Hi all,
This June, I will be heading to New York City to attend my 50th high school reunion. My wife and I both attended this wonderful school (Music & Art High School) and I consider the extraordinary education I received there to be the corner stone and foundation for my professional life. To commemorate this occasion, I wanted to give something back to the school and to the students who are now walking its halls as I once did so many years ago. So I decided to donate a harpsichord, which I am in the process of building, as I know the school can use all the instruments it can get. The harpsichord is a French Double Manual sitting on a Louis XV Cabriole platform stand.
I am six weeks into its construction and thought I might share some photos with you.
This June, I will be heading to New York City to attend my 50th high school reunion. My wife and I both attended this wonderful school (Music & Art High School) and I consider the extraordinary education I received there to be the corner stone and foundation for my professional life. To commemorate this occasion, I wanted to give something back to the school and to the students who are now walking its halls as I once did so many years ago. So I decided to donate a harpsichord, which I am in the process of building, as I know the school can use all the instruments it can get. The harpsichord is a French Double Manual sitting on a Louis XV Cabriole platform stand.
I am six weeks into its construction and thought I might share some photos with you.
As you can see, the case is more or less finished, as are the two keyboards shown in the next photo. The upper keyboard sits on runners at each end of the lower keyboard and moves in and out to engage its jacks. In the "pushed in" position, the upper keys can be played by the lower keyboard and it looks somewhat like a player piano in that the keys go up and down without anyone touching them.
The cabriole platform stand is a defining feature of large French harpsichords. On the bottom of each leg is a leaf motif which is interesting to make, especially for someone with no carving skills whatsoever.
That's it for now. I'll post some more photos as more progress is made. Thanks for looking and Happy New Year to all.
Ernie
The cabriole platform stand is a defining feature of large French harpsichords. On the bottom of each leg is a leaf motif which is interesting to make, especially for someone with no carving skills whatsoever.
That's it for now. I'll post some more photos as more progress is made. Thanks for looking and Happy New Year to all.
Ernie