Many people are no longer familiar with the harpsichord. Yet for centuries it was THE keyboard instrument of great composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach. The sound is unmistakable - the construction an ancient art.

In this country, there are only a handful of people who still know how to build harpsichords. Matthias Griewisch is one of them. In his workshop near Heidelberg, we immerse ourselves in the almost forgotten traditional craft of harpsichord making.
Carefully selected wood has to age for decades before the harpsichord maker begins to tinker with the perfect, authentic sound: He only needs a few machines for this, but all the more craftsmanship, patience and attention to detail.
He planes wafer-thin shavings by hand, bends wood with heat and joins parts with traditional hide glue. From the keyboard to the sound box, he planes, carves and listens carefully.

It takes months of work to create a keyboard instrument with an unmistakable sound that, once heard, is never forgotten.

IN VIDEO:
Matthias Griewisch, master harpsichord maker

CREDITS
Author: Manuel Hollenweger
Camera: Ole Flashaar
Sound: Sören Peter
Editing: Jonas Heiner, Flemming Fuchs
Speaker: Rolf Hüffer
Sound mixing: Fabian Helpenstein
Color correction: Christin Ulbrich
Editors: Rolf Hüffer, Dorothee Eisinger
Social media editors: Land und Leute RP Online