At the very center of Northern Italy, between the two outcroppings, one
to the right including Venice and one to the left with Genoa, is the
region of Lombardy: wealthy, powerful families like the Sforza
established dynasties in the 14th centurey leading to great patrons of
the arts and great names:Monteverdi,Virgil, Straivari Besides the bondry
wall of the Alps to the north, the vast plain of the river Po, and the
lakes Como and Maggiore; Lombardy has given rise to the cities of Milan,
Cremona, Brecia, Mantova, and Bergamo. It is not surprising that out of
this richness of setting should come a special type of keyboard
instrument which I call the Lombardian Virginal. 19 survinging examples
are to be found representing two important families : The Antegnatis
and the Rossis
The Antegnatis were well know as organ builders.Annibale and his son
Ferrante developed a specialized design of virginal having the keyboard
projecting only a small amount from the front wall of the case and
having a decorative keywell enclosing the area of the accidentals.
I will briefly list the 7 Antegnati virginals and then the 12 Rossi
instruments. Until Ed Kottick began mention of these instruments, little
was available.
Hubbard mentions nothing of either maker probably because neither left a
proper flugel shaped harpsichord. (the harpsichord dated 1564 in Dublin
attributed to Antegnati has been re attributed to Francicus Brixiensis a
different maker according to D. Martin G. Obrien and D.Wraight)
Ategnati virginals generally have steep angled case sides and
elaborate carvings as side key blocks. The also exhibited the original
compass: F,G,A,-f3 47 notes. A few still have this compass.
Instruments by Antegnati: 1. 1537 Giovanni Francesco, V&A London
keys changed to C/E-f3
2.1544 G.F. Museo de la
Scala Milan keys changed the same.
3 no date G,F Germanische
Museum Nuremberg MIR 1083 Keys changed as above
4 no date Rome no 813
Museum of Ancient instruments Keys changed
5 1554 G.F Art Museum
Brescia Italy original keys in order
6 Fake date 1603
Smithsonian Wash DC (in storage as Gheerdinck #60.1391) original keys
7 no date G.F. Badische
Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe keys changed to C-c3
The bulk of data comes from the thesis by Denzel Wraight. This
document also has the Rossi data shown below
Instruments by Rossi 1 1542 Annibale pentagonal Schubert
Club St. Paul Minn C/E-c3
2 "1550" probably mistaken
and whereabouts unknown
3 1555 Annibale
pentagonal V&A London 45notes C/E-c3
4 1569 Annibale
heptagonal Yale Collection plain C/E-f3 property of Juilliard School
5 1569 Annibale heptagonal
Kunsthistorishes Museum Hamburg C/E-f3
6 1571 ? ? ? ?
heptagonal Private Denzel Wraights thesis # W468 (he knows)
7 1577 Annibale
heptagonal V&A London C/E-f3 Totally encrusted with precious stone and
jewels
8. 15 Annibale
heptagonal Germanische National Museum Nuremberg C/E-f3 Renate Huber
9 15 Annibale
heptagonal Castello Sforzesco Milan C/E-f3 newly translated article
from A' Bonza
10 1582 Ferrante heptagonal
Palazza Madame Turin Italy (in storage)
11 1580 Ferrante heptagonal
Stolen from the University of Michigan collection Ann Arbor
12 1597 Ferrante heptagonal
City of Hamamazu Japan restored and documented by R.K.Lee plan photo +
My interest was originally from the catalogs of the V&A which have 3
instruments I will be glad to furnish additional information. The only
full sized plans are my own. A CD of pictures on the Rossis is
available from RK Lee in Watertown Mass. Grant O Brien and Denzel
Wraight have been the leaders on documenting the Anteganti instruments.
Both families were making at roughly the same time 1530-1600. Jack Peters
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