Historical Early Keyboard Recreations - April 2021

The great early music revival that began in the late 19th century and reached its zenith in this country in the 1950s saw the emergence of craftsmen interested in the accurate reproduction of historical instruments such as the harpsichord, virginal and wing spinet.

Inspired in part by the work and research of the scholarly Arnold Dolmetsch, their main concern was authenticity which in turn gave the musicians engaged in the genre a realistic idea of the touch, technique and tone involved in the recreation of the music they were most enthusiastic about. Although the purists were still preoccupied with genuine period items, interest in these modern reinterpretations remained strong.

The famous Colt Clavier collection (which Piano Auctions helped to disperse in 2018) contained modern instruments from England and Italy which generated considerable interest and went safely to new and appreciative homes.