Michael said:
Dear RDS
I am an author living in Warsaw writing a book about Poland and Chopin. In 1978 I commissioned a David Rubio copy of a Dulcken which I still own. It was built by the 'team' at Duns Tew. David did not personally build the Duns Tew instruments but oversaw and brought together a brilliant team effort - each part of the instrument built by a specialist - which produced remarkable instruments with a very individual character. They are Rubios first and foremost and not 'copies' in the slavish sense of the term. The original Dulcken register disposition was not good so David arranged the 8' 8' 4' as in a French instrument - just an example of his pragmatic approach.
The instrument was in my music room in Marylebone in London for the last 27 years until recently when I moved to Warsaw in Poland (one of the great cultural, musical and tourist secret of Europe incidentally). I came across your sensitive and perceptive analyses of Bach quite by accident on the web and read your feelings about the many recordings of the Partitas and the WTC with admiration. I entirely share your opinion of the great Gustav Leonhardt in almost all respects. He was a great personal friend of David Rubio and often played the astonishing Duphly Chaconne at Duns Tew where the walls of the cottage seemed to be pressed outwards with the increasing opulence of sound. The recording bears no resemblance at all to the real instrument in life but was the reason oddly enough that I approached David in the first place.
I knew this remarkable luthier quite well and attended the very moving memorial service and concert after his tragic death in Cambridge. He made some of the greatest guitars in the world and also superlative chests of viols (a group of matched instruments) gambas and baroque violins. Harpsichords were not his major art but he had an ear for rich colour and the genius to realise it in wood - his harpsichords have the similar rich characteristics to his other instruments. And some people do not like them!
I noticed you purchased one of his Taskin copies after much deliberation. I agonised for weeks over my own decision when commissioning my own instrument. In those days the excitement over 'early music' was high and Leonhardt owned two Rubio Taskin copies on which he recorded some opulent Duphly. I attended one of his master classes at the Spitalfields Festival which was quite extraordinary and then his recital in Hawksmoor's great church. He seemed apart from most humans as if strangely sheltered behind a pane of glass - an extraordinary experience and certainly the most memorable harpsichord recital I have ever attended. Harpsichordists are seldom the slightest bit charismatic in concert.
At the time I did not know the harpsichord repertoire as I had studied the piano and had an obsession with Chopin which continues. In fact I have just purchased a fine 1847 Pleyel Pianino which is being restored by the eminent David Winston in the UK. Chopin used a Pleyel of this type and period in that ill-fated period in Valdemosa.
Much has changed since those early days and I really must have my instrument attended to - it is still in its original condition after almost 30 years! The passe phosphor bronze bass strings have begun to snap despite my keeping the instrument slightly above 'French Baroque Pitch' at A 403 - known as French Chamber pitch . So much science has been brought to bear on harpsichord building, stringing and voicing since the heady days of the 1970s. But I could never bear to sell this black, gold and carmine instrument with its superb decorated soundboard and other features - commissioning instruments is a very special experience. I was not wealthy then (and am not now) and it was a terrific cost - 9,000 pounds in 1978 would buy a short lease on a London flat. When he began building Blanchet copies on his own after moving to Cambridge the results were mixed. Trevor Pinnock sold his Blanchet copy by Rubio if that means anything at all.
I play a great deal of Couperin and Scarlatti - sounds heretical on a Dulcken I know but Couperin is given enormous masculine spine on this instrument and the tenor is glorious and the bass profound and dark - the speaking lengths of the strings are so long. One could never feel less than spiritually unsettled by the Sarabandes on this instrument. The slighter works are transformed by the Flemish solidity, like struck silver.
I would love to have your opinion on Couperin and the temperament most suitable to play this composer on. It is so difficult to decide - the reason I stumbled over your thread actually.
Leonhardt once answered a question I asked at a masterclass. 'Why do you so rarely play Couperin in recital?" Leonhardt replied "The music is too good for most audiences"
I did not know he recorded some Couperin - you mentioned this - more details please as I have hundreds of vinyls from those early days of fiendish enthusiasm.
Look forward to your reply
Michael
Dear Michael:
Thank you for your very kind (and exagerated) remarks on my posts on Bach.
Regarding Couperin, I must say that I am as baffled as you about his choice of temperament. For organ music, some kind of modified mean tone is enough, but his harpsichord pieces are much bolder than his organ music. So, I really have no answer. However, for all I know, there was a great deal of flexibility in harpsichord tuning. You of course know about Rameaus system, but it is a fact that there is no record that Couperin and Rameau exanged ideas (at least as far as I know).
My beloved Rubio has also reached the point of breaking the marvelous red brass bass strings. I substituted them for yellow brass, but I confess I don't like the result. Perhaps iron would be a better choice.
The Leonhardt Couperin record was released by Philips. If I can find the exact reference I'll give it to you. I do not have it in the house I am currently living in. But it is really superb, and the harpsichord is a magestic one, tuned very low and with an extremely rich bass.
I too, regard Leonhardt as one of the great masters of our time. I listened to him playing an organ Reinken tocata that I did not know about, and I was marveled: the organ in which he played it is nothing special and yet he shined. As a matter of fact I thought about what he once said: no good organist can shine in a bad organ. Well, he did it.
I am very sorry I did not answer your post before, but I had terribly urgent things to attend to at the time - I did try to answer it, but could get no adequate view on Couperin's tuning.
I hope you will post again.
