ruckers.htm Museum, musical instruments, instrument collection, viol, violin, viola, violoncello, viola da gamba, viola d'amore, double bass, violone, harpsichord, spinet, Renaissance music, Baroque music, Classical music, Baroque orchestra, viol consort, musica antigua, Orpheon, Orpheon Foundation, Jose Vazquez, José Vázquez, Haydn, Lidl, Marin Marais, Johann Sebastian Bach, playmate of the month

Without a doubt the Flemish harpsichord makers can rightfully lay claim to the first rank: their instruments were universally acclaimed. Even Handel owned and played one in London. The French often bought older instruments and had them enlarged – ravalé – in order to make them suitable for the “modern” repertoire of the 18th C., increasing the range of the keyboard from FF to f’’’. This copy of the Ruckers of 1625 was constructed in the ravalé form, which permits the execution of the entire repertoire.