Objekt 3
Transverse spinet, Strasbourg, around 1770
Description
Johann Heinrich Silbermann was born in Strasbourg on September 24, 1727 and died there in 1799 as a respected organ and instrument maker. His marriage in 1760 produced two sons, the elder of whom, Johann Friedrich (1762 - 1805), learned his father's trade.
Johann Heinrich was the youngest son of the organ maker Andreas Silbermann (1678 - 1734) and the brother of Johann Andreas (1712 - 1783), who had built the organs in Arlesheim Cathedral and in various churches in Basel, including the neighboring Leonhardskirche (now a reconstruction).
Johann Heinrich acquired his knowledge of stringed piano building mainly from his uncle Gottfried Silbermann (1683 - 1753) in Freiberg (Saxony). He worked in his workshop from 1742 to 1743, where he also became acquainted with the fortepiano, which was brand new at the time. He also made fortepianos himself, using a hammer action similar to that of the inventor of the pianoforte, Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655 - 1731).
In the 1760s, he specialized in the construction of transverse spinets, which largely correspond to the model of the instrument on display. The quality of his instruments was highly praised by his contemporaries. He delivered to Germany, England, Latvia, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.
Object description
Johann Heinrich Silbermann (1727-1799)
Strasbourg, around 1770
Letter S intertwined in the openwork rosette (soundboard)
Walnut (case, lid); spruce with openwork rosette (soundboard); brass (strings, F1 - As); steel (strings, A - f3)
Range F1 - f3; one 8' stop; h. 817 mm (total); h. 212 mm; w. 1140 mm; d. 645 mm (case without lid); l. 138 mm (wall, back left), 1916 mm (center), 345 mm (right); action 480 mm; octave 160 mm
Gift from the City Council of Hagenbach-Merian, Basel
Inv. no. 1878.9.