Description
A unique music record: Pablo Gómez Ábalos presents the first copy made in modern times of clavecin roïal, a keyboard instrument with exceptional characteristics that was highly appreciated at the time for its formidable expressive resources. This copy was built by Kerstin Schwartz within the framework of the research project “Clavecín roïal: timbres and fantasies of the Sublime” developed by Pablo Gómez Ábalos thanks to a Leonardo BBVA Grant.
The clavecin roïal, invented in Dresden by Johann Gottlob Wagner in 1774, did not have plectrums like the harpsichord, but bare wooden hammers, without a cover, so its original sound is similar to that of the harpsichord. Its peculiarities include the resonance by default separated dampers (inverse to the modern piano); the possibility of changing the tone colour by means of registers manipulated by three knee pads; and a top on the soundboard controlled by another knee pad for dynamic effects and fortissimo. It was especially appreciated by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. This album presents six formidable fantasies by him, followed by the very interesting Sonata No. 5 by Christian Wilhelm Podbielski and the Sonata WoO 47 No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven.
