Italian Harpsichord-Building in the 16th and 17th Centuries

Italian Harpsichord-Building in the 16th and 17th Centuries by John D. Shortridge is a study of musical history, concentrating on Italian harpsichords and virginals of the 1500s and 1600s and published in 1970. The paper explores the design and building of these instruments, pointing out what made them different from other instruments made in northern Europe. With pictures and descriptions of Italian harpsichords, using examples from the Hugo Worch Collection at the U.S. National Museum, Shortridge explains how these were simpler to build when compared to more complex designs. Factors such as string lengths and keyboard designs get attention in the text. The author thoroughly examines the different parts of the instrument, such as the soundboards, tuning parts, and the jacks, with a comparison of their acoustic features and craft. The importance of these instruments goes beyond the physical, as Shortridge points out the aesthetic beauty of the harpsichords and how their sound fits into the way musical instruments changed over time.