Virginals
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The virginals is a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family. It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
Flemish virginals by Hans Ruckers, 1583, Antwerp (Paris, Musée de la Musique). Note the inset keyboard placed left of centre.
An Italian spinetta or virginals after Alessandro Bertolotti, c. 1586, provided with a false outer case. Note the projecting keyboard, unlike the inset Flemish examples.
Woman at a Muselar, by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1672 (National Gallery, London). Note the keyboard placed to the right.
A typical muselar of the Ruckers school. Note the keyboard on the right of the case.
Clavichord
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The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. Historically, it was mostly used as a p
Virginals
…and Jacobean eras, any stringed keyboard instrument was often described as a virginals, and could equally apply to a harpsichord or possibly even a clavichord or spinet. Thus, the masterworks of William Byrd and his contemporaries were often played on full-size, Italian or Flemish harpsichords, and not only…
1977 unfretted clavichord by Keith Hill
The "Lépante" fretted clavichord, Musée de la Musique, Paris
Tangents
Detail of the clavichord at Museu de la Música de Barcelona