Clavecin Roïal Project: Timbres and Fantasy of the Sublime

Zusammenfassung

The performing research project about the Clavecin roïal, that I propose, involves the first worldwide copy of said instrument by the German organologist and keyboard instrument maker Kerstin Schwarz. The project involves the facsimile of the instrument, a book about the research, and a CD recording of it. The aim of the project is to contribute to the new point of view in musical research by using instruments and performance praxis as primary sources, putting together organology, biomechanics in performance and musicology. The Clavecin roïal was a sort of fortepiano in clavichord-form with mutations invented by Johann Gottlob Wagner in 1774. It was influenced by Hebenstreit’s timbre aesthetic; that is to say by the pantalon’s tradition – the very German fortepianos – that has nothing to do with the Cristofori tradition. Wagner’s craftsmanship created a sensitive keyboard with rich sound mutations operated by pedals, allowing whimsical sonorities. Similar to the extra drama that we get in the theatre when we have a good lighting engineer, those sound mutations can be linked with the musical Sublime and the “Fantasia Principle”. This kind of fortepiano was directly connected with C. P. E. Bach’s ideal sound for improvising, emphasized in his Versuch. We can find the idiom of the instrument on Bach’s Kenner und Liebhaber rondos and fantasias. The Clavecin roïal’s construction was widespread at least until c.1800, having been built by numerous instrument makers. Wagner’s workshop built not lesser than 805 in a span of 25 years. Like Johann Zumpe’s square piano, Wagner’s Clavecin roïal played an important role in piano history that has yet to be demonstrated. It provides important clues about North German fortepiano music of late 18th century.