French/Flemish Harpsichords
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French Harpsicords
D. Jacques Way, 1994
 D. Jacques Way, 1993 William Hyman, 1980  

French double, 8'8'4' with buff on lower 8', dark brown with red interior, gold bands. FF - f"' at A-415, no f"' at A-440. Warm, focused sound.

Franco/Flemish double, , same length as above, FF - g"' at A-415, no g"' at A-440. Two tone blue with gold bands. Tone carries well.

French Double,, 8'8'4' with buff on (lower 8'), Forest Green, with Japan silk interior. Full, French sound.
Flemish Harpsichords

Martin Skowroneck, 1969
 Richard Kingston

Flemish double, Dulcken model, 8'8'4', nasal, buff on upper 8', mahogany with inlaid panels, Flemish octave span (i.e. wider than French), not transposing but can be tuned to desired pitch. Warm, sustaining tone, gentle sound. This instrument bears a strong kinship with the late English harpsichords.
Flemish single, 8'8' with buff, C-d"', transposing, 6' long. Great continuo instrument. Very stable tuning. Black with turquoise interior on lid. 3 screw-on legs. Lose top note at A-440.

 

About French/Flemish Harpsichords


The late French harpsichords were for many years considered to be the most grand and universal instrument. The richness of sound and the depth of the bass create an immediate appeal. They typically have two keyboards, three sets of strings, and a buff (lute) stop. The range is five octaves from FF - f"’. A close cousin of the French double is the Franco-Flemish, which is the result of the 18th century French harpsichord builders rebuilding the fine 17th century instruments of Flanders to correspond more closely to the tastes of 18th century France. The result is an instrument which has much of the lushness of the French tonal ideal while maintaining some of the crispness and articulation associated with the Flemish instruments.