THE FRENCH HARPSICHORD

When we talk about "French harpsichords" most people will think of the instruments of a.o. Blanchet, Hemsch and Taskin. But these were builders who mainly worked in the 18th century.

At the time the Ruckers family built their instruments in Antwerp, in the 17th century, there was a quite distinct local tradition of harpsichord building in France. These harpsichords are mainly doubles, with aligned keyboards, with a standard compass of BB⁄GG - c'''. The Denis family built many harpsichords in that tradition.

At the beginning of the 18th century the French became enamored of the sound of the harpsichords of the Flemish Masters and discontinued their original style of building. They rebuilt many harpsichords of the Ruckers family. The harpsichords newly built there at that time were strongly influenced by these instruments. The Blanchet family bridges the two styles. Their harpsichords evolve from the early style to the later more sumptuous instruments.