Instruments of extreme beauty

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-1126899577925382892005-10-07T20:38:00.000+01:002005-10-20T09:34:45.946+01:00Instruments of extreme beauty<a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_front1.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 370px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 110px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="103" alt="" src="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_front1.JPG" border="0" /></a> Let us praise the harpsichord. Heavens knows it needs praising, because the poor instrument is much maligned. <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/hobbes.html">Thomas Hobbes</a> described its sound as “poore, nasty, brutish and short", while <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1947/beecham.html">Sir Thomas Beecham</a> more famously described it as like "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof." How unfair. The harpsichord is unique among musical instruments. Not only can it produce the most exquisite sound, but the appearance of the instrument can also be a thing of extreme beauty. <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/agotto/">Alan Gotto</a> has been making harpsichords near where I live in Norfolk since 1976. He came to the craft after spending some time working for an organ builder. At university he studied music, and specialised in early keyboard studies. Self-taught as a harpsichord maker, he now offers a range of five types of instruments which include<a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/agotto/"> spinets</a> and <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/agotto/">virginals</a> (which is what the photo at the head of this post actually is). Additionally there is a beautiful <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/agotto/">Gotto portative organ</a> for coninuo players. All Alan's instruments are built to order. Completion of a comissioned instrument can usually be expected within 6 - 12 months from date of order, full details are on <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/agotto/">his web site.</a> Words are superflous when describing Gotto harpsichords. Instead feast your eyes on these instruments of extreme beauty: <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_f2.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px" height="299" alt="" src="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_f2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_f2.JPG"></a> Gilded case decoration, with landscape after Claude by Angie Maddigan. <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_i2.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_i2.JPG" border="0" /></a> Painted black and Venetian red, with case decorationin Renaissance Italian style. Inner case of cedar. <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_g3.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 251px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" height="272" alt="" src="http://www.dsn.co.uk/Agotto/a_g3.JPG" border="0" /></a> Black and vermilion lacquer, with chinoiseriein 18th Century French style. And the extreme beauty is carried through to the sound. This article wasn't written because Alan Gotto asked me to. It came about because I bought <a href="http://www.brookstreetband.co.uk/docs/about/about1.htm">The Brook Street Band's </a>invigorating original instrument performances of the <a href="http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/July05/Handel_trio_sonatas_AVIE%20AV2068.htm">Handel Trio Sonatas, Opus 5</a> on <a href="http://www.avierecords.com/">Avie.</a> I listened to this stunning CD and thought, hey - it sounds magnificent. Then I read the sleeve notes. The recording venue was Raveningham Church in Norfolk, a few miles from where I write these words, and the harpsichord was by <a href="http://www.dsn.co.uk/agotto/">Alan Gotto</a>. (The chamber organ was by <a href="http://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk/">Goetze and Gwynn</a>). Instruments of extreme beauty in every way.........If you enjoyed this post take an overgrown path to <a href="http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2005/05/diary-for-evening-of-12th-may-2005.html">Diary for evening of 12th May 2005</a> <a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="invisible hit counter" src="http://c6.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=669796&java=0&security=77843562&invisible=1" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8060605-112689957792538289?l=www.overgrownpath.com'/></div>Pliablenoreply@blogger.com4