Barbieri - Harpsichords and Spinets in Late Baroque Rome

Patrizio Barbieri
Harpsichords and spinets in late Baroque Rome

ith the decline of harpsichord-making in
Naples towards the middle of the 17th century, Rome took its place as the major centre on the
Italian peninsula.1 This article provides new technical and historical information from the mid-17th
to the mid-18th centuries, focusing especially on
the late Baroque: a period when Bernardo Pasquini,
the most skilled Italian keyboard virtuoso of the
time, was active in Rome (c.16501710). The new
archival materialconcerning harpsichords, spinets, spinettini, spinettoni, arpicordi, cembali piegatori and sordiniis drawn from the inventories
of harpsichord-makers and of private houses,
mainly palaces of the Roman nobility, in which
could be found splendid instruments like those in
illus.12 and 2.3 However, harpsichords were also
present in unexpected places like barbers shops,
where they seem to have been used to entertain
clients (d.1673, 1676a, 1678ab).4 The original documents, discussed and partly translated in the text,
are listed chronologically in the Appendix.5
Ramerinis three-register piano-and-forte
harpsichord
The principal instrument used by the Accademie
per Musica in the Palazzo Borghese, and played by
Bernardo Pasquini, was the so-called cimbalo piano
e forte a tre registri, which was regularly maintained
by Giacomo Ramerini during the years 166672.6
Arnaldo Morellito whom we are indebted for
the information about this harpsichordexcludes
any possibility of this being a Geigenwerk (which,
in a Medicean inventory dated 1693, was also classified as an instrument that plays il piano e il forte),7
as Ramerinis instrument has jacks and quills, rather than wheels acting as a bow. Since mechanisms
and pedals (ordegni e pedali) are also mentioned,
Morelli suggests that these devices were used for
inserting and withdrawing the registers, and would

allow the performer to change rapidly from soft to
loud on a single keyboard. He concludes that we
are dealing with one of the first pieces of evidence
of a pedal mechanism for activating the registers,
as Thomas Mace, writing in 1676, attributed this
recent invention to the English harpsichord-maker
John Hasard.8 In fact Mersenne mentioned such an
instrument in 1647, and attributed its invention to
Ramerini, whose recently invented harpsichords
I saw at his workshop in Rome, which, at will, emit
loud or soft tones.9 Mersenne refers to his trip to
Italy, which took place in 16445, and included
Rome. With this earlier date in mind, it is likely
that Ramerinis instrument was the first to use a
pedal mechanism for activating the registers.
We can only hypothesize as to the ways in which
these dynamic contrasts were obtained. Firstly,
merely passing from one to three similar registers
would have increased the intensity level by only 4.8
decibels, and thus not enough to change from soft
to loud. It is also known that the inventory of the
assets of the famous castrato Carlo Broschi, known
as Farinelli (1783), includes a quilled harpsichord of
his invention, which plays li piani e forti using registers that had three different types of string: copper,
iron and gut.10 We cannot exclude the possibility of
this having been previously adopted by Ramerini,
since the latter also made Geigenwerks, i.e. keyboard
instruments with gut strings;11 and Giambattista
Doni, in a letter from Rome to Mersenne in Paris in
1640, refers to your gut-stringed harpsichord (the
first model of which was made here, although you
perfected it there).12
The use of such a harpsichord was, moreover,
fully in line with the taste for piano e forte then
popular in Rome, at least according to Scipione
Maffei, who wrote in 1711:
Early Music, Vol. xl, No. 1 The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1093/em/cas023, available online at www.em.oxfordjournals.org
Advance Access published on February 29, 2012
55
Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at BIBLIOTECA FACOLTA'GIURISPRUDENZA on April 1, 2012
1 Sebastiano Ceccarini, Allegoria dei 5 sensi / Allegory of five senses (1745), 174 123 cm (Private collection, Altomani & Sons,
Pesaro and Milan)
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uno de principali fonti, da quali traggano i periti di

questarte il segreto di singolarmente dilettar chi ascolta, il
piano, el forte; o sia nelle proposte, e risposte, o sia quando
con artifiziosa degradazione lasciandosi a poco a poco mancar
la voce, si ripiglia poi ad un tratto strepitosamente: il quale
artifizio usato frequentemente, ed a meraviglia ne gran
concerti di Roma con diletto incredibile di chi gusta la
perfezione dellarte.13
sponsored by Cardinal Francesco Barberini: it had

two keyboards, per fare il piano e il forte (the one for
the piano had only one stop, a chimney flute 8).14
Roman church-organs using the Tiratutti, a device
that pulled out all the stops of the forte (Ripieno) at
once, only begin to be mentioned in 1646.15
one of the main resources used by specialists of this art

to draw the secret of particularly delighting the listener is
the piano e forte; [it is used] either in proposta and risposta,
or else when, with artistic nuance, allowing the sound to
vanish little by little, it then revives with sudden thunder;
this marvellous effect is frequently used at all the major
concerts in Rome, to the incredible delight of those who
enjoy the perfection of the art.
Standard three-register harpsichords

Three-register harpsichords were not particularly rare in Rome. Indeed, counting only those
mentioned in the Appendix below, there were
more than 40, beginning with one made in 1621 by
Giovanni Battista Boni da Cortona and listed in
the inventory of the Princess Olimpia Giustiniani
Barberini (d.1730), the earliest-known three-register
harpsichord of Roman provenance to date. Of particular interest are the following: the harpsichord
Further evidence of this vogue is provided by

the organ which Giulio Cesare Burzi built in 1642
for the church of S. Lorenzo in Damaso in Rome,
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57
2 Harpsichord by Mattia di Gand ([Rome], 1685) (Bologna, Collezione Tagliavini; photo by Mario Berardi)
of Queen Cristina of Sweden made by her favourite

maker, Girolamo Zenti, which was richly carved
(d.1689a); one in the palace Pamphilj, by Giuseppe
Mondini (d.1709b); and one belonging to Cardinal
Acquaviva, valued at 120 scudi, an exceptional estimate (d.1747). Additionally, three-register instruments are recorded in each of the newly discovered
inventories of the following harpsichord-makers:
Filippo Fabri (d.1691c).

Giacomo Ridolfi (d.1700b).
Current evidence suggests several possible dispositions for three registers:
3 818
2 8 + 1 4 (see illus.3)19
1 16 + 2 820
2 8 tiorbino (identity of the latter register is
uncertain)21
Three-register instruments were likely preferred
for performances requiring a louder sound: Francesco
Garbi, maestro di cappella at S. Girolamo della Carit
in Rome, received payment in 1687 for acquiring a
three-register harpsichord to replace a two-register
one, for performances of oratorios.22
A 16 three-register harpsichordan instrument
allottava bassawas almost certainly owned by
Prince Giulio Savelli: it was 14 Roman palmi long
(about 31349 cm) and was supported by five legs,
rather than the customary three; the other three
harpsichords listed in the same inventory are only
78 palmi long (d.1712a).23 Monsignor Giustino
Ciampini (d.1698a), the founder of the Accademia
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Unusual harpsichords: those with more than

three registers, or one keyboard
In the inventory of goods belonging to Francesco
Maria Ginetti, a notary and collector of paintings, there is a valuation for an instrument with
two keyboards and four registers. The inventory
states it is by Cortona, the name used in Rome for
both Giovanni Battista Boni (d.1641) and his son
Giuseppe (1629/301702):24 A large harpsichord in
sesta [C/E short bottom octave] with two keyboards
and four registers, with an inner-case, and an outercase white wood, and its legs of turned wood and
gilded, leather-coated, said to be by Cortona, worth
30.00 scudi (d.1725b). The 1649 inventory of Cardinal
Francesco Barberini may also be referring to an
instrument of this sort, by Giovanni Battista Boni
of Cortona, when it describes: Two harpsichords
together, that is one above the other, the one on top
with three registers; that below with one register,
[both] made by Gio. Batta Cortonese.25 In addition to the polyharmonic instruments of Doni and
Della Valle, made by Polizzino, attention is drawn
to another two-manual harpsichord, a hitherto not
fully understood three-register instrument with
the variation of tones (con la variazione de tuoni); it
belonged to Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni and, in 1739,
was restored by Giovanni Antonio Alari.26 As well
as these harpsichords, three two-manual spinets are
also mentioned in the Roman archives (see below).
There are only two surviving two-manual harpsichords that are definitely Italian, and both of
these are of uncertain attribution. One has 2 8
on the lower manual and 1 4 on the upper
manual with no coupler or dogleg jacks. The other
has the same three sets of strings but, according to
Denzil Wraight, it seems that the arrangement
was intended simply to give 1 8, 1 4 on both
keyboards.27
As well as the above-mentioned harpsichords by
Boni of Cortona, there is another which is listed as
having two keyboards and four registers. Recorded as
being by Bucres di Germania (meaning Ruckers,
according to Arnaldo Morelli), this instrument was
kept by Prince Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna at his
theatre. Giacomo Ridolfi, who restored it in 1682,
Following the death of Valerio Piccini (1664),

his widow sold his remaining instruments to
Giuseppe Boni Cortona and Giacomo Garzini,
both fellow Roman makers. The three-register
instrument was of the levatore di cassa (innerouter) design. Others included a tiorbino levatore
di cassa and three single-register harpsichords
described as attaccati alla cassa.16 That the false
inner-outer type was already in fashion in Rome
by the middle of the 17th century is confirmed
not only by these instruments, but also by d.1656
and the three-register harpsichord attaccato alla
cassa inventoried in the workshop of Giovanni
Pietro Polizzino (1658).17
Fisico-Matematica of Rome, probably also had one,

which was about 12 palmi long (c.26899 cm).
3 Harpsichord by Giovanni Battista Giusti (Ferrara, 1679) (Bologna, Collezione Tagliavini; photo by Mario Berardi)
59
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red leather printed in gold (d.1633). As with the twomanual harpsichord by Bucres which belonged the
Colonna family, the maker of this instrument may
be identified as Ruckers and, more precisely, as Gio.
[vanni], i.e. Ioannes Ruckers (15781642).32 The presence of foreign instruments in the Colonna palace can
be explained by the political activity of Girolamo and
his brother MarcAntonio, who held important diplomatic assignments in connection with the crowns
of Spain (which controlled the Spanish Netherlands,
including Antwerp) and Austria.33
A six-register harpsichord is listed among the
many stringed keyboard instruments of the abovementioned Marquis Giovanni Giorgio Costaguti
(d.1703b). Both Pasquini and Handel certainly also
played a seven-register harpsichord that Grand
Prince Ferdinando de Medici sent as a gift in 1703
to the Marchioness Isabella Ruspoli in Rome.34
It is likely that a number of these registers were
only special effects, like the sordina (also called
liuto) and the arpeggiamento (probably similar to the
arpichordum) present in some of the instruments
made by Father Fabio da Bologna (1677 and 1686).35
Prince Pompeo Colonna, in 1649, owned a large
harpsichord, table shaped, which can be played on
two sides (d.1649).36 This could be the earliest mention of a vis--vis instrument, oras Grant OBrien
suggestsa combination harpsichord like those
made by the Ruckers family, in which the virginals
at the rear always played at octave pitch to the harpsichord. Another instrument of this kind belonged
to Cardinal Viginio Orsini (d.1676c): A small harpsichord with a spinet attached, with case. Prince
Chigis inventory of 1666 lists a harpsichord . . .
for playing in three persons;37 it was probably very
similar to the instrument at the Florentine court in
16656, which was made up by two harpsichords
and one spinet, which has three keyboards and
could be played on three sides.38 Both these last
instruments were possibly of the vis--vis kind, with
the addition of a third independent manual, like
those of the piano-harpsichords made in the late
18th century by Johann Andreas Stein.39
Harpsichords with fewer than three registers, and
other instruments
The standard Roman harpsichord had only two
registers and is described thus in the majority of
confirms that he requilled four rows of jacks;28 the

only unspecified detail is whether it was equipped
with two or four sets of strings.29 The instrument
was undoubtedly played by Pasquini, since four of his
operas were performed at the theatre between 1677
and 1688 (he must thus also have known Ridolfi,
who at that time is recorded as the repairer and
tuner of the instrument).30
A second four-register harpsichord, again
by Cortona, is recorded in the palace of Duke
Antonio Maria Salviati (d.1704a): A four-register
harpsichord by Cortona with carved pyramidal
legs, wholly gilded with similar casing, lumeggiato
[painted highlights], with its music-stand. A
third, by (Giovanni Maria) Mambriani, is detailed
in the inventory of the Marquis Giovanni Giorgio
Costaguti (d.1703b): One four-register harpsichord
with wooden case, said to be by Manbriani, held as
security for scudi 20.00.
A cembalo grande of the same typewith a single
keyboard, but also without any reference to the pitch
of the strings of the four registerswas the property of Prince Camillo Pamphilj (d.1743): One large
harpsichord with gilded wooden casing and leather
coating, [contained] in the same case; the said harpsichord has four registers with ivory keyboard, innercase, its legs gilded and carved in old-fashioned style,
80.00 scudi. Despite the late date of the inventory,
the legs carved allantica reveal that it was made
much earlier (in the inventories of the time, expressions of this kind mean that the piece was really old,
see, for example, d.1738). Thus, this instrument can
probably be identified as the four-register harpsichord allottava bassa of the Pamphilj family, a
16 instrument maintained in 1680 by Francesco
Acciari.31 Two further four-register instruments are
mentioned in two other inventories (d.1689b, 1708a).
Finally, in 1740, Celestino Testa received 100 Roman
scudi from Marquis Colonna of Naples to make a
four-register clavicytherium (a standing [vertical]
harpsichord), but this was never completed (d.1754).
The archives indicate that instruments with more
than four registers were also to be found in Rome
in the period under consideration here. The 1633
inventory of the goods of Cardinal Girolamo
Colonna mentions that his audience chamber
housed a five-register harpsichord made by the
hand of the Flemish Gio. Lucres, with its cover of
(d.1652, 1676c, 1690c, 1697, 1703a, 1704a). Finally,

d.1702 records a cembalo called sordino, an instrument which recent research has identified as an early
Italian tangent piano.45
Spinetta, spinettino and spinettone
In addition to a pair of two-register harpsichords,
the inventory of Pasquinis goods lists a spinetta a un
registro, a spinettina and a spinettone.
Spinetta. The most common type of spinet
had a single register. One such instrument, for
example, is by Albani, mentioned in d.1710b. In
Rome, however, these instruments were sometimes also made with two registers, like the one by
Giuseppe Mondini mentioned in the Medicean
inventory of 1716,46 and those belonging to the
music bookseller Federico Franzini (d.1686b) and
to Marquis Pietro Gabrielli (d.1734). In 1693 another
spinet is mentioneda rare specimenwith two
keyboards and richly decorated: One spinet with its
case, with two keyboards, painted with flowers with
gold leaf, and inside painted with seascapes. This
spinet has, on its two ivory keyboards, a surround
of various types of foliage and gilded putti (d.1693).
It belonged to Paolo Catucci, a wealthy amateur musician, a pharmacist by profession and the
owner of a shop in whose inventory is listed a jar
containing oil of the human cranium!47 Another
two-keyboard spinet is recorded in March 1717 at
Prince Francesco Maria Ruspolis household, when
it was restored by Mattia di Gand; it was probably
used by Antonio Caldara, whountil the year
before, when he departed for the Court of Vienna
had been the princes maestro di cappella.48 A third
two-manual spinet, an old one, is mentioned in
d.1719b. They were possibly similar to those made
with great success by Girolamo Zenti (at the end of
his life) and by his pupil Giovanni Battista Giusti
(in 167980, for Ippolito Bentivoglio); both contained a 4 upper keyboard and a lower one which
could provide both 8 + 4 andif pushed forward,
by means of two knobs at the two sides of the
keyboardthe 8 only.49
All these spinets could be made in inner-outer
or false inner-outer fashion, with or without legs
in which case they were also called da tavolino
(d.1722).
61
the many inventories consulted. Its construction

was simpler, as three registers required that one
set of strings be at a different level at both ends, or
angled relative to one another if only one set of the
strings was at a different level. The two harpsichords
belonging to Pasquini were equipped with only two
registers. Indeed, as Andrea Pozzos famous picture shows, Pasquini had his portrait painted while
playing a very modest instrument with a single
keyboard, rather than, for example, the abovementioned one by Ruckers.40 The two registers
were very probably 2 8, since the 4 was so rare
during this period that in one inventory (d.1730) the
disposition is given as two registers with the octave
arpetta, that is, with the smaller curved bridge for
the octave. The three harpsichords inventoried following the death of Pasquinis pupil Bernardo Gaffi
(1744) were also equipped with only two registers.
Their owner could have afforded more expensive
instruments, as shown by the high valuation of
some of his other instruments: one by Domenico da
Pesaro (30 scudi), the second by Giuseppe Mondini
(70 scudi), and the third by an unknown maker, but
with the exceptional value of 110 scudi.41 We also
find that the harpsichords of the maestri di cappella
Orazio Benevoli (d.1672b) and Pompeo Cannicciari
(d.1691d, made by Giacomo Ridolfi) had only two
registers.
As far as the ranges of the keyboards of this period
are concerned, some of those in the Appendix
are described as allottava stesa, a term which
according to the Roman Giampiero Pinaroli
(171832)corresponds to a compass of 55 keys (i.e.
GGc).42 The inventories do not mention instruments with split keys, although such instruments
were still in use during Pasquinis time; the only
exception is a large instrument with three orders of
keys (d.1695b), probably a cembalo cromatico of the
type still made in Rome by Francesco Marchion in
the second half of the 17th century.43
Besides the more usual instruments, the inventory of Prince Camillo Pamphilj (d.1743) mentions
a cembalo in piedi (a clavicytherium): it was probably made by Giuseppe Mondini, who had been at
the service of the Pamphilj and to whom Giampiero
Pinaroli (wrongly) attributes the invention of the
instrument.44 Claviorgans, although almost generally not called thus, also survived into this period
Spinettina. Pasquinis spinettina was probably at

4 pitch or higher, like the ones that Kircher mentions in 1650 as a new Roman invention, stating
that they were around 1 palmi long (c.347 cm).52
One of these was made by Silvestro Albana (d.1628),
(illus.4).53 Another one was made by Orazio Albana
(d.1648), Silvestros brother: only 1 palmi long
(c.347 cm), this instrument had a painting in the lid
representing St Franciss ecstasy and was richly decorated with lace and crimson damask (d.1716b). It was
therefore even smaller than the 1637 octave spinet by
Zenti now in the New York Metropolitan Museum
of Art, which was oncelike Albanaslined with
crimson damask.54 Since these instruments were not
cumbersome, they could be hung round the neck on
a strap: for instance, the spinetta to be hung from
the neck painted in green from the Medici court
(1660);55 and also, this time in Rome, the spinettina
... which could be hung from the neck like a guitar,
belonging to Giovanni Battista Borghese, repaired
in 1675 by Francesco Marchionni, an esteemed
apprentice of Zenti.56
In Rome, up to the end of the 17th century,
various spinets are reported as being strung with
gold strings, which greatly reduced their size in the
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bass and, in addition, produced a less inharmonic

sound (see, for example, d.1649, 1679a).57
Spinettone. Lastly, as far as the spinettone is
concerned, Pasquinis Tuscan origins may lead one
to think immediately of the spinettone da orchestra
or da teatro listed in the Medicean inventories dated
1700 and 1716 respectively (probably by Bartolomeo
Cristofori, to whom two such extant instruments
are attributed). They were a sort of large spinetta
traversa provided with two registers (1 8 + 1 4).58
According to Giuliana Montanari, in Florence these
instruments were also used at a professional level,
while the old spinetta, on the other hand, was often
consigned to domestic use.59 Some spinetta were
even equipped with curious domestic accessories,
such as the game of draughts, as revealed by one
described in d.1726b, One spinet with a draughts
board and its pieces, with a deep-blue damask cushion
on top, where the board was probably inlaid or
painted on the instruments lid. Another, in d.1696, is
described as A spinet adapted to be used as a cushion.
It is clear from the inventories listed in the Appendix
that there were many keyboard stringed instruments
covered with damask, brocade or velvet.
In Rome, as in Florence, the term spinettone could
not, however, have been limited to the large spinette
traverse, but rather included any large-sized spinetta
or arpicordo, as can be deduced from the two following documents:
1658 inventory of the workshop of Giovanni
Pietro Polizzino, harpsichord-maker: a arpicordo and a two-register appicordone [= arpicor
done].60
1691 inventory of the Medici court of Florence:
a spinettone which can be played on three parts
with cypress keyboards.61
To these must be added those described in
d.c.164550, 1667, 1679b, 1692a, 1694, and 1695a, which,
however, could also refer to large bentside spinets.
Folding harpsichords
Pasquini probably also knew this kind of instrument. There is one listed in the inventory among
Duke Domenico Grillos assets: A folding harpsichord for the country in its case or box, of about
Concerning the shape of these simple instruments, the 1658 inventory of the belongings left by the
harpsichord-maker Pietro Polizzino mentions two
spinette and one appicordo.50 The arpicordo, having
a polygonal or a rectangular case like that of the virginal, suggests that for the spinetta they meant a trapezoidal shape or one similar to that of Zentis spinetta
traversa (bentside). Polizzinos inventory of 1658 is
the last Roman document I know of to mention the
word arpicordo. The rectangular case, like that of the
Neapolitan virginal in the following decades, must
have become unusual, at least in Rome, so much so
that it was explicitly noted, as in the 1719 inventory of
a second-hand dealers shop: One box-shaped spinetta, all broken, with two wooden legs (d.1719c). The
rectangular shape must have survived in particular
cases, as in the instrument made by Maberiani in
1676 to be inserted like a drawer into a magnificently
decorated studiolo.51 In the Appendix, two similar
studioli containing spinette are mentioned, belonging to Cardinal Egidio Colonna (d.1687a) and Prince
Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (d.1709b), respectively.
four palmi [c.90 cm] (d.1713a) (for an example, see

illus.5a/b).62
This new document is the first evidence for the
folding harpsichord in Italy, occurring just before
the entry in the Medicean inventory of 1716, relating
to an instrument made in France.63 The one mentioned in 1713 also had a case, like one of the two
listed in the will of Farinelli (1782).64 The Roman
Giampiero Pinaroli (171832) attributed the invention of cimbali piegatori to Giuseppe Mondini
(Imola 1658 Rome 1718), but the authorship of this
inventionpreviously attributed to Jean Marius
(1700)is now a matter of serious debate.65 The
newly discovered document does nothing to advance
this debate, though the nonchalance with which the
Roman second-hand dealer inventoried the cimbalo
da campagna piegatore leads one to suspect that it

cannot have been any great novelty.
The makers
Second-hand dealers rarely report the names
of makers in their inventories. The following have
been encountered in the course of assembling the
Appendix; I have taken the opportunity to add some
new biographical information about some of these
makers.66
Working in Rome:
Acciari, family (d.1698c, 1737).
Albani (Albana), Orazio (d.1716b).
Albani, family (d.1682, 1710b).
Boni Cortona, Giovanni Battista (d.1691a, 1730). He
was already working in Rome as early as 1606.67
Boni Cortona, Giuseppe (d.1 664).
63
4 Octave spinet by Silvestro Albana (son of Andrea Albana) (Rome, 1617) (Bologna, Collezione Tagliavini; photo by Liuwe
Tamminga)
Boni Cortona, family (d.11678b, 1690a, 1699, 1704a, 1705a,

1710a, 1725b).
Fabri, Filippo (d.1691c).
Garzini, Giacomo (d.1664). d.1698.68
Mambriani, Giovanni Maria (d.1703b). d. between 1702
and 1708, though most probably in 1708.69
Mondini, Giuseppe (d.1709b).
Piccini, Valerio (d.1664, [1692b]).70
Ramerini, Giacomo (d.1714).
Ridolfi, Giacomo (d.1691d, 1700b, 1725b). Born c.1636,
d.17 September 1700.71
Zenti, Girolamo (d.1680, 1689a, 1714).
Active elsewhere:
Celestini, Giovanni (d.1704a).
Domenico Bolognese (d.1669).
Domenico da Pesaro (d.1676b).
[Ruckers, Ioannes] (d.1633).
Trasuntino (d.1717b, 1718 twice, 1719a, 1738).
It is not specified whether the last is Vito (fl.1522

1606) or Alessandro (c.1485c.1545) Trasuntino. The
latter is more likely, because the most famous harpsichord-makers of the 16th century listed by Pinaroli
(Rome, 171832) include only the following: Domenico
da Pesaro, Alessandro Trasontino, Gio. Celestini.72
The harpsichord mentioned in d.1717b was later
painted by Domenico Sebastiano De Marchis,
known as il Tempestino (d.1713 in Rome).73 In the
inventory, the second-hand dealer states that this
instrument is appraised at only twenty scudi,
although it is worth as much as its owner wants.
To the above-mentioned must be added a certain
Veneri, a hitherto unknown maker (d.1715).
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Appendix
d.1633. Subiaco, Monastero di S. Scolastica, Archivio
Colonna, III.BB.LXX, no.5 (cartaceo), Inventario di
robbe di Sua Eminenza Sig. Cardinale [Girolamo]
Colonna, che restano nel suo appartamento del Palazzo in
Roma ...: Nel camerone di S. Audienza ... Un cimbalo
a cinque registri fatto per mano di Gio. Lucres [Lueres?]
fiamengo con la coperta di corame rosso stampato dhoro
... Ad 15 di maggio 1633.
d.1643. as, 30 n.c., uff.36, vol.71, f.79, 7 January 1643, inv.
furniture sold by Ill.ma Ortensia Borghese: Un cimbalo a
tre registri con tastatura di avolio con cassa tutta dipinta
con copertina di corame doro, e verde con piedi
indorati.
d.c164550. as, Archivio Santacroce, B.704 (Inventario
della Guardarobba dellEm.mo Sig. Card. Gasparo
Mattei), Section Robbe diverse: [no.277] Un spinettone con la sua cassa dipinta di color rosso con arma di
Sua Eminenza sopra, con suoi piedi di noce torniti;
[no.283] Una spinettina picciola con sua cassa biancha
guasta.
d.1648. as, 30 n.c., uff.16, vol.101, f.572v, 13 June 1648, inv.
Felice de Totis: Un cimbalo a tre registri con tastatura
davolio.
d.1649. as, 30 n.c., uff.13, vol.316 (year 1649II), f.43, 7 May
1649, inv. Prince Pompeo Colonna: [f.74r] Un cimbalo
grande tavolo che sona da dui bande. Una spinetta
coperta di velluto rosso cremesino con passaman[o]
doro, et corde doro.
d.1652. as, 30 n.c., uff.2, vol.185, f.802, 14 May 1652,
inv. Dukes Girolamo and Dorotea Mattei: [f.809] Un
cimbalo, et organo assieme coperto di cordovano turchesco
rosso con filetti doro con un piede ... coperto.
d.1656. as, 30 n.c., uff.25, vol.281, f.69, 6 May 1656, inv. qm
Francesco Brugiaferri: Un cimbalo attaccato alla cassa
con la coperta di corame.
5a, 5b Folding harpsichord, Anonymous (Italy, first half of the 18th century) (Bologna, Collezione Tagliavini; photo by
Liuwe Tamminga)
Un cimbalo a due registri opera di Girolamo Zenti

Viterbese con sua cassa di legno tinto color di noce, e
filettata doro con suoi piedi compagni.
d.1682. as, Not. a.c., vol.2684, 4 April 1682, old inv.
Cardinal deglAlbizzi: [f.35 of the inventory] Una spinetta
dipinta dellAlbano ricoperta di raso cremesino con
merletto, oro, et argento attorno.
d.1683. as, Not. a.c., vol.901, f.222, 29 January 1683, inv. qm
Carlo Antonio Magnini: [f.256v, repeated at f.537v] Un
cimbalo tre registri.
d.1686a. as, 30 n.c., uff.15, vol.304, f.309, 18 February 1686,
inv. qm Rev. Father Marco Antonio Boncompagni (of the
princely family): [f.312v] Un cimbalo a tre registri usato, e
vecchio, coperto di corame con suoi piedi.
d.1686b. as, Not. a.c., vol.6448, f.404, 16 July 1686, inv.
Federico Franzini: [f.410v] Una spinetta a due registri con
la cassa tinta rossa con li suoi piedi di legno.
d.1687a. as, Not. a.c., vol.909, f.479, f.1023, 3 April 1687,
inv. Cardinal Egidio Colonna (unnumbered folios): Un
studiolo debano intersiato con pietre, figure, e paesini.
Con orologgio sopra, e sotto spinetta, e specchij di qu, e
di l, et in mezzo un cavallo con la figura sopra di
Costantino con sei statuette, balaustro, e sei colonnelle, e
capitelli, et con il suo piede il tutto di rame indorato, scudi
200.; ... Nella stanza dove si mangia ... Un cimbolo a 3
registri lavorato inoro, li piedi con angeletti indorati,
scudi 30..
d.1687b. as, Not. a.c., vol.5581, f.426, 8 June 1687, inv.
Dukes Orsini (palace at Bracciano): [f.463v] Un cimbalo
grande longo palmi 12 in circa con la sua cassa di legno
tinta rossa.
d.1689a. as, Not. a.c., vol.917, 25 April 1689, inv. qm Queen
Cristina of Sweden: [ff.5378] Un cembalo tre registri di
cipresso con sue corde, tastature, e saltarelli con sua cassa
di legno, foderata di corame rossa, e tutta rabescata doro,
e longo palmi nove, e mezzo, e largo palmi tre, et un
quarto, e detto cimbalo si dice che sia di Girolamo con il
suo piede di legno tutto intagliato palme, e festoni con
sette puttini, che fanno diversi atti, e tre leoni parimente
indorati, et intagliate con quattro maniglie piede di detto
piede stallo, longo palmi dieci, et alto palmi tre.
d.1689b. as, Not. a.c., vol.5590, f.359, 15 September
1689, inv. Dukes Francesco and Carlo de Bonellis:
[f.365r] Un cimbalo grande a quattro registri con cassa
foderata di maiorchino [= marocchino] cremesi messa
in oro.
d.1690a. as, Not. R.C.A., vol.827, f.358, 13 March 1690, inv.
qm Rev. Dominicus de Zaulis: [f.360v] Cimbalo del
Cortona con suoi piedi di legno dipinti a noce con fili
doro.
d.1690b. as, Not. a.c., vol.5593, f.352, 29 May 1690, inv. qm
Margherita Micoli Rambotti: [f.353v] Un cimbalo color di
noce di fuori, e dipinto dentro tre registri.
d.1690c. as, Not. a.c., vol.919, f.109, 15 July 1690, inv. qm
Ecc.mo Domenico Colonna: [f.112r] Un cembalo a 3 registri con sua cassa di legno dorata con suo piede sotto intagliato dorato, scudi 100.; [f.141rv] Una spinetta d organo
65
d.1664. as, 30 n.c., uff.19, vol.295, f.238, 26 October 1664,

inv. of the workshop of the late harpsichord-maker
Valerio Piccini, instruments sold by his widow to the
harpsichord-makers Giuseppe Boni [Cortona] and
Giacomo Garzini: Un cimbalo a un rigistro attachato
alla cassa, scudi 7.; Dui cimbali attaccati alla cassa ad un
rigistro luno non finiti, scudi 7.; Un cimbalo a tre registri
non finito levatore di cassa, scudi 14.; [cancelled:] Un
tiorbino levatore di cassa senza cassa, scudi [blank]; Dui
cimbali levatori di cassa alla ottava stesa cominciati, scudi
8..
d.1667. as, Not. a.c., vol.4773, f.355, 2 July 1667, inv.
Margherita Bertelli: [f.364v] Un cimbalo, spinettone
con li suoi tre piedi, coperto di corame rosso usato, scudi
3..
d.1669. as, 30 n.c., uff.32, vol.226, f.598, 6 May 1669, inv.
Abbot Ioannes Carolus Vallonus (palace in Frascati):
[f.602v] Una spinetta di Domenico Bolognese con sua
cassa, serratura, e chiave, e chiavetta da accordarla, scudi
1..
d.1672a. as, 30 n.c., uff.5, vol.93bis, f.632, 30 January 1672,
inv. qm Vincenzo Baccelli: [f.638v] Un cimbalo 3 registri,
scudi 40..
d.1672b. as, 30 n.c., uff.8, vol.186, f.415, 17 June 1672, inv.
qm Maestro di cappella Orazio Benevoli: [f.415v] Un
cimbalo ordinario a doi registri con suoi piedi usato.
d.1673. as, 30 n.c., uff.15, vol.265, f.189, 17 January 1673,
inv. barber shop of the late Ottavio Marubio: [f.189v] Un
ci[m]bolo con li suoi piedi, scudi 7.50.
d.1676a. as, 30 n.c., uff.15, vol.275, f.633, 22 July 1676, inv.
barber shop of Giovanni Cipriani: [f.633v] Un cimbalo a
coda dui registri con sua coperta di corame vecchio.
d.1676b. as, Not. a.c., vol.888, f.418, 9 December 1676, inv.
qm Timoteo Zimenes: [f.419v] Un cimbalo di Domenico
da Pesaro.
d.1676c. Rome, Archivio Capitolino, Archivio Orsini, serie
I, vol.413, int.2, 27 August 1676, inv. Cardinal Virginio
Orsini, Rome, Monte Giordanos palace: [f.3r] Un
graviorgano con suo cembalo grande tre piedi dorati, e
cassa di cembalo filettata doro; [f.8v] Un cembaletto con
spinetta attaccato con cassa foderato dormesino verde, e
passamano.
d.1678a. as, 30 n.c., uff.15, vol.281, f.870, 25 August 1678,
inv. barber shop of the late Michele Chinelli: [f.870v] Un
cimbalo con suoi piedi color di noce, con fregio doro,
scudi 5..
d.1678b. as, 30 n.c., uff.15, vol.282, f.186, 23 September
1678, inv. barber shop of Giovanni Paolo Pasquini: [f.187r]
E pi un cimbalo del Cortona.
d.1679a. as, 30 n.c., uff.29, vol.252, f.379, 31 July 1679, inv.
Duke Filippo Giuliano Mancini: [f.381r] Una spinetta
depinta fiori dentro, gi detta delle corde doro.
d.1679b. as, Not. a.c., vol.894, f.421, 4 October 1679, inv.
Filippo and Cristoforo de Scornis: [f.457v] Un spinettone,
scudi 5..
d.1680. as, Not. a.c., vol.6589, f.133, 27 January 1680, inv.
qm Marchioness Anna Maria Costaguti Vidman: [f.134v]
early
musicfebruary
2012
d.1696. as, 30 n.c., uff.27, vol.226, f.158, inv. Agata Dorotea

Margarita Gherardini: [f.161r] n. 1 spinetta usata ad uso
di cuscino, scudi 1..
d.1697. as, Not. a.c., vol.2612, f.1047, 12 December 1697,
inv. qm Cardinal Dominicus Maria Cursi: Un cimbalo ad
uso dorgano con canne di legno inverniciato con rabeschi
doro.
d.1698a. as, 30 n.c., uff.1, vol.849, f.27, 1 July 1698, inv. qm
Giustino Ciampini: [f.129r] Un cembalo tre registri
levatore di cassa, con tastatura davorio longo palmi
dodici in circa tinto rosso con filetti doro e suoi piedi
torniti filettati doro.
d.1698b. as, Not. a.c., vol.940, f.541, 14 July 1698, inv. qm
Cardinal Palutius Altieri: [f.562r] Un cimbalo tre registri
con sopracoperta di corame verde et oro con piedi torniti
rossi et oro.
d.1698c. as, Not. a.c., vol.3226, f.469, 4 December 1698,
dowry of the Ill.ma Leonora Elisabetta Cimarra: [f.472v]
Un cimbalo dellAcciaro con suoi tritoni dorati con
copertina di corame dorato sopra, scudi 150..
d.1699. as, 30 n.c., uff.7, vol.256, f.381, 26 February 1699,
dowry of Innocenza Maria Boni: [f.386r] Un cimbalo
allottava stesa con tastatura debano e avorio opera del
Cortona stimato scudi 25..
d.1700a. as, 30 n.c., uff.7, vol.258, f.708, 23 May 1700, inv.
qm Rev.mo Pompeo Fioravante: [f.709v] Un cimbolo
senza corde a tre registri, e con sua cassa dalbuccio tinta
verde e rabescata tutta per ordinaria.
d.1700b. as, 30 n.c., uff.9, vol.542, f.107, 13 October 1700,
inv. qm Giacomo Ridolfi (retired harpsichord-maker):
[f.108v] Un cimbalo nuovo bianco due registri con suoi
piedi vecchi rotti; [f.110r] Due spinette eguali guaste di
poco valore; Un cimbolo grande tr registri vecchio con
suoi piedi torniti parimente vecchi; [f.130v] Un cimbalo
due registri in sesto ....
inv. qm Stefano Petit: [f.336v] Un cimbolo chiamato
sordino, con sui piedi lisci, e fodera tinta di rosso.
d.1703a. as, Not. a.c., vol.954, f.9, 5 January 1703, inv. qm
Marquis Ottavio Maria Lancellotti: [ff.19v20r] Due
cimbali compagni con suoi piedi intagliati, e dorati con le
sue coperte di corame indorato; Un altro cimbalo col suo
organetto con soprafodera intagliata, e dorata allantica, e
coperto parimente di corame dorato.
d.1703b. as, Not. a.c., vol.954, f.379, 15 March 1703,
inv. qm Marquis Giovanni Giorgio Costaguti: [f.387v] Un
cimbalo quattro registri con cassa di legno bianco, che si
dice essere del Manbriani ritenuto in pegno per scudi
venti; [f.388r] Un cimbalo tr registri con cassa rossa, e
suo piede; [f.419r] Una spinetta con cascata di damasco
giallo, e rosso con sua frangia e trina simile; [f.422r] Un
cimbalo 3 registri con cassa dipinta, e suo leggivo
dorato; [f.429r] Un cimbalo a sei registri, che stava in
detta stanza [of the palace at Piazza Mattei] con copertina
di corame; [f.443r] Un cimbalo con sua coperta di corame
con larme dellIllustrissima Casa, e suoi piedi color di
noce.
con tastatura davorio dentro sua cassa, scudi 20.; Un

altra spinetta dipinta allIndiana con tastatura davorio,
scudi 10.; Altra spinetta con cassa debano, e tastatura
davorio, scudi 10.; Altra spinetta piccola ordinaria, scudi
3.; [f.141v] Un cimbalo coda levator di cassa a 3 registri
con tastatura davorio con sua cassa coperta di broccato
torchina guarnita con [bronetta] dargento, e seta, con
coperta di corame sopra, scudi 50..
d.1690d. as, Not. a.c., vol.4280, f.353, 30 July 1690, inv. qm
Iannozzius Serena: Un cimbolo un registro con suoi
piedi coperto di corame con diversi libri dariette.
d.1691a. as, Not. a.c., vol.5904, f.191, 28 February 1691, inv.
qm Abbot Giovanni Vincenzo Arate: [f.201r] Un cimbalo
coda di dui registri levator di cassa con tastatura
davorio di Gio. Batta di Cortona con sua cassa coperta
di cordovano cremise dorata con sue piedi di noce
intagliati.
d.1691b. as, Not. a.c., vol.62, f.475, 6 May 1691, inv.
Marquis Filippo Nerli: [f.499r] Un cimbalo coda due
registri, levator di cassa con sua cassa di legno di fuori
tinta color di noce filettata doro, e di dentro dipintoci un
paese con suoi piedi intagliati dipinti color di noce et oro
con arme della Casa.
d.1691c. as, Not. a.c., vol.1873, f.519, 22 May 1691, inv.
workshop of the late harpsichord-maker Filippo Fabri:
[f.519v] Un cimbolo grande tre registri ottava stesa
senza piedi con la tastatura debano, e davorio. Also
listed four two-register harpsichords and two spinets.
d.1691d. as, Not. a.c., vol.1874, f.268, 27 October 1691, inv.
Maestro di cappella Pompeo Cannicciari: [f.269r] Un
cimbolo di Giacomo Ridolfi a dui registri.
d.1692a. as, 30 n.c., uff.7, vol.242, f.307, 18 March 1692,
inv. qm Antonio Farina: [f.313r] Un spinettone con piede
tinto di noce filettato doro.
d.1692b. as, Not. a.c., vol.5601, f.220, 8 May 1692, inv. qm
Angelo de Blanchis: [f.220v] Un cimbalo ad un registro di
Valerio cimbalaro.
d.1693. as, Not. a.c., vol.2598, f.675, 11 December 1693, inv.
qm Paolo Catucci: [f.713r] Una spinetta con la sua cassa a
due tastature dipinta di fuora con fogliami doro, e dentro
dipinta a marine, la detta spinetta ha sudette due tastature
davolio circondata da diversi fogliami e putti indorati; Un
cembalo grande tre registri con tastatura davolio con la
sua cassa fiorata verde.
d.1694. as, 30 n.c., uff.15, vol.329, f.391, 8 July 1694, inv. qm
Antonio Vecchi: [f.396r] Un spinettone vecchio con suoi
piedi.
d.1695a. as, Not. a.c., vol.5652, f.1054, 4 April 1695, inv.
Duke Federico Cesi (in the palace at Aquasparta):
[f.1064r] Un spinettone con sua chiave dottone, organo
con suoi mantici, e tastatura fatta con scala tutta intagliata
con arme di Sua Eccellenza.
d.1695b. as, 30 n.c., uff.29, vol.270, last folios of the volume
(inside the binding), 7 May 1695, inv. qm Abbot Paulus
Rainerius: Un cimbalo di longhezza dodeci palmi in circa
con suo piede intagliato, e tutto dorato, e detto cimbalo h
tre ordini di tasti intagliato, e dorato.
et ebbano con suo legivo di legno bianco con sua cassa

dabbeto tinta di rosso, e piedi grossi fatti colonna
torniti, e filettati doro, tanto detta cassa, quanto detti
piedi, longo detto cimbalo palmi nove meno oncie due, e
largo da capo palmi tre, e mezzo incirca; ... Due studioli
debbano con sue maniglie alle bande di rame dorato
intersiato di tartaruca con venti tiratorini tr veri, e finti
fatti in mezzo prospettiva con quattro colonne parte di
tartaruca, e parte di rame traforato con suoi capitelli di
rame dorato con una statuetta in mezo di una donna con
cornucopia, e sotto di esso un cavallo ginocchio tutta di
rame dorato, longo ciascheduno palmi sei, et un quarto
incirca, et alto palmi tr quarti incirca, in uno de quali
dentro vi una spinetta, posano sopra i suoi fusti di legno
tinto di nero con quattro colonne tornite ritorte, alti
palmi quattro incirca; ... Un cimbalo grande tre registri
opera del Mondini con cassa tutta dorata con suoi piedi
intagliati dorati, e sua coperta di corame dorato.
inv. qm Antonio Francesco De Rubeis: Un ciambalo due
registri del Cortona levatore longo palmi undici dipento
con fiori con suoi piedi torniti tenti di cremisi filettati
doro ....
d.1710b. as, Not. R.C.A., vol.1955, f.180, 21 July 1710, inv. qm
Francesco Maria Vignati (paintings collector): [f.183r] Un
cimbalo due registri ...; Una spinetta dellAlbani usata
senza piedi dun registro solamente.
d.1712a. as, Not. a.c., vol.476, f.429, 21 April 1712, inv. qm
Prince Giulio Savelli: [f.449v] Un cimbalo longo palmi
otto con cassa coperta di corame, ha per piedi avanti due
leoni, e per terzo un puttino di legno dorato; [f.458v] Un
cembalo grande scordato tre registri con sua cassa
dipinta rabeschi e dorata in qualche luogo con suo piedestallo quattro colonne di legno e altra colonna d piedi
per lappoggio longo palmi quattordici largo palmi quatro
dove si sona; Altro cembalo pi picolo due registri similmente scordato con cassa coperta di punto francese di
varij colori guarnita con trina con suoi piedi a colonna
lungo palmi sette largo palmi tre e mezzo; [f.469v] Un
cembalo coperto di vacchetta rossa con bollette, formano
i piedi avanti due leoni con mazzi di pere et il piede di
dietro altro leone simile intaglio di legno dorato longo
palmi otto e mezzo.
d.1712b. as, 30 n.c., uff.17, vol.292, f.156, 31 July 1712, inv.
qm Duchess Maria Cristina Lante: [f.156v] Un cimbaletto
tre registri levatore di cassa la sopracassa venata ad uso
di pietra filettata doro con suoi piedi compagni, quali
piedi et adornamento detto Signore Don Vincenzo [Lante
della Rovere, son of Cristina] disse haverlo fatto sue
spese, e senza detti piedi, et adornamento stimato scudi
8.. E come st di presente stimato scudi 15.; [f.157r] Un
cimbolo dottava stesa due registri con sua cassa levatora
dorata, e dipinta di varij fiori con piedi di legno tinto
turchino et oro con sua copertina di corame, scudi 30..
d.1713a. as, 30 n.c., uff.8, vol.259, f.459, 26 November 1713,
inv. Duke Domenico Grillo, palace Riario at via della
Lungara: [f.465] Un cimbalo da campagna piegatora da
67
d.1704a. as, Not. a.c., vol.2637, f.727, 13 January 1704, inv.

qm Duke Antonio Maria Salviati: [f.755r] Un cimbalo a
quattro riggistri del Cortona con piede intagliato piramide, e tutto dorato con cassa simile lumeggiata con il suo
legivo; [f.783v] Un cembalo due registri longo palmi
undeci con cassa, e piedi color di marmo bianco, e li detti
piedi piramide con filetti intagliati e dorati; [f.795r] Un
cembalo del Celestini due registri con coperta di corame
rosso, e piedi torniti; [f.806v] Un organetto con spinetta
ad uso di studiolo con diversi tiratori, e coperta di corame
rosso.
d.1704b. as, Not. a.c., vol.957, f.568, 1 April 1704, inv. qm
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Costaguti (palace at Piazza
Mattei): [f.595v] Un cimbalo tr registri coda con sua
cassa, e piedi rabescati dorati, e la facciata di dentro della
cassa dipinta con una battaglia; Altro cimbalo pi piccolo
due registri con cassa, anzi levator di cassa, e detta cassa
dipinta di paesi con suoi piedi sotto torniti dorati.
Marquis Francesco Ruspoli: [f.836r] Un cimbalo del
Cortona con il suo coperchio dipinto, e piedi di legno
intagliati a fogliami e dorati, con copertina di corame rosso.
d.1705b. as, 30 n.c., uff.35, vol.64, f.246, 16 April 1705, inv.
qm Giovanni Battista Lucini: [f.255v] Un cimbalo attacato
alla cassa a un registro, con piedi, e copertina di corame.
d.1707. as, Not. a.c., vol.5115, f.577, 18 December 1707, inv.
Marquis Luigi Costaguti (in palatio villa ad Portam
Piam): [f.586v] Un cimbalo tre registri con sua cassa
dipinta.
d.1708a. as, 30 n.c., uff.1, vol.368, f.333, 28 June 1708, inv.
qm Stefano Borlendes: [f.339r] Un cembalo a 4 registri
con suo piede, e sua coperta di corame.
d.1708b. as, 30 n.c., uff.4, vol.324, f.269, 3 December 1708,
inv. qm Andrea Casanova: [f.311v] Un cimbalo ottava
stesa due registri levatore di cassa, tastatura e guarnizione
di avorio con cassa coperta di cataluffo verde, e sopracoperta di corame con suo piede, che lo regge con 3 aquile con
acqua finta sotto, con sopra un delfino, et un putto dorati,
et altri colori, scudi 40..
inv. qm Princess Flaminia Pamphilj Pallavicini: [f.482v
483r] Un cimbalo tre registri tastatura di busso con sua
cassa foderata di fuori di corame rosso con merletti indorati in giro nel corame e suoi piedi torniti lisci di legno;
[f.553rv] Un cimbalo due registri con tastatura davorio,
e sua sopracassa di legno dipinta dentro con Apollo, che
sona la lira dentro il mare cavallo sopra un delfino, e vi
sono da una parte diverse serene, che lo stanno sentire, e
nel pezzo che si alza di detto coperchio vi dipinto listesso
Appollo che salta nel mare sopra dun vascello, dove
stanno diverse figure, et intorno detta cassa vi sono
diversi putti, che ballano, con sua coperta di corame
rabbescata doro usata, con il piede attaccato insieme col
telaio intagliato a fogliami grandi tutto dorato.
d.1709b. as, Not. a.c., vol.2661, unnumbered folios, 18
November 1709, inv. qm Prince Giovanni Battista
Pamphilj: Un cimbalo tre registri con tastatura davorio,
early
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2012
d.1718. as, Not. a.c., vol.5153, f.418, [March 1718], inv. Family
dAste (Palazzo di S. Marco, at Albano): [f.424r] Un
cimbalo due registri del Traspontino con suo piede grande
intagliato di fogliami, e dorato con la sua copertina di
corame dorata; [f.430v] Un cimbalo due registri del
Traspontino con la cassa foderata di vacchetta rossa, e suoi
piedi torniti.
inv. qm Abbot Antonio Valli: [f.401r] Un cimbalo a due
registri cassa levatora, con cassa ... filettata doro ... si
dice essere del Trasentino.
d.1719b. as, 30 n.c., uff.1, vol.401, f.136, 22 May 1719, inv.
qm Marquis Ugo Ottaviano Accoramboni: [f.161v] Una
spinetta guasta a due tastatura, coperta di montone nero
vecchia.
d.1719c. as, 30 n.c., uff.30, vol.395, f.185, 21 October 1719,
inv. Giuseppe Malzano: [f.185v] Una spinetta fatta a cassa
tutta rotta con due piedi di legno.
d.1719d. as, 30 n.c., uff.30, vol.395, f.612, 7 December 1719,
inv. qm Vincenzo Cicciaporci: [f.613v] Un cimbalo grande
ottava stesa, tre registri dipinto, e lavorato fiori, e con
fiori di diversi colori.
d.1720. as, 30 n.c., uff.2, vol.454, f.206, 24 January 1720, inv.
qm Marquis Giovanni Battista Strozzi: [f.211v] Un cimbalo
con suoi piedi filettato doro, e dipinto 3 registri, scudi 60.;
[f.278r] Un cimbalo tre registri con tastature di avorio con
sua cassa staccata, e piedi colonne di legno, scudi 15..
d.1722. AS, Not. a.c., vol.7023, 28 August 1722, inv. qm
Duke Giovanni Battista Rospigliosi: [f.30] Una spinetta
da tavolino con cassa levatora dipinta color di noce rabescata doro con tutti li suoi tasti, ma senza corde.
d.1725a. as, 30 n.c., uff.2. vol.476, f.203, 9 August 1725, inv.
[Cardinal] Leone Strozzi: [f.290v] Un cembalo tre registri con tastatura davorio con sua [cassa] staccata, e piedi a
colonna di legno, scudi 14..
d.1725b. as, 30 n.c., uff.4, vol.368, f.139, 18 September 1725,
inv. qm Notary Francesco Maria Ginnetti: [f.146v] Un
cimbalo grande in sesta a due tastature, e quattro registri
con cassa levatora, e sopracassa di legno bianco, e suoi
piedi di legno torniti, e dorati e copertina di corame, dicesi
del Cortona, di valore scudi 30.; [f.148r] Un cimbalo ad
ottava stesa due registri con tastatura davorio, cassa
levatora, e sopracassa di legno bianco, copertina di
corame, e suoi piedi di legno torniti, dicesi fatto da
Giacomo Ridolfi, di valore scudi 28..
inv. qm Agnese Giustina Giovannini de Bichis: Un
cembalo a due registri con cassa levatora con tastatura di
fico dIndia et avolio con suo piede tornito, e copertina di
corame, scudi 15..
d.1726b. as, 30 n.c., uff.4, vol.371, f.687, 2 November 1726,
inv. qm Abbot Federico Barlocci: [f.704v] Una spinetta
con dama, e sue petine, e cuscino s.[opr]a di damasco
torchino con suo gallone doro attorno, scudi 4.; [f.736r]
Un martellino da cimbalo di acciaro lavorato, scudi 0.10;
[f.756r] Una spinetta ad un registro con sua cassa inverniciata di color di tartaruca, sc. 1.50.
campagna [sic] dentro sua cassa, urna di quattro palmi

in circa.
d.1713b. as, Not. a.c., vol.5134, f.1, 29 November 1713, inv.
Prince Livio Odescalchi: [f.11r] Un cimbalo a due reggistri
longo palmi undici, et un quarto di passetto romano compresa la cassa, la quale tutta dorata con suo piede
dintaglio nobile, pure tutto dorato; [f.91v] Un cimbalo
dottava stesa tre reggistri con cassa dorata longa palmi
dieci, e tre quarti col suo piede intagliato dorato con un
putto, e mascarone in mezzo.
d.1714. as, 30 n.c., uff.8, vol.262, f.263, 26 October 1714,
inv. qm Marquis Pietro Minutelli Caffarelli: [f.267] Un
cimbalo ad un registro del Ramerino con cassa verniciata,
e filettata doro con sua coperta di corame con piedi, e
colonnette dorate interziati con intagli, et arme di Casa
Minutelli Caffarelli; [unnumbered f.] Un cimbolo grande
a due registri con sua coperta di corame del Girolimo,
scudi 150..
d.1715. Rome, Archivio Capitolino, Inventario generale
urbano, sez.19, vol.80, unnumbered folios, 17 April 1715, inv.
qm Gabriele Liberi: Un cimbalo doi registri del Veneri
con cassa dalbuccio dipinta, e piedi simili, scudi 15..
d.1716a. as, 30 n.c., uff.28, vol.415, f.188, 6 March 1716, inv.
qm Antonio Maria Lanciani: Un cimbalo grande tre
registri di bona mano ... con sua cassa rabbeschi, e filetti
indorati e con suoi piedi parimente rabbeschi.
d.1716b. as, Not. a.c., vol.2684, f.151, 4 June 1716, inv. qm
Princess Violante Facchinetti Pamphilj: [f.193rv] Una
spinetta con tastatura davorio con coperchio di dentro vi
dipinto S. Francesco, ed un angelo, che suona il violino
con paese, e nel rivolto che serra vi la fodera di damasco
cremisi con merletto doro a pizzi intorno, lavoro di
Orazio Albana di sopra e coperta di punto francese con
sua serratura, e chiave longa un palmo, et un quarto
dentro sua cassa dalbuccio.
d.1716c. as, Not. a.c., vol.2684, f.340r, 10 June 1716, inv.
Ill.mo Giovanni Antonio Pallavicini: [f.340v] Un cimbalo
tre registri usato tinto rosso con filetti torniti [....
Marquis Morieno Savelli Palombara: [f.543v] Un cimbalo
grande tre registri con sopracassa dipinta oro con piedi
torniti color di noce, e oro.
d.1717b. as, 30 n.c., uff.36, vol.189, f.125, 23 April 1717, inv.
qm Nicola de Egitiis: [f.130v] Un cimbalo di due registri
con suoi piedi intagliati e dorati in parte, e parte tinti a
lacca con cassa parimente dorata al di fuori dipinta a
fogliami, e dentro a paesi del Tempestini, con coperta
di corame, opera come si disse del Trasontini si stima
solamente scudi venti bench vaglia quanto il padrone
vuole, scudi 20..
d.1717c. as, 30 n.c., uff.29, vol.323, f.71, 9 January 1717, inv.
qm Marquis Gregorio Buratti: [f.76v] Un cimbalo grande
ottava stesa tr registri con tastatura davorio sua
tavoletta alla detta tastatura dipinta con cornice dorata,
sua cassa di legno ordinaria colorita di noce, e imbronita
scorniciata e rabescata doro, con suoi piedi simili con
copertina di corame, scudi 40..
d.1740. 30 n.c., uff.10, vol.447, f.465, 5 July 1740, inv. qm

Giovanni Andrea Pilatoni: [f.501r] Un spinettone di longhezza palmi sette, e larghezza palmi due, e mezzo tutto
guasto con suoi piedi, scudi 1.20.
d.1743. as, Not. a.c., vol.3800, unnumbered folios, 29
November 1743, inv. qm Prince Camillo Pamphilj: Un
cimbalo in piedi due registri tastatura di avorio, e
debano con cassa dalbuccio bianco con suoi piedi ordinari, scudi 20.; . . . Un cembalo grande con sua cassa
dorata di legno e copertina di corame entro la medesima
[cassa], detto cembalo quattro registri con sua tastatura
davorio con cassa levatora con suoi piedi doro e intagliati
allantica, scudi 80..
d.1747. as, 30 n.c., uff.10, vol.471, f.1, 3 March 1747, inv. qm
Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva: [f.90v] Un cimbalo dottava
stesa a tre registri con cassa levatora con sopra cassa
dipinta con figurine, e filettata doro con suoi banchetti
torniti tinti torchini e filettati dorati, scudi 120..
d.1747. as, 30 n.c., uff.10, vol.471, f.90v, 23 March 1747, inv.
qm Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva: Un cimbalo dottava
stesa a tre registri con cassa dipinta con figurine e filettata
doro con suoi banchetti ..., scudi 120..
d.1750. as, 30 n.c., uff.10, vol.480, f.609, 16 March 1750,
inv. qm Giovanni Giorgio Manart Pescatori: [f.613r] Un
cimbalo ottava stesa a tre registri, con cassa levatora ingessato et imbrunito con piedi a colonnette allantica.
d.1754. as, Not. a.c., vol.4139, f.193, 20 November 1754:
Celestino Testa has to give back to Marquis Giovanni
Antonio Colonna of Naples, scudi cento moneta romana,
listessi che furono per detto Ecc.mo Sig.r Marchese pagati
al detto don Celestino sin dal anno 1740, per li quali si
oblig detto don Celestino di fare sue spese un cembalo
impiedi, sia verticale, di quattro registri ....
A graduate in electronic engineering from the University of Rome La Sapienza, Patrizio Barbieri first
worked and taught in that sector, including in the United States. Later he devoted himself to historical
matters pertaining to acoustics, organology, temperament, harmonic theory and music printing. He has
published two books and more than 100 articles, and was awarded the 2008 Frances Densmore Prize by
the American Musical Instrument Society for the best article in English on musical instruments published
in 20067. He has taught at the University of Lecce, the Gregorian University of Rome and at Romes
Tor Vergata University. He also lectured at the Laboratorio di acustica musicale e architettonica of the
Fondazione Scuola di San GiorgioCNR in Venice. www.patriziobarbieri.it
1 J. Koster, Towards an optimal
instrument: Domenico Scarlatti and
the new wave of Iberian harpsichord
making, Early Music, xxxv/4 (2007),
pp.575604, at p.579.
2 According to C. Giardini
(Sebastiano Ceccarini: portrait of the
young princes Marescotti of Parrano /
Ritratto dei Principini Marescotti di
Parrano (Pesaro, 2010), p.14), the
harpsichord may be the musical
instrument built especially for Georg

Friedrich Hndel, which he found in
the Marescotti-Ruspoli home in
Vignanello during his Roman sojourn
between 1706 and 1709 ... later
acquired by the Marescotti of Parrano.
Ceccarini was a representative of the
Roman School.
3 60-note compass FF, GGf , and
2 8 registers. The beautiful paintings
covering the outer case, inside and out,
are attributed to Jan Frans van

Bloemen, who was born in Antwerp in
1662 and died in Rome in 1749. Both
van Bloemen and Mattia moved to
Rome from Flanders.
4 Abbreviations: AS =Rome, Archivio di
Stato; AV = Rome, Archivio Storico del
Vicariato; D = reference to the document
in the Appendix, followed by the year;
inv. = inventory of the goods of; inv. qm
= inventory of the goods of the late ...,
69
d.1730. Not. a.c., vol.7038, f.45, 11 January 1730, inv. qm

Princess Olimpia Giustiniani Barberini: [f.55r] Un cembalo con sua cassa color di noce filettata doro, piedi intagliati, e dorati tre registri sopra de quali la tavola dorata
dove resta scritto Ioannes Baptista de Bonis Cortonensis
Romae fecit anno 1621, stimato scudi 15.; [f.138v] Un
cembalo dipinto di fuori, e di dentro due registri
collarpetta ottava in sesta con piedi intagliati coloriti ...
stimato scudi 25..
d.1734. as, Not. a.c., vol.1817, f.649, 11 November 1734, inv.
qm Marquis Pietro Gabrielli: [f.658r] Un cembalo ottava
stesa tre registri con cassa levatora con una sopracassa al
di fuori tutta dorata con piedi di legno intagliati e dorati,
con sua coperta di corame di valore in tutto scudi 80.;
[f.695v] Una spinetta due registri coperta di velluto
cremesi guarnita con galloncino doro con copertina di
corame stimata scudi 6..
inv. qm Senator Urbis Mario Frangipane: [f.333v] Un
cimbaro a due registri a cassa levatora con incassatura
debbano, et avolio con suoi piedi intagliati allantica, e
cassa bianca con sua copertina di corame con scrittione
opus Acciati [sic] usato, scudi 15..
d.1738. as, 30 n.c., uff.10, vol.442, f.83, 28 April 1738, inv.
qm Count Antonio Francesco Soderini: [ff.90v91r] Un
cimbaro corto a due registri con tastature dosso, e
granatiglia del Trasentino, guarnita la cassa di damasco
antico con passamano doro e bottoncini dottone con
piede intagliato allantica dorato, e tinto rosso con copertina di corame lacera, scudi 50.; [f.99v] Un cimbalo a tre
registri cassa levatora con tastatura negra con cassa liscia
bianca, e piede intagliato di legno ordinaria e copertina di
corame, scudi 50..
13 [Scipione Maffei], Nova invenzione

dun gravecembalo col piano, e forte;
aggiunte alcune considerazioni sopra
gli strumenti musicali, Giornale de
letterati dItalia, v (1711), pp.14459, at
p.144.
14 P. Barbieri, I doi bellissimi organi di
S. Lorenzo in Damaso, Roma, Amici
dellorgano di Roma, iii (1984),
pp.4653, at p.47. Also online at
www.patriziobarbieri.it.
15 On the subject of the Tiratutti, see
P. P. Donati, Lorgano Testa del 1701,
in Esperienze e ricerche nel restauro
dellorgano Altemps in Santa Maria in
Trastevere a Roma, ed. G. Basile
(Rome, 1998), pp.2538, at p.33. On the
use of a similar device in Roman
positive organs used in polychoral
music, see P. P. Donati, Le
caratteristiche degli organi in uso
nella musica policorale del primo
Seicento, Informazione organistica,
xiv (August 2002), pp.10931, at
pp.1212.
16 d.1664, a document brought to the
authors attention by Furio
Luccichenti. Further instruments by
Piccini are listed in P. Barbieri,
Cembalaro, organaro, chitarraro e
fabbricatore di corde armoniche nella
Polyanthea technica di Pinaroli
(171832), Recercare, i (1989),
pp.123209, at p.134 (online at
www.patriziobarbieri.it/pdf/pirrotta.
pdf). On the tiorbino, see G. OBrien
and F. Nocerino, The tiorbino: an
unrecognized instrument type built by
harpsichord makers with possible
evidence for a surviving instrument,
Galpin Society Journal, lviii (2005),
pp.184208.
17 P. Barbieri, Gli strumenti
poliarmonici di G. B. Doni e il
ripristino dellantica musica greca
(c.16301650), Analecta Musicologica,
xxx (1998), pp.79114, at p.89.
18 Among those thought to belong to
the Roman school, two 3 8-register
harpsichords, both unsigned, can be
found at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York; according to Denzil
Wraight they can be attributed to
Orazio Albana and Giovanni Battista
Boni respectively: D. Wraight, The
stringing of Italian keyboard
instruments c.1500c.1650, Ph.D. diss.
(Queens University Belfast, 1997),
Part 2, pp.1920 and 802.
early
musicfebruary
2012
19 See, for example, the harpsichord by

Giovanni Battista Giusti (Ferrara,
1679). The registers are 2 8 + 1 4
for the entire compass, GG, AAc.
The interior lid paintings are attributed
to Giuseppe Zola (16721743). Giusti
had been an apprentice of Girolamo
Zenti in Rome: J. H. van der Meer,
Panorama storico dellarte cembalaria
in Italia, in Clavicembali e spinette dal
XVI al XIX secolo. Collezione Luigi
Ferdinando Tagliavini, ed. L. F.
Tagliavini and J. H. van der Meer
(Bologna, 1986), pp.2557, at p.51;
A concise English catalogue of the
Tagliavini Collection of musical
instruments, compiled from the
Italian by M. Latcham (vol.iii of the
Collezione Tagliavini. Catalogo degli
strumenti musicali) (Bologna, 2009),
pp.267.
20 Van der Meer, Panorama storico
dellarte cembalaria in Italia, p.52;
V. Gai, Gli strumenti musicali della corte
medicea e il Museo del Conservatorio
Luigi Cherubini di Firenze. Cenni
storici e catalogo descrittivo (Florence,
1969), pp.67 (Girolamo Zenti, 1658).
At the Museum fr Kunst und
Gewerbe, Hamburg, there is a
(Roman) harpsichord signed ioseph
mondini imolen. 1701 (no.2000.517);
the string lengths of its three registers
do not differ greatly, and problems
about stringing and pitch are still not
entirely resolved; it could be a 3 8
instrument, although it is now tuned
at a = 440 Hz, and strung as 2 16
(copper, red brass with 15 per cent
zinc, respectively) + 1 8
(information from Olaf Kisch).
21 OBrien and Nocerino, The
tiorbino, pp.1856 (harpsichords
a tre registri, cio due principali
unisoni e tiorbino, by Zenti and
Mondini).
22 B. M. Antolini and E. S. Bonini,
Lattivit musicale in S. Girolamo
della Carit, in E. S. Bonini, Il fondo
musicale dellArciconfraternita di S.
Girolamo della Carit (Rome, 1992),
pp.2335, at pp.278 (per aver
introdotto un cembalo a tre registri
anzich a due, come avevano fatto i
maestri precedenti); Morelli, Storia
della cembalaria, p.393.
23 The most commonly used lengths
of palmo in Rome were the palmo
architettonico (22.34 cm) and the palmo
5 I wish to thank Grant OBrien for

the many constructive comments and
new information received after the
early draft of the present article had
been completed. My thanks also go to
Olaf Kisch, Laurence Libin, Furio
Luccichenti, Federica Papi, Luigi
Ferdinando Tagliavini, Liuwe
Tamminga and Denzil Wraight for
information provided.
6 A. Morelli, Storia della cembalaria
e tipologia della documentazione.
Alcuni esempi, in Fiori musicologici.
Studi in onore di Luigi Ferdinando
Tagliavini nella ricorrenza del suo
LXX compleanno, ed. F. Seidoux et al.
(Bologna, 2001), pp.37996, at p.389.
7 The inventory is discussed in P.
Ferrari, Ancora sulla collezione
medicea di strumenti musicali: gli
inventari inediti del 1670 e 1691, in
Studi in onore di Giulio Cattin, ed.
F. Luisi (Rome, 1990), pp.22765, at
p.253 (Uno strumento
di tasti detto le viole, che suona per via
di ruote, e fa il piano, e il forte).
8 Morelli, Storia della cembalaria,
p.389.
9 Marin Mersenne, Novarum
observationum physico-mahematicarum
... Tomus III (Paris, 1647), p.166:
praestantissimus faber (qualis est
Nicolaus Ramerinus, cuius cymbala
recens inventa Romae apud eum vidi,
quos sonos vehementiores, aut
remissiores edunt, pro libito). Mersenne,
like Kircher in 1650, mistakenly gives
Ramerinis first name as Nicola, which
cannot be linked to any maker operating
in Rome during this period.
10 S. Cappelletto, La voce perduta.
Vita di Farinelli evirato cantore
(Turin, 1995), p.209: Un cembalo ...
di invenzione del Sig:r testatore,
suona li piani e forti a penna ...
f eseguito in Madrid da D:n
Diego Fernandez.
11 P. Barbieri, Violicembalos and other
Italian sostenente pianos 17801900,
Galpin Society Journal, lxxii (2009),
pp.11739, at pp.11920.
12 Marin Mersenne, Correspondance
..., ed. C. de Waard, ix (Paris, 1965),
p.487: Doni to Mersenne, 22 July 1640:
Pour ce qui est de vostre clavecin
chordes de boyau (dont la premiere
invention est sortie dicy, quoyque
vous layez perfectionne de del).
Morelli, Storia della cembalaria,

pp.3856.
29 On the registers used in these
instruments, see G. OBrien, Ruckers: a
harpsichord and virginal building
tradition (Cambridge, 1990), pp.11015.
30 Tamburini, Due teatri, pp.66, 71, 74,
76, 153, 157, 162. The four works,
performed during Carnival, were:
Trespolo tutore (1677), Tessalonica
(1683), Arianna (1684, 1685) and Giochi
Troiani (1688).
31 Barbieri, Cembalaro, p.147.
32 Grant OBrien informs me he
knows of no five-register Ruckers
harpsichord, providing one does not
consider the combined double-manual
harpsichord-and-virginal rectangular
instruments. He notes that the Ruckers
instrument preserved in Rome, Museo
Nazionale degli strumenti musicali, is a
normal four-register double-manual
harpsichord with the two keyboards a
4th apart.
33 Filadelfo Mugnos, Historia della
augustissima famiglia Colonna ...
(Venice, 1658), p.181.
p.386.
35 L. F. Tagliavini, Fabio da Bologna,
virtuoso costruttore di cembali,
Recercare, xxi (2009), pp.14975, at
p.162.
36 Also Giulio de Medici, in Florence,
owned an instrument which can be
played on two sides (1670): Uno
strumento dancipresso, doppio, che si
suona da due bande, con due
spinettine, dentro, che si accomodano
sopra i salterelli del primo strumento
con tastature dancipresso, ed ebano.
See G. Montanari, Strumenti a corde a
tastiera della guardaroba medicea nel
XVII secolo, III: 16661675,
Informazione organistica, xxi/3 (2009),
pp.31954, at p.322.
37 I Chigi a Formello. Il feudo, la storia
e larte, ed. I. van Kampen (Formello,
2009), p.147: Un cimbalo con sua
cassa tinta a colori di noce profilata di
oro, con suoi piedi torniti da sonare in
tre persone.
38 G. Montanari, Strumenti a corde a
tastiera della guardaroba medicea nel
XVII secolo, I: 16001649,
Informazione organistica, xxi/1 (2009),
pp.63142, at p.85.
39 On Steins vis--vis instruments, see

J. H. van der Meer and R. Weber,
Catalogo degli strumenti musicali
dellAccademia Filarmonica di Verona
(Verona, 1982), pp.92106; J. A. Rice,
Steins Favorite Instrument: a
vis--vis piano-harpsichord in Naples,
Journal of the American Musical
Instrument Society, xxi (1995), pp.3064.
40 P. Barbieri, Ravenscroft and
Pasquini: the art collections and
instruments of two musicians in
late-Baroque Rome, Music in Art,
xxxvi (2011), pp.25774, at pp.2634.
43 P. Barbieri, An assessment of
musicians and instrument-makers in
Rome during Handels stay: the 1708
Grand Taxation, Early Music, xxxvii/4
(2009), pp.597619, at p.609.
45 P. Barbieri, The Sordino: the
unsuspected early Italian tangent piano
15771722, Galpin Society Journal, lxii
(2010), pp.4960.
46 Leto Puliti, Della vita del Ser.mo
Ferdinando dei Medici Granprincipe di
Toscana e della origine del pianoforte
..., Atti dellAccademia del R. Istituto
musicale in Firenze, xii (1874),
pp.92240, at p.192.
47 Un altra carafina simile con dentro
olio di cranio humano (f.700r). Also
listed are a large Spanish guitar with
its case (f.713v) and several books and
sheet music (f.726r).
48 Piperno, Un cembalo a tre registri,
p.40.
49 S. Monaldini, Lorto delle Esperidi.
Musici, attori e artisti nel patrocinio
della famiglia Bentivoglio (16461685)
(Lucca, 2000), pp.393, 408, 434.
50 Barbieri, Gli strumenti
poliarmonici di G. B. Doni, p.89 (Doi
spinette et un appicordo).
51 Recently the subject of a report by
G. OBrien, see www.claviantica.com/
Publications_files/Maberiani_
report.htm.
52 Athanasius Kircher, Musurgia
universalis ..., i (Rome, 1650), p.454.
53 The instrument is single strung,
C/Ec, sounding c/ec.
54 On Zentis spinet, see E. M. Ripin,
The surviving oeuvre of Girolamo
71
mercantile (24.90 cm): Tavole di

ragguaglio fra misure e pesi dello Stato
Pontificio colle misure e pesi del sistema
metrico, i (Rome, 1857), pp.1112.
Unfortunately, the second-hand
dealers rarely specified which one
of the two they were using (see, for
example, d.1713b); besides, the sizes
reported in the inventoriesmainly
roughly estimatedonly refer to
the whole case. According to
Grant OBrien, Roman harpsichordmakers used the palmo mercantile, see
http://www.claviantica.com/Geometry_
files/Italian_geometry_table_12.htm.
24 That both the said makers were
known as il Cortona is confirmed by
the following documents: with regard
to Giovanni Battista, besides d.1691a, a
small harpsichord by him is recorded
in an inventory dated 1627: Un
ciambaletto ... di mano del Cortona
(C. L. Frommel, Caravaggio, Frhwerk
und der Kardinal Francesco Maria Del
Monte, Storia dellarte, ixx (1971),
pp.552, at p.43); in 1689 Giuseppe
Boni cimbalaro detto il Cortona in
turn is recorded in Rome, Archivio
Storico del Vicariato, Parrocchia di
S. Maria in Via Lata, Status animarum
1689, f.45.
25 F. Hammond, Girolamo
Frescobaldi and a decade of music in
Casa Barberini: 16341643, Analecta
Musicologica, xix (1979), pp.94124, at
pp.1034 (Due Cimbali insieme, cio
uno sopra laltro, quello di sopra con
tre registri; quello di sotto dun
registro fatti da Gio. Batta Cortonese).
See also D. Wraight, Italian twomanual harpsichords: some notes
following Comm. 537, FOMRHI
Quarterly, xxxvi (1984), pp.1922, at
p.20 (Comm.538).
26 F. Piperno, Un cembalo a tre
registri del cardinale Pietro Ottoboni
ed una spinetta a due tastiere del
principe Francesco Maria Ruspoli,
Il flauto dolce, xxi (Jan.June 1984),
pp.3940.
dellarte cembalaria in Italia, p.52;
Wraight, Italian two-manual
harpsichords, p.19.
28 E. Tamburini, Due teatri per il
principe. Studi sulla committenza
teatrale di Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna
(16591689) (Rome, 1997), p.382;
the lower section, making a compact

box ready for easy transport
(Collezione Tagliavini, iii (Bologna,
2009), p.43).
63 Puliti, Della vita del Ser.mo
Ferdinando dei Medici, p.193 (un
cimbalo da ripiegare, lavoro fatto in
Francia).
64 L. Libin, Folding harpsichords, Early
Music, xv/2 (1987), pp.37883, at p.379.
65 Libin, Folding harpsichords (an
article in which other instruments of
the kind are examined, of Italian
manufacture); Barbieri, Cembalaro,
pp.13943; R. Meucci, Gli strumenti
della musica colta in Italia meridionale
nei secoli XVIXIX, Fonti musicali
italiane, iii (1998), pp.23364, at
pp.24950.
66 Biographical information is listed
in: D. H. Boalch, Makers of the
harpsichord and clavichord 14401840,
ed. C. Mould (Oxford, 1995); Barbieri,
Cembalaro.
67 AS, 30 n.c., uff.27, vol.45, f.407, 13
October 1606: D. Io. Baptista q.
Silvestri de Bonis de Cortona
undertakes to make a harpsichord (not
described) for 22 scudi.
68 AV, S. Tommaso in Parione
(parrocchia), Liber defunctorum:
Jacobus Garzinus cymbalorum
constructor buried on 3 April 1698.
69 AV, S. Marco (parrocchia), Status
animarum, years 170102: the cimbalaro
Giovanni Maria Mambriani is
registered with his family and two
lavoranti: Giovanni Battista Branzini
and Giuseppe Checacci. as, Not. a.c.,
vol. 2656, f.112, 22 October 1708:
Giovanni Maria is dead, his wife and
son inherit 111.14 scudi. The first name
of this maker was wrongly cited as
Giovanni Battista in Barbieri,
Cembalaro, p.152 (where it is also
reported that in some documents his
surname is also spelled as Maberiani).
As far as I know, no harpsichordmaker called Giovanni Battista
Mambriani is recorded.
70 It is less probable that the maker of
the d.1692b instrument was Valerius
Perius Romanus, whose 1631
harpsichord is now in Leipzig
Museum: Henkel, Kiel-Instrumente,
pp.1617.
71 AV, S. Stefano del Cacco
(parrocchia), Liber mortuorum
early
musicfebruary
2012
16941748, f.27r, 17 September 1700:

Iacobus Ridolfi Romanus anno suae
aetatis septuagesimo circiter quinto ...
in Communione Sanctae Matris
Ecclesiae animam expiravit ....
Buried in the church of S. Andrea della
Valle. According to the Status
animarum of S. Stefano he was in fact
born around 1636, so in the previous
deed the phrase septuagesimo circiter
quinto should more probably be read
sexagesimo circiter quinto.
73 The inventory of goods of this
painter can be found in as, 30 n.c.,
uff.8, vol.259, f.515, 27 November 1713
(nothing relates to musical
instruments).
Early Music
Forthcoming in
May 2012
Musical Otherness in the
Iberian world, 15001800
Essays by Emilio
Ros-Fbregas,
Ascensin Mazuela Anguita,
Mara del Coral Morales
Villar, Juan Pablo
Fernndez-Corts and Mara
Gembero-Ustrroz
Andrew Pinnock on
the origins of
Dido and Aeneas
Margaret Butler on
staging Galuppis
La clemenza di Tito
Jonathan Del Mar on
Beethovens scherzos
Nicholas Clapton celebrates
the Deller centenary
Zenti, Metropolitan Museum Journal,

vii (1973), pp.7187, at pp.857.
55 F. Hammond, Musical instruments
at the Medici court in the midseventeenth century, Analecta
Musicologica, xv (1975), pp.20219, at
p.211 (Una spinetta da portare al collo
tinta in verde).
p.389.
57 P. Barbieri, Gold- and silverstringed musical instruments: modern
physics vs Aristotelianism in the
Scientific Revolution, The Journal of
the American Musical Instrument
Society, xxxvi (2010), pp.11854.
dellarte cembalaria in Italia, p.29.
A 1720 cembalo traverso by Cristofori is
now in Leipzig: H. Henkel, KielInstrumente. MusikinstrumentenMuseum der Karl-Marx-Universitt
LeipzigKatalogBand 2 (Leipzig,
1979), p.91.
59 G. Montanari, The oval spinets and
Grand Prince Ferdinando de Medicis
collection of quilled instruments, in
Bartolomeo Cristofori. La spinetta ovale
del 1690 / The 1690 oval spinet, ed.
G. Rossi-Rognoni (Livorno, 2002),
pp.3241, at p.39.
60 Barbieri, Gli strumenti
poliarmonici, p.89 (un appicordone a
doi registri).
61 Ferrari, Ancora sulla collezione
medicea di strumenti musicali, p.252:
uno spinettone che suona da tre parti
con tastature di cipresso.
62 There are two sets of strings,
C/Ec, at 8 pitch. The folding
construction is essentially the same as
that of the other three Italian folding
harpsichords known and of those
known from north of the Alps. The
body is divided into three sections. At
the tail, the top section is hinged to the
second section and may be folded 180
back in the horizontal plane after
extracting the keyboard. The combined
lengths of the top and middle sections
are then the same as that of the lower
section. The middle section is attached
along the soundboard join to the lower
section by hinges with their axles high
above the soundboard surfaces. After
folding back the top section, the
combined top and middle sections
may together be folded up and over

Barbieri - Harpsichords and Spinets in Late Baroque Rome

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Barbieri - Harpsichords and Spinets in Late Baroque Rome

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Patrizio Barbieri

Harpsichords and spinets in late Baroque Rome

inserting and withdrawing the registers, and would

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uno de principali fonti, da quali traggano i periti di

sponsored by Cardinal Francesco Barberini: it had

one of the main resources used by specialists of this art

Standard three-register harpsichords

Further evidence of this vogue is provided by

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of Queen Cristina of Sweden made by her favourite

Filippo Fabri (d.1691c).

Unusual harpsichords: those with more than

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Following the death of Valerio Piccini (1664),

Fisico-Matematica of Rome, probably also had one,

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confirms that he requilled four rows of jacks;28 the

(d.1652, 1676c, 1690c, 1697, 1703a, 1704a). Finally,

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the many inventories consulted. Its construction

Spinettina. Pasquinis spinettina was probably at

bass and, in addition, produced a less inharmonic

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four palmi [c.90 cm] (d.1713a) (for an example, see

da campagna piegatore leads one to suspect that it

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Boni Cortona, family (d.11678b, 1690a, 1699, 1704a, 1705a,

It is not specified whether the last is Vito (fl.1522

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Un cimbalo a due registri opera di Girolamo Zenti

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d.1664. as, 30 n.c., uff.19, vol.295, f.238, 26 October 1664,

d.1696. as, 30 n.c., uff.27, vol.226, f.158, inv. Agata Dorotea

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con tastatura davorio dentro sua cassa, scudi 20.; Un

et ebbano con suo legivo di legno bianco con sua cassa

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d.1704a. as, Not. a.c., vol.2637, f.727, 13 January 1704, inv.

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campagna [sic] dentro sua cassa, urna di quattro palmi

d.1740. 30 n.c., uff.10, vol.447, f.465, 5 July 1740, inv. qm

instrument built especially for Georg

are attributed to Jan Frans van

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d.1730. Not. a.c., vol.7038, f.45, 11 January 1730, inv. qm

13 [Scipione Maffei], Nova invenzione

19 See, for example, the harpsichord by

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5 I wish to thank Grant OBrien for

Morelli, Storia della cembalaria,

39 On Steins vis--vis instruments, see

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