It is no coincidence that our
instruments are known throughout the world. Anyone, of
course, can buy a drawing of an antique harpsichord, make a
set of parts for it, glue them together, add a keyboard,
strings and jacks and ultimately produce the sound of a
plucked string. This in itself is perhaps a miracle: The
instrument speaks. But there is more than that to being a
builder&emdash;one must be familiar with the different
materials used and their various properties, have an
intimate knowledge of the different sounds and
characteristics of the instruments of bygone eras, and know
when to depart slightly from drawings in order to get
desired results. The builder therefore has to be able to
create the most perfect instruments&emdash;ones that
sing&emdash;for the music that impassions us, and which
varies so much by period and nation. In this catalog you will find
instruments with the designations 'after', meaning that they
are based as closely as possible on the originals, or
'School', meaning that they are designed by us but fall
within an aesthetic and stylistic framework defined by a
master of the period. Our desire to base our instruments on
antiques indicates not passive dependence but rather a
commitment to the continuation of a great tradition. At the
same time, we create protoptypes of harpsichords with
composite materials for the Centre National de Recherche
Scientifique. Our instruments have been around for
many years. As a way of reducing delivery time the wood,
which is dried for a long period, is cut in advance, and the
soundboards and case parts lay in waiting. When you order a
harpsichord, therefore, its parts have already been in
preparation for a long time. But your instrument is really
not conceived until the day that you order it; then it will
be carefully tailored into a specific model and bear one
name&emdash;yours. Once your instrument's principal
characteristics have been determined you will have time to
ponder details, and discuss the type of ornamentation you
would like with our painter. In its last stage of production every
instrument passes through my hands for final regulation and
thorough inspection, so that I can be assured that it is
truly finished in every detail. Of course the instrument that we
deliver to you will continue to mature under your fingers.
But together we will follow its development from its first
to last notes until it reaches the full maturity of its
predecessors, all the while enriching your life
immeasurably. Marc
Ducornet, septembre 1994
The following instruments are only produced upon request.French School:
1 French Double-Manual Harpsichord, Hemsch School, 61 notes.
Hemsch school harpsichord, with various options (Paris - 2000)
Hemsch school: harpsichord soundboard decoration
2 French Double-Manual Harpsichord after N. Blanchet, Paris 1765 (Hamamatsu, Japan &endash; ex Rosenbaum Collection, USA).
3 a/b 17th-Century French Single- or Double-Manual Harpsichords, School of Vaudry, Denis et al.
German School:
4 German Double-Manual Harpsichord, North German School, 61 notes
5 German Single-Manual Harpsichord after C. Vater, Hanover 1738 (Nuremberg Collection, Germany).
Flemish School:
6 a/b Flemish Single- or Double-Manual Harpsichord,
Ruckers School, 56 + 1 notes.
7 Flemish Double-Manual Harpsichord after J. Ruckers, Antwerp 1624 (Musée Unterlinden, Colmar, France).
8 Flemish Single-Manual Harpsichord after A. Ruckers, Antwerp 1640 (Yale Collection, New Haven, USA).
Franco-Flemish School:
9. Double-Manual Harpsichord after A. Ruckers, Antwerp 1646, rebuilt by Pascal Taskin
(Musée de la Cité de la Musique, Paris, France).
(décor original by Pierre Sibieude)
Italian School:
10 Italian Harpsichord after C. Grimaldi, Messina 1697 (Nuremberg, Germany).
11 Italian Harpsichord, Grimaldi School, 56 + 1 notes, several versions.
12 17th-century Italian Harpsichord, various models and ranges.
Spinets, Virginals, Muselars:
13 Spinet after J.H. Silbermann, Strasbourg 1767 (Nuremberg, Germany).
14 Flemish Virginal or Muselar, Ruckers School.
15 a/b Bentside Spinets and Italian Virginals.
Clavichords:
16 Unfretted Clavichord, North German School, 5 octaves.
17 Fretted Clavichord after C. G. Hubert, Ansbach 1784 (private collection).
Fortepianos:
18 Fortepiano, Stein School, 61 notes, FF•f'''.
19 Fortepiano, Walter School, 63 notes, FF•g'''.
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