Cembalist

Ensemble performances were led by the organist or cembalist ; he sat at his instrument, played the “accompaniment,” and directed the performance—now by movements of his head, now perhaps by beating time with one hand.

While the symphonies of Haydn and Mozart could conceivably be played fairly acceptably under the dual leadership of concertmaster and cembalist, the symphonies of Beethoven could not.

The position of cembalist was one of equal honor and responsibility.

For instance, we read that Emanuel was “hired as first cembalist at a salary of three hundred thalers” and that he was: somewhat relieved when Christoph Nichelmann ... was appointed second cembalist in 1744, although this appointment was an occasion for Emanuel's embarrassment: Nichelmann was given a salary twice the size of his.