a dialogue with history
Early Keyboard instruments
ITALIAN HARPSICHORD
Based on the 1610 Pratensis harpsichord at Vassar College, 1x8 with two rows of jacks, a "principale" and a "nazard" register, this short octave, false inner/outer instrument has an extended range to f''' with divided sharps throughout, pitched at A=465 strung in iron with mildly contemporary appointments and an original lid painting. Rosette is a copy of the Pratensis by Mateo Cremades.
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Making the 1610 Pratensis harpsichord with split charps and extended range - HD 720p
pedal clavichord
2023
Two-manual pedal clavichord after J.D. Gerstenberg, 1760. The lower manual sounds much like an organ flute stop, and the upper rather like a nazard. Two 8' choirs in the manual instruments; 2x8' and 2x16' in the bass instrument. White oak with traditional barley-twist legs, and trackers instead of pull-downs.
Making the 2023 pedal clavichord
demo
1990
Pedal Clavichord
An earlier Pedal Clavichord from 1990 in Cherry with turned legs and pull-downs similar to the original Gerstenberg instrument from 1760. (The gallery includes a photo of it from the Leipzig catalog, by Hubert Henkel.)
Harpsichords Gallery
A few of my harpsichords including opus 1, 1983, and a 1988 photo of four of my harpsichords for a performance of the Bach concerto for four harpsichords, one of which I played in the concert.
fretted clavichord
After an anonymous, 17th-century German clavichord. It is fretted in pairs, meaning that certain non-diatonic half-steps such as d#-e, f-f# strike the same pairs of strings. It also has divided sharps in the short octave, D/F# and E/G#. Carved "Druckleiste" and tool box cover.
