ABOUT ME
My musical and cultural interests and the collaboration with friends who are musicians have lead me at firs to manufacture Celtic harps, afterwards to be interested and gradually to develop a passion for ancient instruments, in particular harpsichords and spinets. Thus I have started my activity as an harpsichords maker, supported by study, professional education and an intense cultural and technical research, pursued also as a self-taught person, among the collections of ancient musical instruments of European museums. In 1991 I used my expertise as professor of restoration of ancient keyboard instruments in the classes for training specialists of restoration at the Piano Academy of Imola. The teaching experience was enriching and rewarding from both the professional and the human points of view but I gave up additional assignments to devote all my time to manufacturing and research..
From 1988 to 1994 my instruments were sold by “Il Laboratorio Musica ed Antichi Strumenti” of Milan, an organization that in those years was active in the music field (exhibitions of ancient musical instruments, restoration, classes, concerts…).
From 1995 I have looked after the sales personally and with satisfaction. This allow me to have a direct relationship with my clients, so as to comply with their specific requests and to give them a continual attention aimed at their particular technical needs.
Along the years I have verified, with professional proud, that my clients recognized the patient and skillful care of the working process, the worthiness reached through experience and scrupulous work, the very good quality-price ratio.
In this way collaborations that are going on since years were born and often they have became friendships founded on reciprocal esteem and the direct and clear understanding that is established between people that work with passion and dedication.
Some of my instruments have been played for CD recordings. Especially Master Marco Vincenzi has recorded the “Opera Omnia” of Bernardo Storace with an Italian instrument of mine, copy or “Grimaldi 1697”.
THE PRODUCTION
Currently my production is composed of around 150 harpsichords and spinets, sold mainly in Europe and Japan.
My instruments are present in several Conservatories in Italy and France.
For the assembly of all instruments I adopt very high quality standards. Accurate choice of the woods; respect and use of materials peculiar to the art of making stringed instruments but also use of modern technologies.
THE MATERIALS
I make use of popular for the manufacturing of the cases of the instruments that have to be painted; cypress for the Italian instruments that have the wood at sight; lime for bottoms and keyboards; spruce of the Fiemme Valley for the soundboard; beech and walnut for bridges, wrest plank, registers, frame and keyboards; pear and holly for the jacks; ebony, box-wood and bone for covering the case; boar’s bristles for the springs of jacks.
I have replaced the feather of crow, which is very delicate and easily subject to wear and tear but formerly used to the feathers of jacks, with delerin, a very similar material in conformity with crow’s feather but more resistant and easier to upkeep.
For the decoration of painted instruments I use acrylic chalk as base, tempera for coloring, shellac for protection and finishing. For the instruments with wood at sight I use shellac and wax.
THE CONSTRUCTION
All manufacturing is done in my workshop by myself together with few very good co-workers.
This guarantees a persevering and absolute control of the quality at each stage and each operation.
Specific and great care is dedicated to the manufacturing of the soundboard, fundamental for sound quality and to the manufacturing and feathering of jacks, so as to give balance of touch to the keyboard and maximum performance of the sound quality of the instrument.
The feathering allows to prepare the instrument according to the needs of the client: more clean touch, lighter touch…
Finally, having adopted the method of making small series of each instrument, I am able to offer a very good quality-price ratio.
Workshop address:
via San Vitale, 22
20038 Seregno (MI)
tel/fax +39.039.2304093
mobile: +39.347.1586101
e-mail: info@colzaniharpsichords.com
www.colzaniharpsichords.com