Objekt 12
Harpsichord (model "Landowska") by Pleyel, Lyon et Cie., 1930
Description
The Pleyel Company
The Pleyel piano company was founded in Paris in 1807 by the Austrian composer Ignace Joseph Pleyel (1757 - 1831). The firm initially focused on adopting and improving features of English piano making.
in 1815, Pleyel took his son Camille Pleyel (1788 - 1855) into the firm. in 1829, the pianist Frédéric Kalkbrenner (1785 - 1849) also joined the company. He made great efforts to make Pleyel's instruments more widely known. Important composers and pianists, such as Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849), were closely associated with the Pleyel company during this period.
After Camille Pleyel's death, he was succeeded by his son-in-law Auguste Wolff (1821 - 1887). The company name was then changed to 'Pleyel, Wolff & Cie'.
After Wolff's death, his son-in-law Gustav Lyon (1857 - 1936) took over the management of the company. The name was changed again to 'Pleyel, Lyon & Cie.
The harpsichord on display represents the efforts of the Pleyel company to revive this type of instrument at the beginning of the 20th century and the close collaboration with the famous harpsichordist Wanda Landowska (1879 - 1959). The harpsichord was ordered by the Basel Chamber Orchestra (BKO) from Pleyel in Paris in 1930 and inaugurated by Wanda Landowska on March 12, 1931 as part of the BKO's concerts.
Object description
Pleyel, Lyon et Cie. (workshop 1887-1936)
Paris, 1930
Pleyel / Facteur à Paris / Fondé en 1807 (branding, wooden plate inlay, front board)
PC (monogram inlaid in rosette, soundboard); 77F987 (branding) / 189.413 (striking) (behind soundpost, front left); 189413 (striking, bottom of case)
Solid mahogany (case) with fine inlaid stripes (mirror wood); beech (case underside, front); spruce, fine grained, with openwork rosette (soundboard); iron frame; Brass (pedals; strings, both 8' [H1 - E], 4' [F1]); steel wound with copper (strings, 16' [F1 - f3], both 8' [F1 - B1]); steel (strings, both 8' [F - f3], 4' [F#1 - f3])
Range F1 - f3; two manuals; lower manual 16', 8' and 4' stops, upper manual 8' stop with lute slide, 4' stop, coupler; stops operated by seven pedals
H. 968 mm (total); H. 275 mm; B. 1057 mm; L. 2464 mm (case without lid and without bottom rail); Stroke measure 498 mm; Octave measure 165 mm (both manuals)
Deposit Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel Inv. no. 1996.3.