LUTE-HARPSICHORD

(The baroque musical instrument)

Over a period of some three centuries there are plenty of references to gut-stringed instruments that
resemble the harpsichord and imitate the delicate soft timbre of the lute (including its lower-
sounding variants, the theorbo and chitarrone or archlute) or the harp, but little concrete
information. Not a single such instrument has survived, nor is any contemporary depiction known
apart from a rough engraving of the early 16th century. Fewer than ten lute-harpsichord makers are
known, and there are reasonably detailed descriptions of instruments made by only two or three of
them. Nonetheless, the instrument is mentioned fairly frequently in music books of the early 17th to
the mid-18th century.

Much of the available information relates to three 18th century German instrument makers: Johann
Christoph Fleischer of Hamburg, Johann Nicolaus Bach and the organ builder Zacharias Hildebrandt.

Fleishcer built two types of instrument. The smaller had two 8-foot gut-stringed stops with a compass
of about three octaves; in the lower two octaves these could be coupled with a 4-foot stop, by
analogy with the pairs of octave-tuned bass strings (courses) on the lute. Below the soundboard of
the instrument an oval resonator in the shape of a shell, resembling the body of a lute was attached.

Fleischer called his larger instrument the "Theorbenflugel" (theorbo-harpsichord). Its two gut-
stringed stops together made up a double-tuned, 16-foot stop, with the pairs in the lower octave-
and-a-half tuned an octave apart, and in the upper range in unison. In addition there was a 4-foot
metal-stringed stop, and the combination of the 4-foot and the 16-foot stops produced a "delicate
and bell-like" tone. This larger instrument was in the shape of a regular concert harpsichord.

Johann Nicolaus Bach (a second cousin of Johann Sebastian) was a composer, organist and instrument
maker in Jena. He too built several types of lute-harpsichord. The basic type closely resembled a small
wing-shaped, one-manual harpsichord of the usual kind. It only had a single (gut-stringed) stop, but
this sounded a pair of strings tuned an octave apart in the lower third of the compass and in unison in
the middle third, to approximate as far as possible the impression given by a lute. The instrument had
no metal strings at all.

According to contemporary accounts, even this simplest of versions made a sound that could deceive
a professional lutenist, a fact considered almost miraculous at the time. But a basic shortcoming was
the absence of dynamic expression, and to remedy matters J. N. Bach also made instruments with
two and three manuals, whose keys sounded the same strings but with different quills and at
different points of the string, so providing two or three grades of dynamic and timbre. J. N. Bach also
built theorbo-harpsichords with a compass extending down an extra octave.
J.S. Bach's connection with and interest in the Lautenwerk was considerable. He clearly liked the
combination of softness with strength which these instruments are capable of producing, and he is
known to have drawn up his own specifications for such an instrument to be built for him by
Hildebrandt. In an annotation to Adlung's Musica mechanica organoedi, Johann Friedrich Agricola
described a Lautenwerk that belonged to Bach:

The editor of these notes remembers having seen and heard a "Lautenclavicymbel" in Leipzig in
about 1740, designed by Mr. Johann Sebastian Bach and made by Mr. Zacharias Hildebrand, which
was smaller in size than a normal harpsichord but in all other respects similar. It had two choirs of gut
strings, and a so-called little octave of brass strings. It is true that in its normal setting (that is, when
only one stop was drawn) it sounded more like a theorbo than a lute. But if one drew the lute-stop
(such as is found on a harpsichord) together with the cornet stop [?the 4' brass stop undamped], one
could almost deceive professional lutenists.

The inventory of Bach's possessions at the time of his death reveals that he owned two such
instruments, as well as three harpsichords, one lute and a spinet.

Of the few attempts to reconstruct and record a lute-harpsichord, one of the more successful is the
instrument built by the Hungarian player Gergely Srkzy, an initial sketch of which appears as the
heading to this page. His beautiful instrument gives a truly wonderful sound, very rich and sonorous
but with a soft attack. The Baroque Music Club has produced a recording entitled Bach's Domestic
Keyboard Instruments, BACH 740 in which some important though lesser-known Bach keyboard and
lute works are performed on harpsichord, pedal-harpsichord, clavichord, lute, and lute-harpsichord
by Gunnar Johansen, Michael Thomas and Gergely Srkzy. The accompanying note explains the
technical differences in construction of the different instruments.

Gergely Srkzy's lutes were built for him by Hungarian instrument maker Tihamer Romanek whose
father, Andras, was the very first to make lutes in Hungary. The craftmanship of lutherie enchanted
Tihamer, who following his graduation as an instrument maker, decided to explore the construction of
a lute-harpsichord. Among other instruments, he now offers two models of lute-harpsihcord from his
own workshops.

The lautenwerck or lute-harpsichord differs from the harpsichord in several important respects. While
historical references indicate differing approaches to design, there is general agreement that whereas
harpsichords are designed to be strung in metal, the use of gut strings is of primary importance in a
lute-harpsichord. However simple replacement of metal strings with gut will not give satisfactory
results.
Generally, a gut string requires a longer scale (or length at a given pitch) than a metal string, which in
turn infers a larger instrument. Pitch for a given string length however, is a function, not only of
length, but also of string material and tension. The lower pitched strings of the lute-harpsichord are
thicker and under less tension - a technique known as "foreshortening". Thus lautenwercke are often
smaller than their metal-strung relatives. Extreme foreshortening of the scale in comparison to the
harpsichord, reduces the tension a lautenwerck must bear. Lighter construction is made possible,
enabling a lautenwerck to better respond to the less energetic gut string. This is especially true of the
soundboard, which can be half the thickness normally found in harpsichords.

Gut stringing has other implications for lautenwerck design. As gut strings have more internal friction
than their metal counterparts, they generally have less sustain. This allows one to dispense with
dampers to a large degree. Individual instruments will dictate where dampers are needed (and how
effective they need be), but one rarely finds lautenwercke fitted with dampers on every string. Any
resulting "over-ring" is likely to enhance the lute-like effect.

The lautenwerck also demands special attention concerning string layout. Thick gut strings vibrate
more vigorously than thin metal ones at higher tension. This requires that more space be given
between adjacent strings to avoid interference. This consideration encourages the builder to keep his
design simple. Two choirs of gut strings seems to be the practical maximum, though a third choir
strung in brass is sometimes found.

Harpsichords normally have one dedicated jack per string. Lautenwercke often have more than one
jack independently serving the same string. Tonal variation is achieved by plucking the string at
different points along its length. Dynamic and color variation can also be pursued by using plectra
having different properties. This sort of elaboration is most often reserved for instruments having
more than one manual. Adding more strings to achieve tonal interest is avoided, and resonate
construction maintained.

Historical references indicate that in some lautenwercke the internal volume of the instrument was
determined by a dome-like structure shaped much like the back of a lute, and indeed modern
instruments have been made in which a "lute shell" defines the exterior shape of the instrument.
Internal structures placed below the soundboard are also found. Other references however, make no
mention of this feature and indicate the construction normally associated with keyboard instruments.