<![CDATA[This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher.]]>This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. The “child” could be pulled out to play duets or set on top of the “mother” to add a jangly, buzzing color to the main sound—a Renaissance-era layering trick, centuries before mixing desks. Antwerp instrument makers were doing this in the 1600s.
@BrianRoemmele

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/fdfcdb32-5920-49d2-b776-dbdfc731db0d/this-is-a-ruckers-mother-and-child-virginal-a-17th-century-keyboard-instrument-with-a-second-smaller-instrument-built-into-it-tuned-an-octave-higher.RSS for NodeTue, 25 Aug 2026 20:04:33 GMTMon, 24 Aug 2026 18:29:57 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:40:21 GMT]]>@globalmuseum
What an impressive piece of engineering, apart from anything else.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/KimSJ/statuses/117155012388003332https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/KimSJ/statuses/117155012388003332Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:40:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:06:22 GMT]]>@globalmuseum
Wow!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/bartissimo/statuses/117154406900609377https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/bartissimo/statuses/117154406900609377Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:06:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 04:07:11 GMT]]>@globalmuseum great!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/MarianneTiel/statuses/117154174140700565https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/MarianneTiel/statuses/117154174140700565Tue, 25 Aug 2026 04:07:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 02:53:57 GMT]]>@globalmuseum

I have to assume that a few of the concert-goers of the time would have run out screaming because of the “Devil's own upper keyboard” …

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.radio/users/VE2UWY/statuses/117153886178510494https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.radio/users/VE2UWY/statuses/117153886178510494Tue, 25 Aug 2026 02:53:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:48:06 GMT]]>@globalmuseum

I think a loose translation of the motto is:

As agreement in small things grows, disagreement in great things shrinks.

Of course, it's been around 50 years since my last Latin class.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lemgandi/statuses/117153627257912542https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lemgandi/statuses/117153627257912542Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:48:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:45:26 GMT]]>@globalmuseum At the 74-second mark, they again start playing the larger keyboard, and as they do so, the keys of the smaller keyboard move in synch with those of the larger keyboard, and as you can tell from the sound, we now hear both keyboards in perfect synchronicity. 3/3

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://famichiki.jp/users/RachelThornSub/statuses/117153616785517208https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://famichiki.jp/users/RachelThornSub/statuses/117153616785517208Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:45:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:45:03 GMT]]>@globalmuseum Then they pull the front right side of the instrument off, revealing behind it a smaller keyboard instrument. They pull this small instrument out, and set it on top, essentially plugging it into the row of pegs. At the 65-second mark, the performance starts playing the smaller keyboard the rests on top of the larger one. 2/3

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://famichiki.jp/users/RachelThornSub/statuses/117153615277171431https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://famichiki.jp/users/RachelThornSub/statuses/117153615277171431Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:45:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:44:41 GMT]]>@globalmuseum The performer opens what almost looks like a wooden crate, first opening the top, which is hinged along the top back, then allowing the front panel to drop open. A keyboard occupies a bit less than half the length of the left front side. The performer plays this keyboard, then at the 35-second mark begins to transform the instrument. First they remove a wooden bar from the top, revealing what seems to be a row of pegs. 1/3

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://famichiki.jp/users/RachelThornSub/statuses/117153613847040565https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://famichiki.jp/users/RachelThornSub/statuses/117153613847040565Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:44:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:38:41 GMT]]>@globalmuseum @Arapalla That's pretty cool.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/mlanger/statuses/117153118413969974https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/mlanger/statuses/117153118413969974Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:38:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:14:10 GMT]]>@globalmuseum That is *wicked* cool 😮

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/renardboy/statuses/117152786078277279https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/renardboy/statuses/117152786078277279Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:14:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:10:55 GMT]]>@globalmuseum Amazing, and so beautiful! 🤩

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.eu/users/regendans/statuses/117152773295978317https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.eu/users/regendans/statuses/117152773295978317Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:10:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 21:26:40 GMT]]>@globalmuseum Wow! @isabelpinheiro

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/joaopinheiro/statuses/117152599256046136https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/joaopinheiro/statuses/117152599256046136Mon, 24 Aug 2026 21:26:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:55:21 GMT]]>@globalmuseum wow, that’s pretty great!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/slothrop/statuses/117152476131842477https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/slothrop/statuses/117152476131842477Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:55:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:53:34 GMT]]>@globalmuseum
officially cool

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freiburg.social/users/ditol/statuses/117152469095189356https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freiburg.social/users/ditol/statuses/117152469095189356Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:53:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:48:28 GMT]]>@globalmuseum

Higher harmonics... 🎹 🎹

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/hnapel/statuses/117152449041556402https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/hnapel/statuses/117152449041556402Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:48:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:45:51 GMT]]>@globalmuseum

Amazing!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/oldclumsy_nowmad/statuses/117152438759865690https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/oldclumsy_nowmad/statuses/117152438759865690Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:45:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:59:23 GMT]]>@globalmuseum Very cool and beautiful too. I just finished reading Isola, and they kept talking about their virginal. Book is based on true story in the mid 1500's.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/freyjfreyj/statuses/117152256049313160https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/freyjfreyj/statuses/117152256049313160Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:59:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to This is a Ruckers mother-and-child virginal—a 17th-century keyboard instrument with a second, smaller instrument built into it, tuned an octave higher. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:44:39 GMT]]>@globalmuseum

nice! what a cool instrument.

pre-amplification, doubled strings, octave strings, drone strings all helped punch out more sound.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/paul_ipv6/statuses/117151962222027854https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/paul_ipv6/statuses/117151962222027854Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:44:39 GMT