HANDEL'S INSTRUMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 153, 7 April 1876, Page 15

HANDEL'S INSTRUMENT.

A description of the instrument bequeathed by Handel to his secretary, Mr. Smith, who wrote the music Handel composed and dictated, will explain many of the improvements introduced in the harpsichords This instrument which was manufactured by the celebrated Hant Ruckess, of Antwerp, is six feet eight inches in height, and three fee, in width. The case is the same shape as that of modern grand pianos, and is made of black Japanned deal, with painted ornaments inside the top and upon the sounding-board- Handel's performance upon this instrument must have been very fine, for even when his loss of sight compelled him to trust to his inventive powers in playing, his embellishments of the vocal and orchestral score at the Opera House, London, were so admirable that the attention of the audience were frequently diverted from the singing to the accompaniment. This marked preference often greatly mortified the singers, one of whom threatened Handel if he ever played him such a trick again, he would jump down upon his instrument and put an end to the interruption, Handel was excessively amused at this. " JTou vill jump, vill you?" he said; "very veil, sare; be so kind and tell me veu you vill jump and I vill advertishe it in the bills." The meditated interruption, however, was not attempted. The effect of Handel's performance upon the harpischord was not, however, due to the instrument ; for such a composer and player would have made any instrument attractive. At a country church, Handel played so splendidly upon a very ordinary organ, that the congregation, instead of being "played out," remained fixed in admiration, quite calling for the organist's impatient remark : " You can't play them out." He then showed Handel the way, by playing a few chords in the ordinary manner, which speedily operated upon the people, the church being rapidly cleared.