The Haas (Haarlem, 1984)

Model: Dulcken with one manual

Registers: 2×8′

Keyboard extension: FF-f”’ (five octaves)

Transpositor: 415 / 440

Mecanism: keyboard in bone (accidentals in ebony); wooden jacks, fitted with a screw at the base to facilitate regulation; square-head pegs; bronze and steel strings

Decoration: “flemish” decoration of the body with two tones of blue (and golden edges); rosette in metal

Size: 250×100

As usually happens: you throw the question into the air and there is always someone who listens…

In this case, Siebe knew about a harpsichord for rent, which had belonged to the father of Daniel Brüggen, who currently does not intend to sell this heritage but was looking for someone to take care of it.

I went to see it and it convinced me quickly to be taken: it was in fairly good condition, and had a potent sound (really incredible base) and a pleasant and safe keyboard, just in need of a voicing sesion…

I must admit that the cleaning work once at home was longer and more tedious than expected but I cannot imagine how would I have done to discover the stringing list (placed after the name board) if I do not dissect it. Still there is some felt to be restored, but I am quite happy with it. Practice is again a pleasure.

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who said...

"[Beethoven] went in his usual (I might say, ill-bred) manner to the instrument as if half-pushed, picket up the violoncello part of Steibelt's quintet in passing, placed it (intentionally?) upon the stand upside down and with one finger drummed out a theme of the first few measures. Insulted and angered, he improvised in such a manner that Steibelt left the room before he finished, would never again meet him and, indeed, made it a condition that Beethoven should not be invited before accepting an offer."

F.W. Wegeler & F. Ries, Biographische Notizen über Ludwig van Beethoven (Koblenz, 1838)

"[...] the king [Charles II of Spain] eagerly asked me if I had heard Matheuchi sing, when he would come, and if he was impertinent or not, and as if there were no army in the world, nor Milanese state, completely forgot such matters, but this is not surprising given that all his ministers, or most of them, have had the same experience [...]"

Letter of Carlos Felipe Spinola y Colonna to the duke of Medinaceli (1698)

"I was in St Alban's Abbey and I was intrigued: they were building a new organ and I went up to - I suppose it must have been - the verger and I said, 'Is the organ baroque?' And he said, 'No, it's in perfectly good order.'"

John Tavener, The Music of Silence, A Composer's Testament (Faber ISBN 0571200885)

"The Second Harpsichordist will go only to the last rehearsal, sending the Third One to the previous, who won't read more high Clef than Soprano, trying to play without using the Thumbs, don't follow the Numbers, play always the Sixth, don't meet up with the Master, and close all the second Parts of Arias with major thirds, etc. etc. etc."

Benedetto Marcello, Il teatro alla moda (1720)