The harpsichord has one keyboard (5 octaves) and three registers (2 x 8′, 1 x 4′) and was built in 1747 by the well known Antwerp builder J.D. Dulcken. He was one of the three leading harpsichord builders of the 18th century. Dulcken instruments are scattered all over the world in museums and private collections of Brussels, Bristol, Nürnberg, Washington and Vienna. The instrument belongs to the Koninklijk Vlaams Muziekconservatorium in Antwerp and can be seen in the Vleeshuis, museum belonging to the city of Antwerp.

Accord du clavecin par Martin Knud Kaufmann. Temperament utilise:
Gottfried Silbermann (1683-1753). L’Origine Germanique des DULCKEN a déterminé le choix de ce tempérament, qui n’aporte que de légères corrections au temperament en ton moyen, utilisé en autre, au Pays-Bas.

Released 1974 Decca 153.004 X
Recording producer: R. Dom
Recorded at the gothic building the Vleeshuis museum
Artistic direction: J.P. Finotto
Recording engineer: W. Coussement
Production: Fonior, Brussels
Graphic design: Print & Design International
Cover Rose of Ruckers – Couchet atelier, Antwerpen 1650 copyright Museum Vleeshuis.
Pictures copyright Museum Vleeshuis, Antwerp, Belgium (source: facebook Vleeshuis).

Face 1 (2 livre)
00:00 01. L’Allemande
02:07 02. La Légère
03:13 03. Sarabande
04:36 04. Les Menuets
06:45 05. Gavotte
08:13 06. Gigue
09:39 07. L’Inquiète
13:52 08. Les Sauterelles
14:35 09. L’Agitée
17:22 10. Les Zéphirs
19:44 11. La Musette
21:25 12. La Fringante

Face 2 (1er livre)
23:32 01. Adagio
26:10 02. Allegro
29:39 03. Andante
31:58 04. Vivace
35:15 05. La Plaintive
37:17 06. Les Promenades
39:04 07. L ‘Harmonieuse
42:56 08. La Villageoise
43:41 09. L’Inconstante
45:31 10. L’ltalienne
46:48 11. La Françoise
48:15 12. L’Angloise

THE INSTRUMENT
The harpsichord has one keyboard (5 octaves) and three
registers (2 x 8′, 1 x 4′) and was built in 1747 by the well
known Antwerp builder J .D. Dulcken.
He was one of the three leading harpsichord builders of the
18th century. Dulcken instruments are scattered all over the
world in museums and private collections of Brussels,
Bristol, Nürnberg, Washington and Vienna. The instrument
belongs to the Koninklijk Vlaams Muziekconservatorium in
Antwerp and can be seen in the Vleeshuis, museum belonging
to the city of Antwerp.
This harpsichord was restored in 1971 by H. Bedard (Paris)
for the Ministry of Culture through the Ruckers-Genootschap.
The Ruckers-Genootschap tries to collect funds in order to
restore, and if possible to expand the collection of musical
instruments from the Vleeshuis. The ensemble of nine
Antwerp harpsichords dating from 1611 till 1779 is unique.
Antwerp was an important centre for harpsichord building,
exporting instruments to Western Europa f .i. France,
England, and Holland. The founder of this famous workshop,
Hans Ruckers got established shortly before 1575. In 1585
his instruments had already a high reputation. His sons
Hans the Younger (1578·1643) and Andreas (1579·1645) and
grandsons Joannes Couchet (1612-1655) and Andreas the
Younger (1607· before 1667) continued this craft until the
2nd half of the 17th century.
Numerous instruments were produced by this workshop,
amongst these two ma in types were made : virginals with
alternatives, and harpsichords with two registers (1 x 4′ ;
1 x 8’) ; they all have 4 octaves (with short octave in the bass)
According to that pattern, instruments were still built until
the 18th century adapted to the needs of that period
The recording was done in a 16th century gothic building:
the Vleeshuis. The reminds of the historic atmosphere that
makes the concerts, organised by the city of Antwerp, in
the Vleeshuis so attractive.

CHRISTIANE WUYTS, harpsichord
A brilliant virtuoso whose research activities in the field of
‘ancient music have made her famous in educational and
musicological circles.
She has been performing in Germany , France, the Netherlands,
Denmark and Luxembourg. She is a regular guest on radio
and television, in Belgium as well as abroad.
She has recorded several lp’s both as soloist and with the
“Camerata Belgica” ensemble.
Press reviews of her live and recorded performances testify
of the remarkably high standard of her harpsichord playing.
The harpsichord of Christiane Wuyts is a replica of an Andreas
Ruckers instrument anno 1626* .
J. Lambrechts-Douillez
(HVG: *I guess the instrument is mentioned because normally and in
other recordings she plays an instrument built by K. Kaufmann
after Andreas Ruckers).

#Dulcken #HubertBédard #ChristianeWuyts