Clavichord after Jose Grabalos about 1795, 2 choirs, FF - f, stand inkl, *CD N° 75-4277
The fretted Spanish clavichord with six octaves according to Jose Grabalos, Tarazona about 1790
In the MUSEO DE LA MUSICA in the Catalan capital Barcelone an external inconspicuous clavichord from pine is placed with naturals from box and sharps from palisander. It surprises with its unusual big compass from six octaves (FF-f'''') and a strong tone which is clear up to the discant. A slip of paper is glued on the soundboard which identifies the builder as Jose Grabalos / Contralto en Tarazona. It's obvious that it is about Taranzona near Zaragossa as there was an instrument building centre where also e.g. organs with unusual compasses and sound colours were built. Until now there is almost nothing known about this instrument and its builder - probably because of the unatractiv plain surface and the feeling that the early classic period belongs to the pianoforte. The strings of the 1st bass are single and wound, from F the choirs are double with brass unfretted, and the upper four octaves are fretted with iron. The scaling of the strings points at a pitch of 415 Hz. The original temperament is a Spanish meantone with thight big thirds (2/7 syn. comma). The rebuilding also can be tuned with a 1/6 pyt. comma modified Valotti temperament by bending the tangents.
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