Topic: I really don't like the Neupert clavichord. :-(
I love Pianoteq and all the pianos, the harpsichords are okay, but the clavichord is the worst. To me the instrument sounds wrong and no matter what settings and adjustments I have made, I can't get the instrument to sound like a clavichord. Maybe this is because I have a real instrument and played it quite often until recently due to the instrument needing some repairs that I can't afford at the moment.
The instrument is very, very soft-sounding due to how it works and this I think is part of the problem as well as the uniqueness of its sound, which is a cross between a pianoforte, guitar, and harpsichord at the same time. This unique instrument's sound is produced by small metal plates called tangents that are mounted directly into the ends of the keys and serve two purposes:
1) They produce the sound by striking the string when the key is depressed.
2) Determine the pitch of the string.
The tangent serves as a stop or fret and the length of the string between the tangent and the crossing of the string at the bridge against the bridge pin determines the pitch.
The listing cloth, or strips of felt placed to the left of the tangents is used to provide a bit of downward pressure against the bridge by binding the strings tightly and also stop the strings from vibrating on the "wrong" side of the tangent.
With this setup in mind, there are two kinds of clavichords and a hybrid of sorts. The earliest instruments were fretted, meaning more than one note shared a pair of strings. Remember how the tangents determine the pitch? A single pair of strings then can be shared by multiple keys and on an instrument such as this, these were called triple-fretted instruments. As time went on, the unfretted instruments were developed around 1743 or thereabouts due to music becoming more and more complex. With a B, C, and C# keys, and other combinations throughout the keyboard, all sharing a pair of strings, this made chords impossible.
Remember the listing cloth and its purpose? There exists an instrument called a clavichord d'Amore. This instrument has strings that are struck in their exact centers of their length and this produces the most beautiful sound.
Anyway, back to our issue. The Neupert instrument doesn't sound right and sounds more like an electric guitar. For some reason, it's missing the overtones, and ethereal sound that a clavichord makes.
Here's a real instrument from 1802.
This recording has been amplified substantially from what a clavichord sounds like, but the mic setup is good here and captures the sound pretty well, albeit, a bit louder than for real. Note the really, really soft sound here before the camera moves in close. That's what the clavichord really sounds like to someone sitting away from the keyboard.
For someone sitting at the instrument and playing, the clavichord can be quite loud and this is why it became a favored practice and domestic instrument. Its beautiful unique soft sound can become quite percussive and loud when the environment is very soft. Playing a clavichord at 3:00 am when there's little outside ambient noise, no TVs cars, and other distractions, is not unlike playing a pianoforte. Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Haydn, and even early Beethoven works (Yes Beethoven owned a clavichord too!) come alive in a totally different fashion than they ever do on a pianoforte.
Now, if Modartt can come even close to this someday, I would be doing dances and jigs in my room!
!["](https://www.dropbox.com/s/e0r72603a79gj8c/66_br.png?raw=1 """)
!["](https://www.dropbox.com/s/o83jk8xtl9hyj69/99_br.png?raw=1 """)
