German harpsichord

The original of this instrument belonged to Frederick the Great (and is still today located in the castle of Charlottenburg in Berlin), who employed C.P.E. Bach. Carl Philipp’s father, Johann Sebastian, used this instrument to perform his Musical Offering.

Johann Sebastian also contacted Mietke personally to commission several instruments, providing instructions for their construction.

This instrument, ideal for the Bach repertoire, has a warm and intimate timbre, well balanced between bass and treble (hence ideal for the delineation of voices in contrapuntal writing).

Upon request it can be built with a natural wood case (cherry or walnut).

* Dimensions: cm. 234 x 98 x 29
* Compass: FF-f3 (61 notes)
* Disposition: two keyboards, with shove coupler, 8′8′4′, lute
* Pitch: a = 415 Hz, transposable +/- one semitone (440/392 Hz)
* Materials: case in lime, bottom and soundboard in spruce (from Val di Fiemme), keyboards in spruce covered with ebony and bone, registers and bridges in beech, jacks in service.
* Decoration: one or two-coulors painted case, with gilded bands or decoration.
* Stand with four turned legs. Lid with lock.

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