- Wolfgang Zuckermann
Wolfgang Joachim Zuckermann (born
11 October 1922 ) is aharpsichord maker,author and environmental and social activist. He was born inBerlin , became anAmerican citizen in 1938 and has lived inFrance since 1995.He saw front line action as a Private with the
U.S. Army and followed this by obtaining a B.A. in English andPsychology fromQueens College , New York, winning the title of Queens College Scholar, the highest honor conferred upon graduates at that institution.Zuckermann as harpsichord builder
After a stint as a child psychologist, Zuckermann, an amateur musician, became one of the first harpsichord makers in the United States and in the late 1950's invented the "do-it-yourself"
harpsichord kit, sometimes called the 'Model T' harpsichord, which he sold in large quantities to institutions, professionals, and individuals around the world, thus fundamentally transforming a significant part of the world musical scene.The harpsichord kit was produced in Zuckermann's New York workshop on Christopher Street in
Greenwich Village . It was designed to maximize affordability, and therefore made extensive use of parts ordered out of stock from other manufacturers, including whole keyboards. It was also designed to be assembled by amateurs, which was one factor in using (initially) a straight piece where most harpsichords employ a curved bentside.Even though the keyboard more resembled that of a piano and its soundboard was made from laminated wood, Zuckermann's harpsichord became one of the most popular harpsichord models ever; it was assembled by people of all ages and given affectionate nicknames such the "Slantside" or the "Z-box".
The wooden pieces for the case, along with some other commonly available parts, were not included, so the price was set at a most economical $150. Little by little, the Zuckermann kit became more elaborate and complete. Other instrument kits were also made available, including a
spinet harpsichord and aclavichord .Zuckermann wrote of his project as follows: [http://www.theparisworkshop.com/wjz.html TPW An introductory letter by Wolfgang Zuckermann ] ] "I thought of the harpsichord kit idea in 1959, when I received too many service calls on the finished instruments we were then producing, and I wanted to let my customers into the secret of how to make these instruments. My original kit was a straight-sided, single set of strings harpsichord, then selling for $150: we supplied the essential parts, but the customers had to shop for the wood. We soon added the case for another $150 and this became very quickly a big seller." [ [http://www.theparisworkshop.com/en/history-en.html TPW A little history ] ]
"The Modern Harpsichord"
After a dozen years of this activity, Zuckermann wrote the book "The Modern Harpsichord", ISBN 0-8079-0165-2, October House, (1969). This is a very wide-ranging survey of the harpsichord makers of the time, covering their philosophies and methods of production. It is notable that while Zuckermann's own straight-sided, plywood kit instruments could hardly be called "authentic", Zuckermann's own tastes as revealed in this book tended sharply toward authenticity, particularly toward work that attempted to recreate instruments of the kind built by the great makers of the past, using lightweight construction and preindustrial materials. This taste was manifested in the book's detailed, warmly appreciative account of the work of three builders in particular,
Frank Hubbard ,William Dowd , andMartin Skowroneck . It is also seen in Zuckermann's relatively caustic treatment of the major firms of the time, who were still building heavily designed, ahistorical instruments.The subsequent history of harpsichord building has evidently vindicated Zuckermann's views, as authentically-oriented harpsichords now dominate the field. Indeed, Zuckermann's own firm, still in business under other leadership, has moved sharply in the direction of more elaborate and more historically authentic instruments.
Zuckermann as activist
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