French Instruments

John Raymond helping me examine the 1769 Taskin; the Goermans/ Taskin (1764/83-84) is behind.

During the 18th Century, French instruments developed to what many consider to be the absolute peak of harpsichord making in Europe. Their instruments were famed for their rich sound and were usually elaborately decorated in the style of the period.

Although many of these fine instruments were destroyed during the French revolution, enough survived to give us an excellent idea of what they looked and sounded like. We are very fortunate in the UK to have some of the finest examples in the Russell Collection, which is housed in St. Cecilia's Hall in Edinburgh.

As a ' Friend of St. Cecilia's' I have had the opportunity of hearing and studying these instruments in great detail and have full scale drawings, detailed photographs and data sheets of two superb French instruments. The photograph on the left shows the originals in the Russell Collection during a close inspection, assisted by John Raymond, the assistant curator.

Taskin (1769)

This is a fabulous instrument and it is easy to see why it is one of the most famous and most copied harpsichords in the world. Taskin's fine workmanship and attention to detail are fully evident in this instrument - from the internal construction to the beautifully made keyboards. It has a powerful, rich bass and, although suitable for most keyboard music, it is (perhaps naturally) at its best when playing French music of its period - Couperin, Rameau etc.

My version is based closely on the original and has a poplar case, lime keys with boxwood arcades & topped with ebony & bone, quarter sawn spruce soundboard, tapered jacks made of service or pear wood with hogs bristle springs. Strings are made of historic iron and brass.

Registration is 2 x 8' and 1 x 4' with a buff stop; 5 octaves FF to f3 transposing (A= 415/440 Hz ), two manuals with a shove coupler.

Decoration is normally in two colours with gold leaf bands, as the original. However, other schemes are possible, such as Chinoiserie. Soundboard decoration is optional.

There are several options regarding stands; my personal favourite is the Louis XVI style apron stand with 6 tapered fluted & gilded legs, as shown in the photograph on the right. A padded transport case is available as an option.

Copy of 1769 Taskin on Louis XVI style stand

Goermans/ Taskin (1764/83-84)

I also offer an instrument based on the Goermans/ Taskin (1764/83-84), also in the Russell Collection (see above). It has a similar specification to the Taskin (1769) above but has the option of a 4th row of jacks fitted with a 'peau de buffle'.

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