The Förderverein is delighted with the generous donation of a clavichord from the estate of a music school enthusiast from Hildesheim. He himself was passionate about playing the piano and clavichord and often provided long-term financial support for gifted students at music schools.

This instrument (a replica based on an original model) was donated by the Gerstenberg family from Hildesheim to the Friends of the Salzgitter Music School on August 23, 2024.

With the clavichord, the oldest documented instrument from the family of keyboard instruments is now available to all interested pupils and piano teachers to discover the sounds of the 17th and 18th centuries.

History:
The name "clavichord" was first documented in 1396. The oldest surviving clavichord, built in 1543 by Dominicus Pisaurensis, is now in the Museum of Musical Instruments in Leipzig. Important clavichord makers included Johann Adolph Hass in Hamburg, Gottfried Silbermann in Freiberg (Saxony) and Christian Gottlob Hubert in Ansbach.

Since its development, but especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, the clavichord played a major role in domestic music, comparable to that of today's piano. This is also evidenced by the use of the term "clavier", which often referred to a clavichord until the 19th century. Due to its construction, the clavichord was cheaper than other keyboard instruments, especially the harpsichord, and was therefore widely used as a practice instrument. By the end of the 18th century, the instrument was in widespread use almost throughout Europe.