The Schureck Collection

(original Russell collection, Edinburgh UK)
Copy by David Rubio, Duns Tew, Oxon. 1975

Description

Keyboards: 2 recessed reversed manuals with shove coupler
Keyboard materials:
Compass: 5 octaves
Pitch: A415 Hz, transposing by shift to A440 Hz
Tuning: equal tempered
Bridges: 2 (4′ and 8′)
Strings: brass
Jacks: delrin with attached dampers
Stoplist: manual 1: 8′ and 4′ quill (delrin), 8′ peau de buffle (leather), buff manual 2: 8′ quill (delrin), buff
Stop Controls:

hand stop R1: manual 1 8′ quill
hand stop R2: manual 1 4′ quill
centre lever R: manual 1 buff
centre lever C: manuals 1,2 ; buffs off
centre lever L: mnaual 2 buff
handstop L: manual 1 8’peau de buffle
permanently engaged: manual 2 8’quill

Soundboard: ornate gold rococo recessed rose
Frame: timber
Case: Scarlet with gold banding
Lid: Scarlet with gold banding and internal Latin motto
Music desk: detachable, scarlet with gold banding
Fallbaord: detachable, scarlet with gold banding
Stand: Flemish type detachable, with 4 legs, front, rear and connecting stretchers, scarlet with gold trim
Dimensions: 2440mml x 965mmw x 290mmh ex lid
Repertoire: F. Couperin, Rameau, Cleromboult, Marchand, Duphly, Dangelbert, Forqueray
Provenance: purchased from builder, 1975
Condition category: I
Rectification required: none
Concert dates: 12.09.87, 10.10.87, 28.05.88, 04.02.89,11.11.89, 19.05.90,12.05.91,29.08.93,28.04.02

Commentary

The instrument is an accurate modern copy, except for plastic jacks and quills necessitated by climatic factors, of a harpsichord by the last of the great French makers. The peau de buffle represents Taskin’s attempt to apply to the harpsichord a tone colour approximating to that of the emerging French fortepiano, of which Taskin (1723-1793) himself was probably the first native-born maker, his main fortepiano-building non-contemporaries Sebastian Erhardt (1752-1831) and Ignaz Josef Pleyel (1757-1831) both being Austro-German expatriots. While especially appropriate for French music, its two manuals and diversity of tone colour make it an eclectic instrument, on which it is possible (though not necessarily desirable!) to play the whole harpsichord repertoire from the 16th century virginalists, through Bach’s works, to Bach’s sons and other composers of Taskin’s own time, many of whom wrote with harpsichord and fortepiano equally in mind. For this reason, it is the model most often copied by modern builders.