The harpsichord used for this recording had remained at
least since the eighteenth century at the castle of Condé-en-Brie
(Aisne, France), and is now being kept in the Museum Unterlinden at Colmar (Alsace). It must have been built by Hans Ruckers the Younger in 1624 as a so-called transposing
instrument, with two keyboards and two sets of strings (one
eight-foot and one four-foot choir), a disposition which may
be regarded as representative for a harpsichord from Bull’s
time.
Released 1983 by Telefunken/Teldec in the series Original Instruments 6.42874 AZ
Cover “Ruckers-Cembalo”, from the museum Unterlinden, Colmar
Photo cover by O. Zimmermann

Side A
00:00 In Nomine 9 6’24
06:32 The King’s Hunt 3’45
10:25 Queen Elizabeth’s Chromatic Pavan 6’43 and 17:08 Galliard 3’22
20:35 Dutch Dance 1’21
22:03 Fantasia 12 6’12

Side B
28:20 Fantastic Pavan 6’44 and 35:05 Galiarda 2’16
37:28 In Nomine 12 3’37
41:12 Germain’s Alman 2’32
43:48 Fantasia 10 4’42
48:36 Canon In Subdiapente, Two Parts In One With A Running Bass Ad Placitum 6’03
54:48 Doctor’s Bull’s My Selfe 0’46

Dutch harpsichordist Bob van Asperen was born in Amsterdam
in 1947 to Dutch-Danish parents, and it was at the age of
seven that he received from his mother his first music les-
sons.
After a classical education he decides to put himself under
the guidance of harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt at the
Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he is awarded
the soloist’s diploma with distinction in 1971.
During the following years van Asperen performed with
ensembles like La Petite Bande and most importantly
Quadro Hotteterre and flautist Frans Brüggen, enjoying at the
same time an increasing reputation as a harpsichord soloist.
Thus numerous recitals have brought him till now to many
European capitals, touring in the Soviet Union, the United
States and Australia, and receiving several major international
awards for his recordings, which inc1ude Carl Philipp
Emanuel Bach’s harpsichord sonatas and Haydn’s early keyboard
trio’s for TELDEC. The Telemann tricentenaryin
1981 was the occasion of his founding MELANTE ’81, a
chamber orchestra with historical instruments which he
directs from the harpsichord.
Bob van Asperen is now professor of harpsichord at the
Royal Conservatory, The Hague.

#HansRuckers #Ruckers #BobVanAsperen