François-Étienne Blanchet (1695 -1761) was the most famous member of a family of instrument makers which influenced French harpsichord building decisively during the 18th century. His father, Nicolas Blanchet (born in 1660), a native of Reims, set up his workshop in Paris and started making harpsichords and spinets. Besides making new instruments in his workshop in the rue de la Verrerie, François-Étienne also extended the compasses of early Flemish harpsichords of the Ruckers family (mettre à grand ravalement) to 5 octaves in accordance with thecontemporary trend.

François-Étienne Blanchet was also the master of Pascal Taskin, the most eminent French maker of harpsichords during the second half of the 18th century. After the death of François-Étienne‘s son in 1766 (who bore the same name as his father), Pascal Taskin married his widow and led the tradition of harpsichord making to a last climax. Among the surviving instruments made by Blanchet, there is only one single manual harpsichord left, which was rediscovered a few years ago in France. This instrument, built in 1737 by François-Étienne Blanchet, is the original for our copy.

Technische Angaben

• keyboard compass: G₁ - f³ (4 5/6 octaves)
• naturals ebony, sharps pearwood covered by bone
• disposition: 8₁‘, 8₂‘, lute to 8₂‘
• length 220 cm (7‘3“), width 88 cm (2‘11“)
• net weight 63 kg (139 lbs)

Lieferbare Zusatzausstattung

• transposing device (a¹ = 440/415 Hz)
• gold leaf bands
• stands in different styles
• benches and covers matching the instrument
• painted soundboard
• lid paintingg