The Goble/Gotto triple manual harpsichord after Hass (1740): a documentary

A short documentary about a remarkable harpsichord, started by Andrea Goble in the 1980s and finished by Alan Gotto 35 years later. A copy of the Hass 1740 triple manual, this large and elaborate instrument includes both a 16ft and 2ft stop - very few other instruments can match its range of colour possibilities or sheer scale of sound.
Includes performances by harpsichordists David Wright and Robin Bigwood, and maker Alan Gotto explains more about the instrument and its history.

[@phileo_ss]

Amazing instrument! I knew triple manual harpsichords existed but have never seen one being played.

[@Wolfganger]

Same bro

[@ruperttmls7985]

Babell… el epigono de Handel

[@runner0075]

only swiss musicians can afford that sort of instruments. Sad.

[@johningles1098]

Gene Wilder is back from the dead and he can play the harpsichord

[@synchro505]

lolol

[@shawncharton9416]

My first though exactly.

[@marcussfebruary9104]

🤣😭

[@JB-ru2zb]

i would have said Eric Idle but that one is also true.

[@Arthur-hg7ny]

“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker”

[@danielj9042]

We have a Hass copy here in Greensboro North Carolina at First Presbyterian Church. I don’t know the entire spectrum of the harpsichord, but it looks just like yours. It has the “pull out” 3rd manual and it also has a ‘16 and ‘2 register. I’ll see if I can find more info on the instrument. It plays beautifully. I’m an organist, but very much enjoy this harpsichord!

[@beaglemusiclabs]

Wow! I live in Durham and had no idea anyone in the area had a 3-manual instrument. That's wonderful.

[@deepdipsheepdip881]

That Goble harpsichord in Greensboro belonged to Henry Hood, and he bequeathed it to me before he died. It was written down and everybody knew about that. When he died, his niece Wendy Hood refused to let me have it and rented it out. This was not what the owner wanted, and it was not right. Henry Hood also left me his entire music library, but I was not allowed to have that either. I heard she gave it to a library, perhaps for a tax credit. Very ugly.

[@cesaraguel4251]

As mentioned in the video, the original 3 manual harpsichord by Hass had been restored for the extraordinary colombian harpsichordist Rafael Puyana (14 October 1931 - 1 March 2013) in Paris. Very good restoration indeed.

[@baxter5431]

Just a TERRIFIC instrument! Can I have one? *LOL* It's really an "all purpose" instrument with the only thing lacking is a pedal board.

[@marcussfebruary9104]

Must be very fun tuning 🥲🥲🥲🥲

[@robinbigwood]

Luckily I never had to do it... ;)

[@Silkari]

That lute register is so clean! Never heard one like it.

[@dougsigety3751]

Well done Alan! You have conquered the Mount Everest of harpsichord building. Wonderful demonstration and commentary. Bravo to all involved.

[@luuktorn]

Wow what an impressive instrument! Fantastic workmanship!

[@joonaa2751]

The ultimate instrument would be if a harpsichord like this was combined with organ pedals under the feet.

[@danielwaitzman2118]

This instrument makes other harpsichords sound like music-boxes. I'll bet that were it not for the cost of such an instrument, together with the labor-intensive maintenance that it must require, this harpsichord could have held its own with the fortepiano through the nineteenth century.

[@Bach6032]

Here is another triple manual harpsichord, built in about 1983, by Keith Hill and Philip Tyre, then of Grand Rapids, MI. It, too, is a magnificent instrument: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3-0XqaLq7icjJo

[@Dezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

what a majestic sound this thing makes, i feel there could br so much potential with this instrument

[@corniste]

Absolutely amazing sound possibilities!

[@rsv-code7004]

Amazing sound! Love it.

[@francoisvillon1300]

Пуленк и Ландовская были бы счастливы!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

4:20 Did you see that? The lower keyboard slides in & out

[@KatErina-ii6ru]

What a special instrument. I never knew three manuals existed. Just lovely. I played in college and would love to get back to it ❤ Thank you for sharing 😊

[@operarioespeculador-trader1776]

woooow !!!! 😍😍😍😍😍 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@Nick-nm6yp]

Really interesting and enjoyable video about the instrument and great playing

[@menialharpsichordist553]

i have to say imo it even sounds better than the original three manual hass

[@noiselesspatient]

Crunchy

[@mercoid]

Gobel Goble Goble 🦃

[@MA-naconitor]

I just needs a matching pedal-harpsichord!

[@cesaraguel4251]

A picture of a middle aged Puyana sitting in front of the instrument exists in the Internet.

[@blipblip88]

I can almost feel the inevitable implosion of all that string tension! Joking aside, tho...I wish my brother George was here!

[@Ogurets123]

Jesus, what a beautiful monstrosity.

[@danielms143]

This is mind-blowing! Wow, wow, wow!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

I would love an Electric version of this Harpsichord w/ Pickups so I can plug it into my amp

[@susancrilly8706]

absolutely wonderful

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

How about a Sitarpsichord? It's a Harpsichord with a Buzzing bridge to make it sound like a Sitar.

[@robinbigwood]

Check out the arpicordium stop on Ruckers virginals - it's pretty close to what you're suggesting. ;)

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@robinbigwood The Arpicordium stop activates a Buzzing bridge

[@centeravenue]

Wonderful demonstration of a great achievement in instrument building! Thank you so much for this documentation.

[@thedigitalharpsichordist1541]

Now THAT is a dream harpsichord! Question: does it have 2, or 3 8-foot registers? or is it 8-I, 8-II, 4, 2 and 16? Also: has it ever been samples? (That really should be done!)

[@robinbigwood]

Hi. As I remember (coming up to two years back now) it's 16, 8-I, 8-II, 8-lute, 4, 2, with a buff on the 16 and one of the 8s. The original had dogleg jacks coupling the top two keyboards, but that became a standard shove coupler on the copy, to further increase the registration flexibility. We didn't get chance to sample it unfortunately - just one day to make the video here and the separate performances to go with it.

[@thedigitalharpsichordist1541]

@@robinbigwood Thanks for the info! A shame you couldn't sample it: such sounds, and sound combinations, are rare. But you were indeed lucky to become "personally acquainted" with such a marvelous harpsichord!

[@video_camera]

@@thedigitalharpsichordist1541 It really is a shame no samples were made. Its register and colour are breathtaking

[@thedigitalharpsichordist1541]

@@video_cameraSo true.. but then, since it still exists, maybe its owner could be persuaded to make samples..whoever that owner now is!?

[@gerardvila4685]

This is fascinating but I'm still wondering about the decoration of the sharp keys. Is this copied from the original Hass instrument? Does anyone know what it represents, if anything?

[@martin_A.miranda]

its a good advance for the limitated dynamics of the clavichord, but i dont understand very much of this.. the first keyboard is Forte, the second piano and the third is pianissimo?

[@DavidAgdern]

My instant reaction to this is that I vastly prefer the sound of the Goble/Gotto instrument to the Hass. Beautiful job. I wish that Mr. Puyana could have lived to play this instrument.

[@gretchenweiss1925]

Wow, Monsterinstrument!

[@SYLVESTRIVS]

Hello! Could you please post pictures and a video of nasal jack and its stringing? 7:07 for reference. Should nice a closer view of these rare stop

[@ZipoDoug]

Please explain the decorations of the accidentals. Strange.

[@MiScusi69]

What a rich and deep sound! I want to listen to so many baroque pieces on an instrument like this!

[@АлександрИванов-я6д1ъ]

Great instrument. Great music! Thank you for the story!

[@kalodner666]

Impressive.

[@HarpsichordHymnsTimRemington]

What an amazing and beautiful instrument! Thanks for this video.

[@hori166]

A beautiful instrument. However, another copy was made by Robert Goble & Son. The original Haas was owned by Rafael Puyana.

[@deepdipsheepdip881]

The story I heard from Andrea Goble himself, is that Puyana ordered the harpsichord but then couldn’t pay for it. That one was bought by Henry Hood in Greensboro, North Carolina.

[@GilbertMartinezHarpsichord]

WONDERFUL! Nice to see you Robin and David!

[@dziolanaantuzyte877]

My boldly ❤

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

wow, what a powerfull sound

[@phillipchapman169]

Fantastic craftsmanship.

[@InMaLa]

The lid is a picture of Hellfire itself

[@jonathanberner5501]

Spectacular

[@SarumChoirmaster]

Anyone making these currently? If so, whom and where can I order one?

[@leonardschick5257]

Goble who started this harpsichord is not active anymore. But some builders I asked would agree on building copies if one is ordering them.

[@marcussfebruary9104]

@@leonardschick5257 would definitely cost an arm and a leg.

[@leonardschick5257]

@@marcussfebruary9104 I've asked several builders. I can assure you that some (and even good builders!) would build it definitely cheaper than the most expensive builders ask for "normal" double manuals.

[@RitaPas]

@@leonardschick5257 what is a cheap price when talking about this wonder? Just to know, I believe I've lost my cheque book somewhere ;-)

[@leonardschick5257]

@@RitaPas A harpsichord is never cheap, especially such a huge one. Some builders would build triple manual harpsichords similar to this one for 50'000-70'000 EUR if you ask them, while others (rather snobbish) would ask for "simple" double manuals about 60'000-80'000.

[@mallorga1965]

Amazing!

[@obsessivecorvid]

Do you know the location of the original Hass triple manual and the two other copies?

[@obsessivecorvid]

Also, can the top two manuals be played while the bottom one is pushed in, and can the bottom one be played when pushed in?

[@robinbigwood]

I don't unfortunately. It's an interesting question.

[@robinbigwood]

@@obsessivecorvid Yes, with the bottom manual in it feels a lot like a conventional 2x8s (+ lute) + 4 double manual. But I don't think it's viable to play the 16' keyboard when it's pushed in - it *might* work (I didn't try) but there's almost no space for the hands/fingers, and sharps are probably not reachable at all.

[@obsessivecorvid]

@@robinbigwood huh, and do you know where the other copies and the original harpsichord currently reside?

[@ludovicleprinceroyal8721]

The sine qua non of the 2 x 8' disposition of a French, Italian or German instrument is all that is desirable for the great majority of the literature of the harpsichord. The periodic brilliance of a well voiced 4' adds intensity to the occasional piece, and the buff stop, less frequently, has its place. Nothing, however, should distract from the clarity and nobility of the plein jeu.