Early Keyboard Instruments: The Benton Fletcher Collection at Fenton House [Hardcover]

Mimi S. Waitzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2006

The Benton Fletcher collection, housed at Fenton House in London, contains an outstanding selection of early keyboard instruments including harpsichords, spinets, virginals, clavichords, and pianos. Considering its small size, this collection includes a remarkable selection of extremely rare 16th or early 17th-century Italian examples, along with rare 17th-century English virginals. The instruments range from the elegantly simple to the exquisitely extravagant. Collectively they provide a fascinating history of the craft of early keyboard-making. Each of the 19 instruments in the collection is carefully described in terms of manufacture, content, musical components, history, and technical data, and each is illustrated; often by specially commissioned photographs. Hear the beautiful sounds of early keyboard instruments in a specially recorded CD that comes free with this book. The CD contains 30 individual pieces of music played on many of the instruments in the collection by early keyboard specialist Terence Charleston.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mimi Waitzman has been curator of the Benton Fletcher Collection since 1984, she also makes, repairs and conserves early keyboard instruments and teaches at the Royal College of Music. Born in New York City, she pursued studies in harpsichord performance and musicology at McGill University in Montreal and at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). She has written numerous articles and reviews and was a major contributor to The Care of Historic Musical Instruments. Terence Charleston is a specialist performer on early keyboard instruments. He enjoys a varied career as a solo harpsichordist and chamber musician and has toured extensively within Europe, as well as to Japan and the USA. Since 1995 he has been a member of the ensemble London Baroque. He has recorded for many labels including Naxos, Harmonia Mundi, Bis, Channel Classics, ASV and Deux-Elles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Anova Books (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905400187
• ISBN-13: 978-1905400188
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,671,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for harpsichord lovers and players, July 3, 2009

By 

Claudio Di Veroli (Bray, Rep. Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Early Keyboard Instruments: The Benton Fletcher Collection at Fenton House (Hardcover)

I played on the instruments at Fenton House almost every weekend for three years 1969-1971. My last visit was a few years ago: Ms Waitzmann, author of this book and curator of the collection, kindly tuned many of the instruments and we spent a few hours going from one instrument to another, followed by a group of visitors. It was an unforgettable experience.

This book is very valuable, not only as a most authoritative and beautifully produced catalogue, but also for its excellent and comprehensive introduction, with excellent 3D drawings and fully accessible to the layman.

Last but not least, the book includes an Audio CD, with professional-grade recordings of the instruments in the collection played by Terence Charlston.

Summarising, this fine achievement by Ms Waitzmann is a must-have book-plus-record for all people interested in the harpsichord, from lovers of the instrument to players including professionals.

Claudio Di Veroli, harpsichordist, Ireland
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