My instruments are never exact copies. They are either inspired by a particular historical instrument which has in most cases been personally examined, or they are built in the style of a certain instrument-making school and period.
Each of my instruments is individually handcrafted to order. They are built on strictly historical lines using appropriate methods and materials which would have been used by the old masters.

From the Gothic onward the "Orgel- und Instrumentmacher" made organs, as well as clavichords and harpsichords. When they subsequently turned to piano building around 1800, the harpsichord very quickly became obsolete. So we have no continuous tradition as is in organ building or string instrument making. Therefore it is essential to study early instruments and learn from them. They are the "masters" for the present day harpsichord maker. It cannot be overemphasized how important it is to understand what the old masters did and why.

Josef Mertin, the Viennese musicologist and instrument maker, teacher of numerous musicians including Gustav Leonhardt and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, used to encourage his students to examine old instruments and try to understand why they were made the way they are. "Don't copy them, understand them!" ("...alte Instrumente kapieren, nicht kopieren!").

The sound I am aiming at is not the sound ancient musical instruments make today, but the sound these instruments made when new. In my opinion this is the only true approach to the myth called authentic sound. What we get from original instruments now is not the historical sound. It is the sound of later centuries after long periods of neglect, damage and more or less successful restoration. Nearly every restoration involves replacement of missing parts through new materials. The sound may appeal to us but it is not the sound heard by Paumann, Froberger or Bach. And their socio-economic situation was completely different. Our ears are not the ears of the past. Is it really possible to imagine an age when there was no electricity, no modern medical care, no motorized traffic or communication, a time of high mortality, endless wars and diseases?
I live in the twenty-first century and I try to build musical instruments for players of my time. I am not trying to recreate the past but to transport the creations of the past into our age using the tools of the ancient masters: hand-tools, both those used in the design and manufacture of a musical instrument and the instrument (instrumentum = tool) itself, to make music.

Working on my own I build only a small number of instruments per year. I make most of the components myself, including keyboards, action parts, tuning pins and various other items like tangents and overspun strings for clavichords. The action consists of traditional wooden jacks with no regulating screws, the tuning pins are hand-forged with flat tops and no holes but they have a light hand-filed thread.

Donat C -c3
Römer C/E - d3
Noli AA - f3
Noli FF- f3

Friederici FF - f3
Schiedmayer FF - g3

The clavichord has been the central keyboard instrument throughout the centuries, from the beginning of the history of stringed keyboard instruments until well beyond 1800. As opposed to the harpsichord, which was much more of a court instrument, one may consider the clavichord as the everyday-instrument of the keyboard player. Many an organist would have had one in his house to practise on, to help in composing or just play for his own pleasure. The clavichord was not only a relatively inexpensive and thus more widespread alternative to the organ, but it was an important pedagogical tool which teaches the player to articulate precisely. This applies especially to the fretted clavichord. The method of tone production which allows dynamic playing as well as the unique effect of "Bebung" enabled it to compete with the fortepiano when the harpsichord had already disappeared from musical life. The youngest dated historical clavichord we know of was built in Spain in 1858.

The instrument after Römer is a typical example of the work of conservative Austrian organ builders as is reflected in contemporary Austrian organs. Despite the late date, the style of this clavichord - with its straight bridge and simple case construction - corresponds much more with earlier instruments. The short octave is well-suited for music of the 16th and 17th centuries. Its small case dimensions make it a very handsome travelling clavichord. The case is spruce with painted finish. The original is in the Sammlung Alter Musikinstrumente, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.

Amongst the clavichords of the collection of musical instruments in the Schloßmuseum Linz/Austria are two anonymous instruments which are very similar to each other, a third one is privately owned in Austria. Since all three have identical signatures it is very likely that they have been built in the same workshop. Although these signatures have never been deciphered with absolute certainty I believe they stem from the workshop of Franz Prokop Noli in the Bohemian town of Pilsen. There were two organ makers (father and son) of this name so it is not clear which of them actually made the instruments. The date is probably the last quarter of the 18th century. No matter who built these clavichords, they are a good starting point for a fretted clavichord of moderate size (c. 40 x 130 cm) with still (nearly) five octaves (one has AA - f3, two have FF - f3).
The case material is either a solid hardwood (e.g.walnut, cherry or oak) or a softwood case with painted finish or veneer. One of my "Nolis" has been used for a CD-recording of Haydn.

I make harpsichords in the style of various historical instrument-building traditions. As mentioned above they are either built to my own design or inspired by an original instrument which i have examined and measured.

A light and powerful continuo harpsichord with short octave and a single 8' choir. Thin cypress case, no lid.

Gregori

Singlestrung Italian GG/BB - d3

All harpsichords except for those with short octave or split sharps have a transposing keyboard. A double transposer is available on application at extra cost. A simple trestle stand with turned legs is standard, other types of stand can be discussed individually. Prices given are for a painted finish with two colours of your choice or, where applicable, for an oil and wax finish. Prices for soundboard painting, bone naturals, marbled cases or other special case decoration and gilding are available on application. The instruments come with a toolkit (tuning hammer, spare strings and plectra), music stand and an optional padded transport cover.

One third of the payment is due when ordering an instrument, one third as work commences, the final installment upon completion of the instrument, prior to delivery. Prices and models are subject to change without notice. Delivery is free within Austria. For other countries packing and shipping costs have to be added.

In our workshops in Haslach and Vienna we offer a wide range of early keyboard instruments to hire for concerts, masterclasses, recordings etc. There is a selection of clavichords, spinets, virginals, harpsichords, square pianos as well as a grand fortepiano and a chamber organ. Please drop us an email for details. mmp@clavier.at