FRENCH HARPSICHORDS
 French double manual after Donzelague, shown with a variation on traditional gilding, and standard trestle stand. This instrument belongs to the Boston College Music Department. |
The cultural life of France has for generations been that of Paris and environs. At no time was than more true than under the Bourbon monarchs, especially Louis XIV, who consciously aimed to concentrate in the capital all that was important to the cultural, economic, and social life of France. Nevertheless, there were key regional centers which had their own vigorous native traditions, however these might have been influenced by developments in Paris. The foremost of these was the great city of Lyons in the south. There was here an indigenous tradition of harpsichord making that had its own distinctive features. Pierre Donzelague (1668-1747) was perhaps the foremost of the Lyons harpsichord makers. From his atelier survive two large double instruments bearing his name; several others attributed to him. These two signed instruments are extraordinary in having the full five-octave range FF-f””.
 French double manual after Donzelague, shown with optional gilding design and baluster stand. This instrument belongs to the Arizona State University Music Department. |
I have chosen Donzelague’s 1711 instrument, the earlier of the two, as the basis for an instrument of my own. It is an instrument suitable for almost anything in the harpsichord literature. The disposition is typical of large French harpsichords, 2x8’ and 1x4’, with buff stop. The keyboards transpose from the common standard for Baroque music, a’=392 Hz, a’=415 Hz, to modern concert pitch, a’=440 Hz.