Russell Collection

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St Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh

The Russell Collection (full name Raymond Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments ) is an extensive collection of early keyboard instruments compiled by the British harpsichordist and organologist Raymond Russell (1922–1964). It is part of the musical instrument collection of the University of Edinburgh Museum and is housed in St Cecilia's Hall.

history

Raymond Russell, a British harpsichordist and organologist, bought his first historic keyboard instrument in 1939. Over the next twenty years he collected a sizable collection of clavichords and harpsichords from the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries.

His collection included instruments from major European harpsichords: a number of English spinets , early harpsichords and virgins from Italy; Flemish instruments from the Ruckers family , a late French instrument by Pascal-Joseph Taskin as well as a clavichord and a harpsichord from Northern Germany, both by Johann Adolph Hass . He described many of his instruments in detail in his book The Harpsichord and Clavichord: an Introductory Study , published in 1959. "The Harpsichord and the Clavichord: An Introductory Study ". He was a recognized expert in the field and also wrote the catalog for the collection of keyboard instruments at the Victoria and Albert Museum .

In 1960 Russell decided to donate his collection to Edinburgh University with the aim of creating a research center for organology , but previously died unexpectedly in Malta in 1964 at the age of 41. In accordance with his wishes and in his memory, his mother Maud Russell donated almost all of the pieces in his collection - nineteen instruments - to the university that same year. The donation also included his notes and collection of documentary photos. The collection was housed in St Cecilia's Hall in Edinburgh, built in 1763 and opened as a museum in 1968.

The university bought two more instruments from the Russell collection - an English double harpsichord by Jacob Kirckman , and a French double harpsichord by Jean Goermans and Taskin, bought by Maud Russell in 1974, bringing the total to twenty-one instruments.

Instruments in the collection

England

Flanders Four Flemish harpsichords made in Antwerp :

  • a two-manual harpsichord by Andreas Ruckers the Elder from 1608
  • a one-manual harpsichord by Johannes Ruckers from 1637
  • a two-manual harpsichord by Johannes Ruckers from 1638
  • a one-manual harpsichord by Johannes Couchet from 1645

Italy

Virginal by Alessandro Bertolotti, 1586
  • a virginal by Alessandro Bertolotti from 1586
  • a one-manual small octave virginal in 4 'position (Ottavino), maker unknown, around 1620
  • a three-manual harpsichord by Stefano Bolcioni from 1627
  • a small octave virginal in 4 'position (Ottavino) by Petrus Michael Orlandus from 1710

France

Germany

  • a clavichord by Johann Adolph Hass dates back to 1763
  • a one-manual harpsichord by Johann Adolph Hass from 1764

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ National Trust : Music at Mottisfont - Raymond Russell and the harpsichord . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  2. ↑ a b c d e The University of Edinburgh Collections: Raymond Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments . Retrieved August 4, 2017
  3. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Virginal: Stephen Keene . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  4. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Spinet. Attributed to John Player . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  5. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Single-manual harpsichord. Thomas Hancock . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  6. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Spinet. Thomas Hitchcock . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  7. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Spinet. Sir John Harrison Burnett . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  8. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Double-manual harpsichord. Jacob Kirckman . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  9. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Spinet. Neil Stewart . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  10. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Single-manual harpsichord. John Broadwood and Sons . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  11. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Double-manual harpsichord. Andreas Ruckers the elder . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  12. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Single-manual harpsichord. Ioannes Ruckers . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  13. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Double-manual harpsichord. Ioannes Ruckers . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  14. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Single-manual harpsichord. Ioannes Couchet . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  15. ↑ Audio sample on You Tube: Early North-Italian Pentagonal Virginal (1586). "Cosi moriro" by Luca Marenzio set by Philips . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  16. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Virginal. Alessandro Bertoloti . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  17. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Single-manual harpsichord. Unknown . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  18. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Triple-manual harpsichord. Stefano Bolcioni . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  19. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Octave spinet. Petrus Michael Orlandus . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  20. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Double-manual harpsichord. Jean Goermans / Pascal Taskin . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  21. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Double-manual harpsichord. Pascal Taskin . Retrieved July 16, 2017
  22. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Clavichord. Johann Adolph Hass . Retrieved July 21, 2017
  23. ^ University of Edinburgh. Musical Instruments Museums Edinburgh: Single-manual harpsichord. Johann Adolph Haas . Retrieved July 21, 2017

Coordinates: 55 ° 56'56.5 "  N , 3 ° 11'11.4"  W.