Dulcken 1745 Harpsichord for Sale in Regensburg — Come and Play at Tage Alter Musik 2026

From 23 to 25 May 2026, we will present our new Paul McNulty–Sergei Kramer Flemish double-manual harpsichord after Joannes Daniel Dulcken, 1745, at Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, in the Historischer Salzstadel beside the Stone Bridge.

The Dulcken 1745 harpsichord will be available for sale, and visitors will have the opportunity to see, hear, and play the instrument in person throughout the exhibition.

Alongside it, we will also present our Walter 1792 fortepiano, likewise available for sale.

 

A new Dulcken 1745 harpsichord — the result of years of research

This presentation marks a particularly important moment for our workshop.

The harpsichord shown in Regensburg is the culmination of a long process of research and development dedicated to recreating one of the finest Flemish harpsichords of the eighteenth century. The project brought together historical study, direct examination of surviving instruments, practical experimentation, and many years of workshop experience in historical keyboard instrument building.

To create this instrument, we studied original Dulcken harpsichords preserved in European museum collections, examining their construction, proportions, materials, and tonal character. We also carried out high-resolution 3D scans of original instruments in several museums, allowing us to work from precise historical geometry rather than from approximate reconstruction.

Our goal was not simply to produce a visually convincing copy, but to create the finest possible historical replica of a Dulcken 1745 harpsichord — faithful in:

• materials,
• construction,
• proportions,
• touch,
• and, most importantly, sound.

This approach lies at the heart of our workshop philosophy. Historical keyboard instruments are approached not as decorative copies or silent museum objects, but as living musical instruments rebuilt through research, craftsmanship, material understanding, and close attention to the sound world of their time.

Over many years, Paul McNulty’s work has focused on recovering historical instrument-making knowledge through the study of original instruments, historical acoustics, and traditional workshop methods. Every new project deepens this process of rediscovery and refinement.

The Dulcken 1745 model represents an especially important step in that work. Flemish double-manual harpsichords occupy a central place in the history of European keyboard music, admired for their richness, power, brilliance, and extraordinary versatility. Dulcken instruments in particular are celebrated for combining clarity and depth with a singing quality that allows both contrapuntal textures and expressive solo repertoire to speak naturally.

 

A Flemish double-manual harpsichord built for musicians today

The new harpsichord after Dulcken 1745 is a full-scale Flemish double-manual harpsichord designed for performers, conservatories, festivals, institutions, and collectors seeking an instrument of the highest historical and musical standard.

In developing this replica, we worked to recover the characteristic Dulcken sound world as fully as possible — not only through the outward appearance of the instrument, but through its entire internal logic and structure.

Particular attention was given to the selection and preparation of wood, the proportions of the case, the soundboard design, the bridges and scaling, the registers and action, and the voicing of the finished instrument.

Every stage of construction was approached with the intention of achieving a coherent musical result rather than merely reproducing historical measurements. Historical instrument building requires balancing technical precision with musical sensitivity, since even small differences in materials or proportions can fundamentally influence the sound and response of the instrument.

The result is a historical harpsichord replica created for serious musical life: an instrument intended not only for display, but for concerts, recording projects, conservatory study, festivals, and daily artistic work.

For performers of Baroque and early Classical repertoire, the Dulcken model offers exceptional expressive possibilities. The richness of the bass, the brilliance of the upper register, and the flexibility of the two manuals allow a wide range of colours and articulations suited to both solo literature and continuo playing.

At the same time, the instrument reflects the visual elegance associated with the great Flemish harpsichord-making tradition. The proportions of the case, the balance of the design, and the refinement of the details all contribute to the distinctive presence of the instrument, both visually and musically.

 

Learn more about the Dulcken 1745 harpsichord:
http://www.fortepiano.eu/harpsichord-after-dulcken-1745/

 

Also in Regensburg: our Walter 1792 fortepiano

Alongside the Dulcken harpsichord, visitors will also be able to experience our Walter 1792 fortepiano.

The Walter model belongs to the sound world of Mozart and early Beethoven and has become one of the defining instruments of our workshop. Its clarity, immediacy, transparency, and expressive range make it an important reference point for Classical repertoire performance today.

For many musicians, the Walter 1792 model represents one of the closest connections to the keyboard sound ideal of the late eighteenth century. The instrument combines precision and lightness with remarkable expressive flexibility, allowing performers to explore the articulation, colour, and dynamic language associated with Viennese Classical music.

Both instruments presented in Regensburg — the Dulcken 1745 harpsichord and the Walter 1792 fortepiano — will be available for sale.

 

Come and play in Regensburg

We warmly invite musicians, professors, students, collectors, instrument makers, and early music enthusiasts to visit the exhibition and experience both instruments in person.

Visitors will have the opportunity not only to see the instruments, but also to play them and explore their sound directly in the exhibition space.

Tage Alter Musik Regensburg 2026

Historischer Salzstadel, Regensburg
23–25 May 2026

• Saturday, 23 May: 13:00–19:00
• Sunday, 24 May: 10:00–19:00
• 
Monday, 25 May: 10:00–16:00

 

More information

• WhatsApp / Phone: +420 737 927 567
• Website: www.fortepiano.eu

Come and play — discover our new Dulcken 1745 harpsichord in Regensburg.