Show few people s can identify old musical instruments while many of us are familiar with the small delicate and aristocratic musical instruments in glass cases in museums few of us can call properly classify or name them writes alice R rollins in the los angeles times but we are not alone in this as one writer points out for the same thing was pretty much done in the days when these instruments were in familiar use an early writer describes a clail clavichord when he means a spinet and mentions a paire of virgin als but his description is that of a harpsichord the harpsichord is a glorified spinet it may be easily recognized being like a harp couchant T the h e spinet is smaller and wing shaped with no stops or pedals and only one keyboard in england instruments of this kind were generally known as virginals virgi nals because maids and virgins do most commonly play upon them thein after the time of queen anne they were known as spineto spinets spi nets the harpsichord has two banks of keys the goneis tone is produced produce d b by y the plucking of the strings by quills q ui ll 11 s or leather points these produce a reed like quality of tone which it is said blends better with the voice violin and cello than the piano tone the harpsichord remained the instrument ment of the great composers until about 1790 when it was replaced by the pianoforte by 1800 1600 the manufacture 1 of harpsichords had practically ceased the latest dated instrument ment is given as 1802 |