The two manual harpsichord according to Benoist Stehlin, Paris 1760, with appended organ pedal
Not many live datas are given from Benoist Stehlin, also called Stelle or Stella in France. His father Georg Stehlin emigrated probably from Swiss territory - where the name is very common - to Oltingen (between Basel and Belfort), Upper Alsace. Before 1732 Benoist was born Jettingen (Upper Alsace). He passed his youth in his native country which's cultural background was characterized by the Allemannian inventro mentality and the French men-of-world habit. In this cultural climate which was formed through the famous Andreas Silbermann and his son Johann Heinrich Silbermann from Strasbourg, he learned the craftsmenship of organ building. After he finished his training he moved to Paris. There he settled down as harpsichord and organ builder; in 1753 he married. In Paris he lived and worked as very famous harpichord builder. He died on 11.07.1774 in Paris.
Two of his harpsichords were kept until now. One of them from 1750 is placed in St. Quentin, France, in the "Museum Antoine Lecuvere. It belonged to Bernard Jumentier (1749-1829), he was composer and Maitre de Chapelle in the cathedrale of St. Quentin. In 1913 this harpsichord has been restored the first time. The second harpsichord, built in 1760, came from Florida to the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Both instruments, signed from Stehlin, have specific case and scaling charaters which emphasize them as extremly warm instruments. This warm and cantable sound was decisive to rebuild not a Taskin or Blanchet instrument, but to choose a Stehlin harpsichord from 1760 as model.
There were a few pedal harpsichords in the 18th century which consisted of a two manual etope with disposition: lower manual 8’ <, 4’ <, upper manul 8’ >, lute, pull coupler and a alower part - the pedal - with disposition: 16’, 8’, 4’.
In the 17th century there were especially in Italy some polygonals and harpsichord which had an appended pedal. I.e. the keys of bass of the manual were fixed through a cord with the pedal so that the bass tones could be hold with the feets and the fingers were free the middle and the discant.
The advantage of etop + lower part harpsichords is its full sound with the 16’. The disadvantage is that additionally to the three registers of the etope also the three registers of the elower part have to be tuned. In climatic critical rooms, dependent on the season, this can be a considerable tune and regulation work. If it's only about e.g. for an organist to realize the possibility of pedal practise, the "earlier" variation of the appended pedal is more advantageous. Only the harpsichord has to be tuned and regulated and so there is more time for the musical work.
The two manual harpsichord according to Benoist Stehlin (1760) with appended organ pedal has the following dispositions for the manuals:
under manual 8'<, 4' <
upper manual 8'> , buff stop,
pull coupel
pedal 8’ < , couple to under manual.
compass: FF-f3
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