Various Composers - The Austrian Clavichord (Anthony Abouhamad)

Information

• Gottlieb Muffat - Componimenti Musicali, Suite No. 1
• Johann Jakob Froberger - Tombeau fait à Paris sur la mort de Monsieur Blancrocher
• Johann Joseph Fux - Sonata in G Minor (Sonata Sexta)
• Joseph Haydn - Keyboard Sonata in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:49

Anthony Abouhamad, clavichord

Date: 2026

Label: ABC Classic

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Anthony Abouhamad showcases the clavichord as an exceptionally intimate keyboard instrument, highlighting its expressive capabilities in music from the late Baroque and Classical periods. Unlike the harpsichord, which plucks strings, the clavichord produces sound through delicate contact with brass blades, allowing performers to shape tone, dynamics, and even subtle vibrato. Once valued for its clarity and expressive nuance in domestic settings, the instrument enables a wide emotional range, from tenderness to mournful reflection. The repertoire explored includes works such as Johann Jakob Froberger’s tombeau and Joseph Haydn’s sonatas, illustrating contrasting expressive worlds of Baroque lament and Classical elegance. Through this approach, Abouhamad reveals the clavichord’s distinctive voice and its historical significance in expressive keyboard performance practice.

Anthony Abouhamad is an Australian keyboardist and academic specializing in historical performance practice on eighteenth-century instruments, including harpsichord, fortepiano, organ, and clavichord. He earned a PhD from the University of Sydney focused on historical performance traditions, and his artistic approach emphasizes understanding music within its broader cultural and historical context. Abouhamad studied harpsichord and fortepiano at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and has performed internationally with ensembles and orchestras across Europe and the United States. In Australia, he appears regularly with major symphony orchestras and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. He currently teaches at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he combines musicology and performance training to bridge theoretical understanding with practical musicianship.

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