This Flemish double was custom built in 2015 and it has been a requested for use by some of the world’s best players. It has been on stage at Carnegie Hall numerous times and other venues as well. It is a dream to play and hear. The lush swell of sound that washes across the room inspires one to play on and on. The traditional Flemish decoration is by Tatyana Nivina. It is available for outright purchase or rental. The following description is from our standard catalog for the Flemish double:

The members of the Ruckers family of Antwerp dominated harpsichord making north of the Alps for the first 50 years of the 17th century. They produced virginals in a variety of forms and sizes, but their single and double-manual harpsichords were the most prized. By the end of the 17th century their singles, with only a 1x8', 1x4' disposition and a 45-note (four-octave) short-octave keyboard, seemed hopelessly inadequate. But the instruments were far too valuable to discard, so in a process called ravalement, they were rebuilt to give them the more flexible disposition of 2x8' (or 2x8' 1x4') and the compass was enlarged.

The Ruckers' double-manual harpsichords were originally made with their keyboards unaligned--the lower manual was a fourth lower than the upper. Later, they underwent ravalement as well, and in the process their keyboards were lined up. Our Flemish instruments have been "enlarged" to four and a half octaves with chromatic bass, giving a compass useful for most of the music written in the baroque.

Specifications:

Disposition: 2x8' 1x4', buff; stop levers in keywell

Range: 56+1 notes, GG-d'''; transposable A415/A440

Dimensions: app. 87" x 34"

Weight: app. 143 lbs.

Action: 2 reverse keyboards with ebony naturals, bone-slipped sharps and pearwood arcades; Zuckermann jacks

Wood: Basswood case; oak wrestplank; Swiss pine soundboard

Furniture: Turned oak stand, lid stick and adjustable music desk

Price: $32,500