Scan 241
Catalogue of the Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments, 1918
29 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1a black key, and but one fingering was necessary for all major scales. It was invented in 1843 by W. A. B. Lunn, of England, who masqueraded under the name of Wallbridge.11
3This incomplete record predicates future attempts to solve this problem, but future historians will probably soon class them in the large company of the obsolete.
51332. HARPSICORDO, or GRAVICEMBALO ……………………. Italy
6A rare specimen of an early form. Shape of modern "grand." Elaborately painted decoration, both on inside and outside of body. Carved and gilded legs. Compass four and one-half octaves, from BB flat. Black sharps, and naturals of ordinary wood.
7Length, 248 cm. Width, 92 cm. Depth, 24.1 cm. Height, 95 cm.
8Signed—"Joannis Baptista Guisti, Lucensis, faciebat anno 1693."
101333. GRAVICEMBALO ……………………………………… Italy
11On the hinged fall-board is a picture of three monks, one playing a Zink, another a violin, while the third is singing from a book held in his hands. On the inside of fall-board appear several measures of music, also a Latin inscription, Corda mulcet tristia. "It sooths sad hearts."
12Black sharps. Compass:—Three octaves and eight notes from E.
13Length, 178 cm. Width, 72 cm. Depth, 26.7 cm. Height, 87.5 cm.
14Signed—"Christoforus Rigunini. Firenze, A. D. 1602."
16The Spinet (Fr. Epinette; Ital. Spinetta; Ger. Spinett) existed in various forms. It was generally placed in a case, from which it was removed when needed. In essentials it resembles the harpsichord, but has one string only. "Virginal" is another name, but not suggested by the fact that Elisabeth, the "Virgin Queen," played it almost exclusively.* The name occurs in early literature, and that the instrument was thus known in the time of Henry VII (1456-1509) is shown by the following lines, of that period, taken from a manuscript in the British Museum (18. & 11.).
18"A slac strynge in a Virgynall soundethe not aright;
19It dothe abyde no wrastinge, it is so louse and light.
20The sownde borde crasede forsith the instrument
21Throw mysgovernaunce do make notis whiche was not intente."12
22Speaking of the wife of an old English squire, an early record says,
23"She plays on the Espinetto and Organs and Gittar and danceth very well."18
2511 Sachs, p. 343.
26* On page 54 of Musica instrumentalis deudsck (1528), Agricola gives a cut of the Virginal under that name.
2712 Galpin, p. 113. On page XVIII he gives the exact title, "The Proverbis in the Garet at the New Lodge in the Parke of Leckingfelde." The lines given are quoted by Krebs, but incorrectly, as he kindly corrected the old spelling, as he did Virdung's grammar.
2818 P. H. Ditchfield, "The old English County Squire," p. 166.
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