Couchet
Encyclopedia
The Couchet family were Flemish
harpsichord
and virginal makers in Antwerp, closely associated with, and descendants of, the Ruckers
family.
Joannes Couchet (or Jan Couchet) (2 February 1615 - 30 March 1655) was a grandson of Hans Ruckers. He became the apprentice
of his uncle Joannes Ruckers in 1626 and became a master after the latter's death in 1642. There are five instruments known to be by Joannes Couchet still in existence, most of which have had ravalements, all dating from around 1650. Three of his seven children became harpsichord makers:
Petrus Joannes Couchet became a master harpsichord maker and member of the Guild of St Luke in 1655 or 1656;
Joseph Joannes Couchet became a member in 1666 or 1667. His instruments in existence today are a single manual harpsichord dated 1671 (possibly by Petrus Joannes), given a ravalement and made into a double manual by Pascal Taskin
in 1778; a single manual harpsichord dated 1679; and a double manual harpsichord dated 1680 and again given a grand ravalement by Taskin in 1781; a similar unsigned instrument likewise worked on by Taskin may also have been his.
Maria Abraham Couchet likewise became a member of the guild in 1666 or 1667.
Joannes Couchet's instruments are virtually identical to those of the Ruckers
family; some later instruments signed by Joannes Ruckers were probably made by Joannes Couchet during his apprenticeship. The Couchet family went on to make further innovations to the models established by Ruckers, building a double manual harpsichord with extended range of FF tod, and sometimes introducing registrations of 8' 8' or 8' 8' 4' instead of the then-usual 8' 4'. Joseph Joannes Couchet made a harpsichord with two sets of jacks for one 8' set of strings
.
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...
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...
and virginal makers in Antwerp, closely associated with, and descendants 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.
Joannes Couchet (or Jan Couchet) (2 February 1615 - 30 March 1655) was a grandson of Hans Ruckers. He became the apprentice
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
of his uncle Joannes Ruckers in 1626 and became a master after the latter's death in 1642. There are five instruments known to be by Joannes Couchet still in existence, most of which have had ravalements, all dating from around 1650. Three of his seven children became harpsichord makers:
Petrus Joannes Couchet became a master harpsichord maker and member of the Guild of St Luke in 1655 or 1656;
Joseph Joannes Couchet became a member in 1666 or 1667. His instruments in existence today are a single manual harpsichord dated 1671 (possibly by Petrus Joannes), given a ravalement and made into a double manual by 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 :...
in 1778; a single manual harpsichord dated 1679; and a double manual harpsichord dated 1680 and again given a grand ravalement by Taskin in 1781; a similar unsigned instrument likewise worked on by Taskin may also have been his.
Maria Abraham Couchet likewise became a member of the guild in 1666 or 1667.
Joannes Couchet's instruments are virtually identical to 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; some later instruments signed by Joannes Ruckers were probably made by Joannes Couchet during his apprenticeship. The Couchet family went on to make further innovations to the models established by Ruckers, building a double manual harpsichord with extended range of FF to
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
.