Single-Manual Italian Harpsichord by Jacob Kaeser (New England, 2001), after Giovanni Antonio Baffo, Venice, 1574.

This instrument is a new addition to our instrumentarium. Built by Jacob Kaeser in 2001, the instrument is a historical copy of the Venetian school of late 16th century, based on the 1574 original by Giovanni Antonio Baffo. The registration of this instrument is typical Italian: two 8' registers. The compass of the instrument is C/D/E-ddd (49 keys), with short octave in the low range, and split F# and G# keys. Strings on the Italian harpsichord are all brass; thus the harpsichord is loud enough to cary the whole orchestra, and the chords played are full of overtones which can be easily heard. The instrument was used for the first time at our 2003/04 Fifth Anniversary Season Grand Opening, in September 2003, featuring Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and other virtuoso concerti (with Ingrid Matthews as a featured violin soloist).

Registration:
2x8'

Compass: C/D/E - ddd (with split keys F# and G#)
Pitched at A440 (other pitches, e.g. 415 Hz, need retuning)

Approximate dimensions (without the legs):
8" high, 2'6" wide, 6'3" long