Ruckers: a harpsichord and virginal building tradition

Abstract

The harpsichords and virginals made by the Flemish families of Ruckers and Couchet in Antwerp at the end of the 16th century and in the first half of the 17th century established a tradition which was carried on in most of Northern Europe during the second half of the 17th century and throughout the 18th century. The economic and political conditions in Antwerp and the regulations of the Guild of St. Luke were important factors affecting the output of the Ruckers and Couchet workshops. The personal histories of Hans Ruckers, Ioannes Ruckers, Andreas I Ruckers, Andreas II Ruckers, Ioannes Couchet and the Couchet sons are outlined in so far as the details relate to the production of their instruments. The tradition which the Ruckers established was strongly affected by the earlier Italian, Germanic and Flemish traditions. Many different types and models of harpsichord and virginal were built, and each was numbered to indicate both the type of instrument and the serial number vit2 the instrument category. An analysis of the numbering system enables some undated instruments to be dated and also gives an idea of the production rates of the individual workshops. Using archival sources, the original scalings of the instruments, and measurements of old strings surviving on some instruments, it is possible to determine the pitches and string plans of most of the models of Ruckers instruments. Instruments at 8 different pitches are found to exist and those can be divided into two families a tone apart, with each family consisting of 4 instruments separated in pitch from one another by intervals of a fourth and a fifth. A detailed examination is made of the materials used in, and the method of construction of the case, lid, soundboard, bridges, registers, keybeds and keyboards, and the jacks and jackrail of both the Ruckers harpsichords and virginals. The Ruckers/Couchet instruments were very elaborately decorated with block-printed papers, painted cases, painted soundboards into which gilt roses were set, oil paintings inside the lids, case mouldings, and pierced key arcades. The most relevant trademarks which can be used to authenticate a genuine Ruckers/Couchet instrument are outlined. The influence of the Ruckers tradition on later harpsichord building in the rest of Europe was very important, especially in England and France. The Couchets are shown to have been very innovative and to have introduced many changes to the stable tradition already established by the Ruckers. After the demise of the Ruckers and Couchets, the instruments they built were altered to enable them to play the later music. The process of alteration, called ravalement, is discussed for virginals, single-manual harpsichords and double-manual harpsichords. The genuine instruments of each of the members of the Ruckers and Couchet instrument-building family are catalogued and individually described. There are eighteen appendices relating mostly to theoretical aspects arising out of the text, and to archival sources. There is a complete bibliography of works consulted and of relevant material, and the text is liberally illustrated with tablos, diagrams and photographs.