Blanchet (harpsichord makers)
Encyclopedia
The Blanchet family were French
harpsichord
-makers from the late-17th century to the mid-19th century, by which time they had become piano
makers.
Nicolas Blanchet I (c.1660 - 1731) was born in Reims
and by 1686 was living in Paris
, where he spent the rest of his life. He became a master
instrument-maker in 1689. There was an earlier instrument maker of the same name who worked in Paris in the early 17th century, but it is not known whether the two were related.
François-Étienne Blanchet I (c.1700 - 1761) was the second son of Nicholas Blanchet I and followed him in his craft, becoming a full partner in 1722. He lived his life in Paris, as did all his descendants. He married Elisabeth Gobin in 1727 and they had two children. François Couperin
owned a large harpsichord by Blanchet; instruments made by the Blanchet family were of a high quality, much in demand and sold for high prices. Like the Goermans
family, the Blanchet family made many ravalements (that is, enlargements in range and other modern adaptations) of 17th-century Flemish
instruments, especially those of the Ruckers
family. Ruckers harpsichords were highly-prized in France at that time to such an extent that in some 'Ruckers' instruments only the soundboard was original, or nothing at all.
Elisabeth-Antoinette Blanchet (1729 - 1815) was François-Étienne Blanchet I's daughter and married Armand-Louis Couperin
in 1752.
François-Étienne Blanchet II (c.1730 - 1766) was François-Étienne Blanchet I's son and like him became a harpsichord maker, learning from his father. Pascal Taskin
became his apprentice and took over his workshop after his early death. The Blanchet family became associated with the French court
in the 1740s and became facteur des clavessins du Roi
(makers of the King's harpsichords) in the 1750s . They continued making harpsichords as late as the 1790s, while at the same time making fortepiano
s (Claude-Bénigne Balbastre
owned one made in 1763
).
Armand-François-Nicolas Blanchet (1763 - 1818) was the son of François-Étienne Blanchet II and brought up and trained by Pascal Taskin after his father's early death. He left an instructional textbook entitled Méthode abrégée pour accorder le clavecin et le piano (Paris, 1797–1800).
Nicolas Blanchet II was Armand-François-Nicolas Blanchet's son and took over the family business in 1818
. Johannes Roller, a German piano
maker, became a partner in the firm until his retirement in 1851. Their first upright piano was made in 1827
, and they led the production of high-quality uprights after designing an improved model in 1830
. Nicolas’s son P. A. C. Blanchet succeeded to the family business in 1855.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
-makers from the late-17th century to the mid-19th century, by which time they had become piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
makers.
Nicolas Blanchet I (c.1660 - 1731) was born in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
and by 1686 was living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he spent the rest of his life. He became a master
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
instrument-maker in 1689. There was an earlier instrument maker of the same name who worked in Paris in the early 17th century, but it is not known whether the two were related.
François-Étienne Blanchet I (c.1700 - 1761) was the second son of Nicholas Blanchet I and followed him in his craft, becoming a full partner in 1722. He lived his life in Paris, as did all his descendants. He married Elisabeth Gobin in 1727 and they had two children. François Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
owned a large harpsichord by Blanchet; instruments made by the Blanchet family were of a high quality, much in demand and sold for high prices. Like the Goermans
Goermans
The Goermans family were French harpsichord makers of Flemish origin.Jean Germain I was born in Geldern, the Netherlands, and is known to have been working as a harpsichord maker in Paris by 1730, where he remained for the rest of his life...
family, the Blanchet family made many ravalements (that is, enlargements in range and other modern adaptations) of 17th-century Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
instruments, especially those of the Ruckers
Ruckers
The Ruckers family were Flemish harpsichord and virginal makers based in Antwerp in the 16th and 17th century whose influence stretched well into the 18th and to the harpsichord revival of the 20th.The Ruckers family contributed immeasurably to the harpsichord's technical development,...
family. Ruckers harpsichords were highly-prized in France at that time to such an extent that in some 'Ruckers' instruments only the soundboard was original, or nothing at all.
Elisabeth-Antoinette Blanchet (1729 - 1815) was François-Étienne Blanchet I's daughter and married Armand-Louis Couperin
Armand-Louis Couperin
Armand-Louis Couperin was a French composer, organist, and harpsichordist of the late Baroque and early Classical periods. He was a member of the Couperin family of musicians, of which the most notable were his great uncle Louis and his cousin François.- Biography :Couperin was born in Paris...
in 1752.
François-Étienne Blanchet II (c.1730 - 1766) was François-Étienne Blanchet I's son and like him became a harpsichord maker, learning from his father. Pascal Taskin
Pascal Taskin
----Pascal Joseph Taskin was a French harpsichord and piano maker. Born in Theux, near Liège, he lived most of his life in Paris.- Biography :...
became his apprentice and took over his workshop after his early death. The Blanchet family became associated with the French court
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
in the 1740s and became facteur des clavessins du Roi
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
(makers of the King's harpsichords) in the 1750s . They continued making harpsichords as late as the 1790s, while at the same time making fortepiano
Fortepiano
Fortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
s (Claude-Bénigne Balbastre
Claude-Bénigne Balbastre
Claude Balbastre was a French composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was one of the most famous musicians of his time.-Life:Claude Balbastre was born in Dijon in 1724...
owned one made in 1763
1763 in music
-Events:*July 9 - Mozart family grand tour: The family of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart sets out on a European tour, ending this year in Paris*The first public concert with a glass harmonica is performed by Marianne Davies...
).
Armand-François-Nicolas Blanchet (1763 - 1818) was the son of François-Étienne Blanchet II and brought up and trained by Pascal Taskin after his father's early death. He left an instructional textbook entitled Méthode abrégée pour accorder le clavecin et le piano (Paris, 1797–1800).
Nicolas Blanchet II was Armand-François-Nicolas Blanchet's son and took over the family business in 1818
1818 in music
- Events :* December 24 – "Silent Night" written by Josef Mohr and composed by Franz Xaver Gruber* December 25 – The first performance of "Silent Night" - Events :* December 24 – "Silent Night" written by Josef Mohr and composed by Franz Xaver Gruber* December 25 – The first performance of "Silent...
. Johannes Roller, a German piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
maker, became a partner in the firm until his retirement in 1851. Their first upright piano was made in 1827
1827 in music
- Events :*March 29 - The funeral of Ludwig van Beethoven is attended by huge crowds.*April 13 – 18-year-old soprano Eugenia Savorani marries Giovanni Tadolini, her 42-year-old singing teacher....
, and they led the production of high-quality uprights after designing an improved model in 1830
1830 in music
-Events:*October – Maria Malibran, Margarethe Stockhausen and Charles de Bériot tour the British Midlands.*November 2 – Frédéric Chopin, aged twenty, leaves Warsaw for Austria.*Felix Mendelssohn arrives in Italy.*In Britain:...
. Nicolas’s son P. A. C. Blanchet succeeded to the family business in 1855.
Sources
- William DowdWilliam DowdWilliam Richmond Dowd was an American harpsichord maker and one of the most important pioneers of the historical harpsichord movement....
: The Surviving Instruments of the Blanchet Workshop; The Historical Harpsichord: a Monograph Series in Honor of Frank HubbardFrank HubbardFrank Twombly Hubbard was an American harpsichord maker, a pioneer in the revival of historical methods of harpsichord building.-Student days:...
i, ed. Howard Schott (Stuyvesant, NY, 1984) - William Dowd/John Koster: 'Blanchet', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-05-20), http://www.grovemusic.com/