--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The harpsichord was actually…" description: "\"The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered a very questionable instrument in that period, much like I think it's ideologically considered su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg" --- # The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered a… ![“The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered a very questionable instrument in that period, much like I think it's ideologically considered suspect today in some circles.” quote by Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg) > “The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered a very questionable instrument in that period, much like I think it's ideologically considered suspect today in some circles.” [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical biases affect how instruments are judged, mirroring modern cultural debates. **In simple terms:** Instrument reputations change over time. Key Takeaway Recognize and question hidden biases. Themes music history culture ideology Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - concert programming - music education - instrument selection Key Concepts sociology instrumentation Questions to Reflect On - Why are certain sounds labeled “questionable”? - How does ideology shape musical taste? A Different Perspective Biases may limit artistic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [Sepp Blatter's image is considered questionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-heinz-rummenigge/sepp-blatter-s-image-is-considered-questionable/) [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-heinz-rummenigge/) > [I mean, already in the French Revolution, the harpsichord becomes identified with the aristocracy, with the ancien regime. Plus, hey, you know, I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-mean-already-in-the-french-revolution-the-harpsichord-becomes/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [I mean to me, the harpsichord has a huge dynamic range. And I always say to people, come and listen to it. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-mean-to-me-the-harpsichord-has-a-huge-dynamic-range-and-i-always/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [As long as there's a place for sundials and gardening and beautiful things, there's a place for the harpsichord. I completely reject the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/as-long-as-there-s-a-place-for-sundials-and-gardening-and-beautiful/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [Well, harpsichord is kind of a big guitar, isn't it? I mean, it is plucked, after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/well-harpsichord-is-kind-of-a-big-guitar-isn-t-it-i-mean-it-is/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [One of the tracks that I have is Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - by the way, that's Bach's second son - Emanuel Bach's variations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/one-of-the-tracks-that-i-have-is-carl-philipp-emanuel-bach-by-the-way/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [The sound of the harpsichord resembles that of a bird-cage played with toasting-forks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-sound-of-the-harpsichord-resembles-that-of-a-bird-cage-played/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I do have to admit that teaching, composing, and editing is a bit easier than sitting at the organ or harpsichord for seven straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-harbach/i-do-have-to-admit-that-teaching-composing-and-editing-is-a-bit/) [Barbara Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-harbach/) > [“He looked up and saw her and his breath stopped in his throat. His hands stopped too, still spread above the keyboard. Harpsichord notes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/he-looked-up-and-saw-her-and-his-breath-stopped-in-his-throat-his/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“Arnie Kott owned the only harpsichord on Mars. However, it was out of tune, and he could find no one to service it. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick-2/arnie-kott-owned-the-only-harpsichord-on-mars-however-it-was-out-of/) [Philip K Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick-2/) > [“Your friend Mr. Tulip would perhaps like part of your payment to be the harpsichord?" said the chair. "It's not a --ing harpsichord, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/your-friend-mr-tulip-would-perhaps-like-part-of-your-payment-to-be/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Oh, well,' Mrs. Zender continued, 'Mother always said that Mr. Zender had other talents. He was good looking, and I think Mother put looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-konigsburg-2/oh-well-mrs-zender-continued-mother-always-said-that-mr-zender-had/) [E.L. Konigsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-konigsburg-2/) > [I don't use the harpsichord because it evokes a past time period: I use it because I like the sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-holter/i-don-t-use-the-harpsichord-because-it-evokes-a-past-time-period-i/) [Julia Holter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-holter/) > [Someday we may have as many followers as the harpsichord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-condon/someday-we-may-have-as-many-followers-as-the-harpsichord/) [Eddie Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-condon/) > [I think I was drawn to the harpsichord because of the similarity of touch between the harpsichord and the tracker organ. When you press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-harbach/i-think-i-was-drawn-to-the-harpsichord-because-of-the-similarity-of/) [Barbara Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-harbach/) ## More by Mahan Esfahani > [Well, within a phrase. And with a series of phrases, you can certainly create the effect of diminuendo and crescendo, no question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/well-within-a-phrase-and-with-a-series-of-phrases-you-can-certainly/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [I mean to me, the harpsichord has a huge dynamic range. And I always say to people, come and listen to it. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-mean-to-me-the-harpsichord-has-a-huge-dynamic-range-and-i-always/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [And it totally has transformed my relationship with someone like, say, Bach. You know, Bach is born 330 years ago but, you know, gosh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/and-it-totally-has-transformed-my-relationship-with-someone-like-say/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [Gorecki, you know, there's a kind of personal thing there for me. I had, you know, kind of become obsessed with that sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/gorecki-you-know-there-s-a-kind-of-personal-thing-there-for-me-i-had/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [When I say that there's commonality, I mean more in terms of the sort of techniques by which we perceive Baroque and minimalist music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/when-i-say-that-there-s-commonality-i-mean-more-in-terms-of-the-sort/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [I think, you know, for someone who does play, let's say, old music or, you know, Baroque music or Renaissance music - and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-think-you-know-for-someone-who-does-play-let-s-say-old-music-or-you/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [I think in Baroque music, especially in the case of Bach, what really transformed Bach's musical language, what changed it for him was hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-think-in-baroque-music-especially-in-the-case-of-bach-what-really/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [One of the tracks that I have is Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - by the way, that's Bach's second son - Emanuel Bach's variations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/one-of-the-tracks-that-i-have-is-carl-philipp-emanuel-bach-by-the-way/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [Well, harpsichord is kind of a big guitar, isn't it? I mean, it is plucked, after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/well-harpsichord-is-kind-of-a-big-guitar-isn-t-it-i-mean-it-is/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [As long as there's a place for sundials and gardening and beautiful things, there's a place for the harpsichord. I completely reject the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/as-long-as-there-s-a-place-for-sundials-and-gardening-and-beautiful/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [Bach, of course, was my first love. He still is. I mean, he's the man of my life, that's for sure. And when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/bach-of-course-was-my-first-love-he-still-is-i-mean-he-s-the-man-of/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [I played piano. I've always liked piano. My father played piano. Actually, to be fair, the sound of the harpsichord did annoy him a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-played-piano-i-ve-always-liked-piano-my-father-played-piano/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) > [I mean, already in the French Revolution, the harpsichord becomes identified with the aristocracy, with the ancien regime. Plus, hey, you know, I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/i-mean-already-in-the-french-revolution-the-harpsichord-becomes/) [Mahan Esfahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) [Explore all 14 Mahan Esfahani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/) ## More Circles quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [Maybe this is a way of gaslighting myself, but I think of it this way: In certain circles, my grandpa was considered to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/maybe-this-is-a-way-of-gaslighting-myself-but-i-think-of-it-this-way/) [Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/) > [All my life's a circle; But I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/all-my-life-s-a-circle-but-i-can-t-tell-you-why-season-s-spinning/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [There's when a phrase circles in my head in a number of ways for any number of days, weeks, or months, and then that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mangan/there-s-when-a-phrase-circles-in-my-head-in-a-number-of-ways-for-any/) [Dan Mangan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mangan/) > [I have no name for what circles so perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-have-no-name-for-what-circles-so-perfectly/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The fight against syphilis demands a fight against prostitution, against prejudices, old habits, against previous conceptions, general views among them not least the false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-fight-against-syphilis-demands-a-fight-against-prostitution/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-into-my-eyes-and-saw-the-shadow/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [ \[Wise men\] have tried to understand our state of being, by grasping at its stars, or its arts, or its economics. But, if there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/wise-men-have-tried-to-understand-our-state-of-being-by-grasping-at/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [The Brick House was one of the toughest joints I ever played in ... Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-brick-house-was-one-of-the-toughest-joints-i-ever-played-in-guys/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) [Browse all 1,860 Circles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered a very questionable instrument in that period, much like I think it's ideologically considered suspect today in some circles.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mahan Esfahani" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideologically-considered-a-very/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Circles" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideologically-considered-a-very/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/mahan-esfahani-33659_circles_the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideological_1165936.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered a very questionable instrument in that period, much…” — Mahan Esfahani", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mahan Esfahani", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahan-esfahani/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The harpsichord was actually ideologically considered...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideologically-considered-a-very/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahan-esfahani/the-harpsichord-was-actually-ideologically-considered-a-very/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```