listen to the full concert of The Harpsichord Master here on our sound cloud playlist Heritage Concerts.
