Viking_Yearbook_64

94 ralph kirkpatrick Portland State was exposed to an eve– ning of accurate, intimate interpreta– tions of Bach , Couperin , Rameau , and Scarlatti when Ralph Kirkpatrick, world famous harpsicordist, was recitalist on the Little Concert Series . Though the harpsicord has little identi– fication with current popular tastes in music, the concert attracted-and pleased-over 500 persons. Two of the three music critics with local news media rated the concert an out– standing artistic success . The third critic, while recognizing Kirkpatrick as one of the world's finest harpsicordists, was less than enthusiastic about the instrument itself. In his opinion, the harpsicord is capable of " pitifully little dynamic contrast and practically no light and shade ."