Hi,

2009/4/24 Davitt Moroney <[log in to unmask]>

> [...] Let's not forget that Hass (the father) was known as an organ
> builder. The minute you switch mentalities and play it like a tracker-action
> organ, it responds instantly and beautifully, but it's not for the
> faint-hearted (those who like what Leonhardt once called "whispering
> harpsichords"). ...
>


According to Boalch (third edition) referring Gerber (1790)
both Hass' were organ builders in Hamburg.

I think one should doubt this severely:
There is not one reference in any Hamburg-related materila that I could find
about organ builders in Hamburg named Hass (con variazioni).
There is no organ known to have been built by them in any church, no trace
of work in the surrounding regions either, and no positive organ known to
have existed that has been or can be attributed to them.
None of the inscriptions on the harpsichors and clavichords bears a
signature typical for an "Orgel- und Instrumentmacher" (con variazioni).

Possibilities are

- Gerber is plain wrong

- The Hass (or only one of them - then the father might be the more likely
candidate) might have worked in an organ builder's workshop in Hamburg
(Schnitger? Richborn?) . But that would not make them organ builders. i


If Gerber had a source telling him that the father (or both) Hass once
worked in an organ workshop as either apprentices or journeyman, Gerber
would  still know that this would not make them "Orgelmacher".
So I think it is more likely that Gerber was wrong with his information.

This all of course, does not make Davitt's observation invalid that the Hass
instruments might be influenced by the strong organ building tradition in
North Germany.


Kind regards
Ibo

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