spinet

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The spinet (either from it. Spina , "thorn" or after the Venetian luthier Giovanni Spinetti (1500)) is a three- to five-sided compact design of the harpsichord . It is one of the keel instruments in which the strings are plucked from a keel ( plectrum ) using a plucking mechanism operated by the keyboard.

designation

The term spinet is to a certain extent vague or misleading: In the 16th and early 17th centuries, and still today depending on the country and epoch, virginals were often referred to as spinets. This applies e.g. B. for Italy, where the word spinetta is used in the 16./17. Century used for virginals; In France, the word épinette still means both virginals and spinets in the narrower sense. Composite instrument names in French include épinette à archet , a keyboard string instrument developed by Renaud of Orléans in 1745; épinette muette , a soft-sounding clavichord so named by Marin Mersenne in 1636, and épinette des Vosges for a drone zither . In Flanders and Holland, virgins with the keyboard on the left or in the middle were called spinettes (16th / 17th century).

history

The spinet in the narrower sense is also known as transverse spinet and, according to today's knowledge, was invented by Girolamo Zenti (approx. 1609 - approx. 1668). This was reported by the musician, composer, historian and architect Andrea Bontempi in 1695. The earliest of these instruments by Zenti has also survived, a small octave spinet from 1631 in the Musée Instrumental in Brussels. Since he was in France around 1662 and 1666 and in England in 1664, it can be assumed that he introduced the transverse spinet in these countries as well. In France this instrument was called espinette á l'italienne (spinet in Italian style). It was particularly popular in England in the late 17th and 18th centuries and is called bentside-spinet in English-speaking countries . From some English harpsichord makers, spinets have been preserved almost exclusively and in relatively large numbers. B. by Stephen Keene (around 1640 - around 1719), or the Hitchcock family . 14 spinets have also survived from Johann Heinrich Silbermann (1727–1799).

Construction and properties

Characteristic of the (transverse) spinet are the strings that run diagonally to the side of the keyboard , which enables a space-saving design. In contrast to the virginal, the pages are plucked near and parallel to the keyboard. All key levers are the same size and relatively short. Therefore, compared to the virginal, the attack, especially in the middle and upper positions, is lighter, pleasant, more flexible and associated with less knocking noise.

A spinet is significantly smaller than a harpsichord and, in contrast to the latter, a house and not a concert instrument. It is usually equipped with only one manual and only one register in the 8 'position. The sound is usually silvery iridescent and full.

Octave spinet by Barbarani (?) 1778. Museo degli Strumenti Musicali, Rome

A popular special form were the octave spinets , which are smaller and sound an octave higher in the so-called 4-foot position (4 '). Some of these instruments have keys so short that they were probably intended for children.

Two-manual spinets or spinets with more than one 8 'register remained exceptions (see web links). The famous harpsichord maker Christofori built spinets with an 8'-4 'disposition - he called these spinettone da teatro (large theater spinet) because they were apparently intended for the narrow orchestral range of Italian opera houses.

Similar instruments

Trivia

As a spinet (Engl. Spinet ) are also some models of the Hammond organ called.

Web links

Commons : Spinett  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Spinett  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

literature

Modern replica of a spinet based on the French model
  • Andreas Beurmann : Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum of Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich et al. 2000.
  • Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003. (English; with a detailed bibliography on the subject of harpsichord and other keel instruments.)
  • Edward L. Kottick, George Lucktenberg: Early Keyboard Instruments in European Museums. Indiana University Press, Bloomington / Indianapolis 1997 (English).
  • Ulrich Michels (Ed.): The Kiel instruments. In: dtv atlas on music. Boards and texts. Systematic part , vol. 1. Munich 1994, p. 36.
  • Grant O'Brian: Ruckers - A harpsichord and virginal building tradition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1990.
  • Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: Virginal. In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition. 2001, pp. 780-788.
  • John Henry van der Meer : harpsichord, clavizitherium, spinet, virginal. In: Ludwig Finscher (ed.): Music in history and present (MGG) , subject part, vol. 2. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel / J.-B.-Metzler-Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, pp. 487-528, here especially: pp. 487, 492-494.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: Virginal . In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition, 2001, p. 780.
  2. ↑ Many instruments that are called épinette in French on Wiki-Commons are actually virginals.
  3. ^ Sibyl Marcuse : Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Dictionary. A complete, authoritative encyclopedia of instruments throughout the world. Country Life Limited, London 1966, p. 174
  4. ↑ Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: Virginal . In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition. 2001, p. 780; Grant O'Brian: Ruckers - A harpsichord and virginal building tradition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1990, p. 35 and p. 311 (O'Brian cited: Klaas Douwes, Grondig Ondersoek van de Toonen der Musijk , Franeker, 1699; facs. Amsterdam, 1970. p. 104 f.)
  5. ^ Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum for Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich et al. 2000, p. 53, and p. 10–11 (Figure a with 10 different forms of historical transverse spinets, with the names of the harpsichord makers who used them).
  6. ^ Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum for Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich 2000, p. 53.
  7. ↑ This means that this instrument sounds an octave higher, i.e. in the so-called 4-foot (abbreviated: 4 '). Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 139.
  8. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 137.
  9. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 139.
  10. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 139.
  11. ↑ According to Beurmann 12 dated (1685 to 1711) and 15 undated spinets. Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum of Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich et al. 2000, p. 128.
  12. ↑ According to Beurmann, Thomas Hitchcock alone (around 1685-after 1733) has “about 36 spinets”, the last dated instrument from 1733. The last undated spinet has the serial number 1518. For comparison, Th. Hitchcock only has a single two-manual harpsichord (around 1725) preserved. Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum of Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich 2000, p. 132.
  13. ↑ The Beurmann Collection in Hamburg has 5 English spinets alone, including one by St. Keene (1705) and four by Th. Hitchcock (1715, 1718 (or 1703), 1729, 1730), plus two Italian transverse spinets by D. Cesare Borsari del Buonporti (1638/1643) and by Anonymus (around 1650; an octave spinet) and three French spinets in 1710 (Anonymus), by Pierre Kettenhoven (1777) and Pascal (Taskin?) 1784. Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The collection Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann in the Museum of Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich 2000.
  14. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, pp. 276f, 335.
  15. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, pp. 211, pp. 213-215 (fig. P. 215). Kottick discusses the spinettone da teatro in the Musical Instrument Museum of the University of Leipzig .