Keyboard instruments through the ages

This site opens doors to the treasuries of history where strung keyboard instrument are put in focus. The combination of strings and keys has been made for centuries. Whereas clavichords and harpsichords originated in the High Middle Ages, hammer instruments were born in the time around 1700 and are thus rather young. Reed organs belong to another instrument family which is forming the sound when air passes brass reeds and puts them into vibration. They were fully developed in the 1840s and belong to the youngest group we have in our collections.

All these instruments have a fascinating history and varying development. We are used to and expect modern pianos to have the same sound ideals all over the world. It is a matter of standardization or sharper expressed ‘uniformed qualities’ of play and sound that, seen in the rear view mirror of history, is a rather young phenomenon and unknown to the old aesthetics. Earlier, the principle of multiplicity was prevalent both concerning exterior, color and design, construction, sound and touch feeling. It is not that long ago since every factory still had its characteristic sound. So here, we shall tell the story about this variety both in words and sound.