Harpsichords, Clavichords
and Virginals

Jack Peters Harpsichords

For those of you who have been following the construction of the new Cembalone, we have some new details and photos of the finished instrument.   Also a Report about our recent trip to the Boston Early Music Festival, BEMF,  exhibition in Boston last month, where the new Cembalone named "Leonardo" was  the centerpiece of the instruments we took.

For those of you who did not follow the details of it's construction, (at a fevered pace, Jack decided the day before leaving for the cross country trip to Boston that "Leonardo" must have a lid).  We have left some of the high points in a sort of chronological order.

The Cembalone, "Leonardo" Built in May 1999 at Jack Peters Workshop, Seattle

The bass of the harpsichord family, having longer strings and lower pitch then normal.  A keyboard with strings and 16' pitch of the organ.  I have modeled my instrument on the attributed Zenti instrument, (now a 3 manual shortened body) in the Deutch Museum in Munich.  Mine features a low FFF string of 103" with a total length of 115 1/2", just under 3 meters.  The Cembalone  is a single manual and includes design features found in other surviving late cembalone. 

PROGRESS REPORTS
May 28, 1999
"Leonardo," my lengthy beast  exceeds 116 inches with moldings.  I managed to tune the contra FFF string last night by touching it's center and tuning the octave.  8'6" is a long string!!

I decided to preview the instrument at BEMF with one sixteen foot choir and an eight foot choir which is slightly harder to do then the original which probably was just 2x16.  The compass is FF GG AA d3, all strung in brass.  The diagonal grain soundboard seems to be the way to go.  I decided to go with a typical wide octave span {6  9/16}.  We will hopefully find a way to get into the exhibition in the Radisson Hotel and figure out how to damp the bottom octave strings

July 2, 1999
We did indeed make it with "Leonardo" and the rest of the instruments to Boston'  1999 BEMF exhibition . Jack and Ben Farnsworth completed the arduous drive, at a relatively relaxed pace, in just six days.  Much credit should go to Jack' big Dodge van, a real trooper.  We were received well and "Leonardo' met with much praise.  The instrument, despite its youth, was reported to be "strong and penetrating, ideal for continuo and vocal accompanist."  By itself the 16' stop resembles a theorbo of unusual depth and grandeur.

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Jack Peters Harpsichords
14330 Phinney Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98133

jpearlymus[AT]comcast[DOT]net
(206) 364-8254