_The making of harpsichords flourished in Italy throughout the 16th and
17th centuries. The Italian instruments were of simpler construction
than those built by the North Europeans, and they lacked the familiar
second manual and array of stops._
_In this paper, typical examples of Italian harpsichords from the Hugo
Worch Collection in the United States National Museum are described in
detail and illustrated. Also, the author offers an explanation for
certain puzzling variations in keyboard ranges and vibrating lengths of
strings of the Italian harpsichords._
THE AUTHOR: _John D. Shortridge is associate curator of cultural history
in the United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution._
Perhaps the modern tendency to idealize progress has been responsible
for the neglect of Italian harpsichords and virginals during the present
day revival of interest in old musical instruments. Whatever laudable
traits the Italian builders may have had, they cannot be considered to
have been progressive. Their instruments of the mid-16th century hardly
can be distinguished from those made around 1700. During this 150 years
the pioneering Flemish makers added the four-foot register, a second
keyboard, and lute and buff stops to their instruments. However, the
very fact that the Italian builders were unwilling to change their
models suggests that their instruments were good enough to demand no
further improvements. Anyone who has heard a properly restored Italian
harpsichord or an accurately made reproduction will agree that the tone
of such instruments is of exceptional beauty.
This paper consists of a description of the structural features of two
typical Italian instruments and a general discussion of the stringing
and tuning of Italian harpsichords and virginals that is based on
certain measurements of 33 instruments housed in various museums in the
United States. To the curators and other staff members of these
institutions I express my sincere gratitude for making it possible for
me to measure valuable instruments entrusted to their care or for
supplying similar information by mail.
The first type of instrument described below usually has been designated
in modern books about musical instruments and in catalogs of instrument
collections as a spinet, the term virginal being applied to the
rectangular instruments having the keyboard along the long side. Since
both of these types have basically the same arrangement of keyboard,
wrest plank, hitch pins, strings and jacks, and since both types were
known as virginals in 17th-century England, it is logical to reserve the
term spinet for another kind of instrument, namely the one with the
wrest plank and tuning pins in front over the keyboard, and with the
strings stretched diagonally. Such instruments were popular in England
in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and were known in English as
spinets during the period of their popularity. By using the term
polygonal virginal we can distinguish, when necessary, the five-sided
Italian model from the rectangular instruments usually produced in
northern Europe. Some rectangular virginals were made in Italy; one
Flemish polygonal virginal, made by the elder Hans Ruckers in 1591,
survives. Long instruments, resembling the grand piano in shape, are
called harpsichords. Of course it is understood that both types of
virginals as well as the spinet and the harpsichord were keyed
chordophones employing the plucking action of jacks and plectra.
[Illustration: Figure 2.--POLYGONAL VIRGINAL IN OUTER CASE.]
Throughout this paper the different octaves are indicated according to
the following system:
[Illustration: Music]
[Illustration: Figure 3.--POLYGONAL VIRGINAL REMOVED FROM OUTER CASE.]