Isolde Ahlgrimm and Vienna's historic keyboard revival

Abstract

The eightieth birthday of one of the most important pioneers in the field of early keyboard performance, the Viennese harpsichordist and fortepianist Isolde Ahlgrimm, fell in July 1994. In this article, written to coincide with publication in Vienna of his complete biography of her, the author argues the importance of Ahlgrimm's contribution to the re-introduction of a style of harpsichord performance based far more on historical traditions than hitherto had been the case. In addition, the author credits Ahlgrimm with the first systematic use in Europe of original Viennese fortepianos in the performance of the music of Mozart and Haydn (dating from her first historical concert in 1937) as well as with the production of an important series of recordings of almost all of the harpsichord output of J.S. Bach. The author also believes that many of the current big names in early instrument performance owe a great deal to Ahlgrimm's pioneering work in the use of period instruments: keyboard, strings and winds. This article was written with the approval and cooperation of Isolde Ahlgrimm, and is offered as a birthday tribute to a remarkable musician.