Harpsichord by Faby, P

The Pietro Faby harpsichord in Paris is one of the finest surviving examples of seventeenth-century Italian keyboard craftsmanship. Built in 1677 by the Bolognese maker Pietro (P. or Padre) Faby, the instrument is now housed in the Musée de la Musique in Paris. Faby was a Franciscan friar and harpsichord maker active in Bologna during the second half of the seventeenth century, and only a handful of his instruments survive today.

The harpsichord has a single manual with a compass of four octaves (C–c³) and follows the elegant Italian tradition of light construction, producing a clear, brilliant and responsive tone. It is distinguished by its luxurious decoration: the inner case is housed within an elaborately painted outer case finished in imitation marble, while the underside of the lid is decorated with a painted landscape. The keyboard features engraved ivory naturals and ebony accidentals, and the instrument is fitted with an intricately carved and painted parchment rose.

According to historical records, the instrument once belonged to Count Hercule Pepoli of Bologna before entering the celebrated collection of the nineteenth-century collector Alexandre-Charles Sauvageot, who later donated it to the French state. Today it forms part of the Musée de la Musique's collection, where it stands as one of the most important surviving Italian harpsichords in France and provides a valuable insight into late seventeenth-century Italian instrument making

Photo Credit: Louislegrand14 Wikicommons