Playing Characteristics

The Broman harpsichord is extremely heavy and unwilling. The arms are sore every evening even without using the couplers or all stops simultaneously. There is great friction in the instrument, which forces one to play with an even heavier margin than some individual keys alone would require. This results in difficulties with the flow of the music, as the player cannot forget the tool between him and the music.

The long and thin bass strings make the timbre nasal and very rich in overtones, but weak in fundament. With ordinary harpsichords, fast figurations way down in the bass often sound muddled because the strong fundaments cannot be dampened fast enough. Due to the weaker fundaments, such textures are extremely clear on this instrument. Unaccustomed to powerful spectra of overtones in a deep bass, the ear is easily fooled into hearing an illusion of very strong and agile fundaments, especially when the right hand is making distractions in the treble. Even a presence of a 16-foot stop can be felt in the background.

Differences between the three eight-foot stops are quite startling, almost giving an impression of totally separate instruments. The bass and treble division of the coupler feels more a mechanical feat of engineering than a practical musical device.

The special timbre of the bass and the raw power of the whole are the highpoints of this harpsichord. It is a battle cruiser, both for the player and the listener.