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INSTRUMENTS

A. Basle Historical Museum The Basle music museum showed us its complete clavichord inventory, including the instruments that are not in public view Photos on German website).
1. Swiss (?) fretted C/E-c3, before 1723
in the museum, Sally Fortino played it for us
2. Swedish (?) unfretted FF-f3, FF-F 8'/4', F#-f3 8'/8'
interesting detail: the bass had only one 8'
3. Hubert fretted C-g3, 1782
in the museum, Sally Fortino played it for us
4. Swiss fretted C-c3
unfretted e and a in the small and first octave
5. Swiss (?) octave clavichord undatable 17th-19th century
c1/e1-d3 in book form, possibly fake
6. Swiss (?) fretted C/E.c3, first half 18th century
unfretted d and a
7. German (?) fretted with outer case, C/E-c3, undatable 17th-20th century
tuned a fourth above normal pitch
in the museum, Sally Fortino played it for us
8. Swiss fretted C/E-c3, 18th century
unfretted e and a in the small and first octave
9. anonymous unfretted 1788 (?) on lease to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Risa Mori played it for us there
hubert

Sally Fortino plays the "Hubert" Clavichord
There are still many uncertainties with most of the instruments, and the museum welcomes anybody who is willing to provide further information. What struck us was that the two fretted instruments which are undoubtedly Swiss had one similarity, which was the unfretted e and a.

B. Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
For a little concert just for us, Risa Mori and Cécile Mansuy demonstrated the instrument under
 9. above, and a
10. copy of the Gerstenberg 1760 pedal clavichord by Edwin Meier. On top of it was an
11. unfretted clavichord by Bernhardt Edskes, 1987
The Schola not only encourages clavichord playing, it also offers the study of early musical instruments in its non-academic music school that teaches children and non-professional adults. Both players showed an intimate familiarity with their instruments, and it was a pleasure to listen to them.
mansui

Cécile Mansuy demonstrating the pedal clavichord