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German harpsichord
"Square spinet, Johann Heinrich Silbermann, Strasbourg around 1770; Basel, Music Museum
In the 18th century, square spinets became the most popular small form of plucked keyboard instruments. The German square spinets of this time captivate with their comparatively compelling sound as well as their elegant design."
Music example:
excerpt from Wilhelm Friedemann Bach: Fugue in F minor,
performed by Christine Schornsheim.
Instrument: harpsichord, Johann Heinrich Silbermann, Strasbourg circa 1770; Basel, Music Museum.
The construction of harpsichords in German-speaking countries has a long tradition that can be traced back to the time before and around 1500. However, a German school of harpsichord-making only emerged relatively late. The earliest instruments were typically influenced by either Italian or Flemish models, with only the types of wood used differing due to, for example, the cypress wood favored by Italian masters being unavailable north of the Alps and having to be replaced by local woods.
A distinct direction in harpsichord-making in the German-speaking regions gradually developed during the 17th and 18th centuries in several areas, such as Hamburg, Saxony, and Austria. A common characteristic is the evident inspiration from the advancements in organ building, as many harpsichord makers were also organ builders, either as a sideline or as their main occupation. This was reflected in the efforts to expand the number and tuning of the registers; some harpsichords even had two or 16 registers. The only authentic harpsichord with three manuals is of German origin (by Hieronymus Haas in Hamburg). However, this approach towards the organ and its technical possibilities had a negative impact on the sound of the instruments themselves, by increasing the number of strings and tension. Although the instruments were impressive due to their variety of registers, since they could only be used in certain combinations, the actual practical possibilities were not much greater than those of French instruments.
The historical significance of German harpsichords is rooted in the important musical repertoire created for them. From the early 17th century onwards, under the influence of both Dutch (Sweelinck) and Italian (Frescobaldi) piano music, a tradition of composition for keyboard instruments developed that set the standards, continuing through Bach and beyond (mediated by his sons to the composers of the Viennese Classical period), which still define the musical qualities a keyboard instrument must meet today.