The Hans Adler Music Collection -Introduction

Hans Adler displays His Wanda Landowska Gothic Piano with famous painting in the lid.

Hans Adler doing research in his beloved Music Museum library.

Official opening of the Hans Adler Memorial Music Museum, 1980.

Two photos inside the newly opened (1980) Witwatersrand University Hans Adler Memorial Music Museum, to whom the

collection and library was donated on his passing.

Welcome to the Hans Adler Music Collection

Hans Adler always had a particular passion for chamber music, especially keyboard work, and assembled the finest collection of this type in the Republic of South Africa, and one of the most noted in the World.

The keyboard collection shows the development of the keyboard instrument and includes many rare works. The Museum he assembled over the years comprised 3 parts:

A collection of 20 mostly rare early keyboard instruments An enormous Library of books, manuscripts, sheet music and periodicals, mainly focused on his chamber music and multi-hand keyboard passion. Personally dedicated  photos from well over 125 renowned classical artists and groups that performed through him in South Africa between 1950 and 1978.  Also 3 personal autograph books with over 180 dedications, comments and memories from the performers, most of whom became or still are renowned and highly- respected performers throughout Europe and America. Most of the Collection was willed to the Wits University of Johannesburg on his death in 1979, where a Hans Adler Music Collection Museum was established, displaying many of his keyboard instruments, dictionaries and encyclopedias, and a glass case containing a few rare manuscripts and letters.  The music scores and periodicals (with just a dedication decal) were absorbed by/incorporated into their main university library.

                           Various references contained in the text of the following instruments refer to:

 Donald Boalch, Makers of the Harpsichord and Clavichord, 1440-1840,OUP 1956

 Various South African Newspapers, eg. Rand Daily Mail (RDM) Johannesburg, Panorama,

Die Transvaler (Afrikaans language Johannesburg newspapers)

Beyer Glasschord or Glass Harmonica- 1786

      Glasschord or Glass Harmonica made by Beyer, France, 1786 and bought from Alain Vian.   Made in France for the aristocracy and as a decoration (Transvaler, 28.1.66).  Very rare, played like a piano, but the tune comes from slivers of glass instead of wires.  Bought in France in a very old music antique shop (Star, 12.11.59)

           Hans Adler has only seen two others, one in a private collection in France and one in the musical instrument museum in Vienna. Their fragility accounts for their rarity. Mozart composed music in 1791 for such an instrument, a variant of which was played in his time by a blind musician, Marianne Kirchgessner.  The sheet music - an Adagio in C and an Adagio and Rondo for a glasschord, flute, oboe, viola and cello - are in the Adler music library.  (RDM 6.3.65)

      Two-and-a half by one-foot instrument,  mahogany case, three octaves of notes which act on hammers with heads of green leather as large as olives. 

These strike a glass xylophone and produce sounds more limpid and sweet than those of a celesta.  Glasschords originally consisted of glasses filled with water to varying levels to produce the notes of the scale.  Sound was produced either by hammers or the wetted fingers.  Benjamin Franklin, when he came to England in 1757, became interested and mechanised it by using self-tuned glass bowls.  He called it "Harmonica". The instrument was later replaced by the celesta. Permission for export had to be granted by the Musée du Louvre, which checked if there was one left in France.  It belonged to the Comte de Briqueville, whose collection was dispersed in the 1930s  (RDM, 17.12.59)

          It was unwieldy to carry around glasses of water in a piano.  Thus Beyer changed these to strips of glass. (Sunday Times, TV Times, June 1, 1975)

Pleyel Harpsichord, new in 1947

Pleyel Harpsichord (Nov. 1947)  Replica: Of a  new concert performance instrument modelled on the one made for Landowska(Transvaler, 28.1.65)Utilised for Public Concert Performances with Isabel Nef (Noted International Harpsichordist) inJohannesburg Musical Society 2 Harpsichord Recital, February, 1956

Wanda Landowska Harpsichord

Landowska Harpsichord  sculptured gothic harpsichord.Painting attributed to Verroccchio, 16th century, inside the lid, probably cut out of its frame and mounted on harpsichord lid (Sunday Times, TV Times, 1.6.75)

mentioned in Musical America 15.2.55pbought at auction,  16th century Italian, first performance of

Landowska 1912 on this instrument, Renaissance painting, wood carving restored in Paris by 92-year-old, damaged on transport and restored by H. Schilling (Opus, July 72)

featured in Landowska's autobiography (Star, 21.11.72)Mainly because the owner wanted to see the instrument played on

instead of remaining silent in the glass case of a museum, the owner sold it to Mr Adler, mentioned in Wanda Landowska's biography as being her favourite instrument, three special ivory buttons at the side of the keyboard to enable the registration and

tone colour of the harpsichord to be changed, detailed description of both repairs (RDM, 4.11.71)

Neupert Clavichord, new, made for performing

Neupert Clavichord (Oct. 1954)      A replica Instrument made for performing .   Modelled on an

early 17thcentury, instrument in a Munich Museum (Munich Museum of Science and Technology), five octaves, only one in South Africa when imported in 1954. (Transvaler, 5.11.54)

Menegoni Virginal or Ottavino

Menegoni Virginal  or Ottavino          Information given by Hans Adler 1977:  Das Instrument hat

unregelmässig viereckige Form und steht in einem braun eingelegten Kasten neueren Datums.  Die Saiten werden von Federkielen (einem Plektrum aus Leder- oder Rabenfederkiel)

angerissen.  Dieses Plektrum ist an einer beweglichen Zunge im Oberteil eines Holzstäbchens des sogen. "Springers" derart gesetzt, dass es beim Anschlagen der Taste die Saite von unten her anzupft;  beim Zurückfallen dagegen, dank der beweglichen Zunge, seitlich an der Saite vorbeistreicht.

        Venice 1689, has a beautifully inlaid case, also works with plectra, like the harpsichord.  It is a smaller instrument and was therefore probably used mainly for vocal accompaniments.   There are only about four listed in the world.  One is in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, one in the Historical Museum in Basel, the other two privately owned.(RDM, 6.3.65)

         Only three are in existence, one in Smithsonian Institue and other inVictoria and Albert Museum (Pretoria News, 10.3.69)

         Royal crest on the case indicates that it once belonged to the Austrian Emperor (Panorama, July 58)

Information from Boalch:  4 instruments listed: a)      ottavino, 1715, Yannick Guillou, Parisb)     polygonal virginal, 1692, Museo  Civico, Milanc)      harpsichord, 1696, historisches museum, Baseld)     harpsichord, 1690, Smithsonian Institution , spurious

Bought at public auction in competition with unknown buyer. Later it was discovered to be the Austrian government.  Auction took place in Belgium. (Lantern, March 1966)

Georg Winckler Fortepiano, Hammerklavier, or Mozart Piano

                                                                             

FORTEPIANO, HAMMERKLAVIER OR MOZART PIANO 

          Hammerklavier or fortepiano of the late 18th century (1780?) made by  Georg Winckler of Switzerland. Case: Nussbaum, 5 octaves (F-f3)  Er besitzt zwei Kniehebel, einen für Forte und einen für Piano.  Die Mechanik ist eine Wiener Mechanik mit Kastendämpfung.  Auf einer gestochenen Vignette auf dem Resonanzboden das Signum:  Georg Winckler, Lauten- und Instrumentenmacher München, von Neupert in Nürnberg gekauft. 

       a true piano, the action being of hammers on strings, but the damper pedals work at the knee.  In all probability Mozart himself played on this piano - hence its name "Mozart" piano.  He described one like it in his letters

           (Rand Daily Mail, 6.3.65?)          seven feet long, 40 inches wide at the keyboard, five octaves,

manufactured in Munich in 1785 (RDM, 13.11.56)

German Clavichord

Clavichord  in inlaid case which is newer (1730?)            from Germany, rectangular, elongated box.  It is a keyboard

of which the tones are produced by slender upright blades of brass called "tangents", flattened at the top where they make contact with the strings.  The earliest record goes back to 1404 when it was mentioned in "Rules of the Minnesingers" by Eberhard Cersne.  The oldest existing specimen is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York and is dated 1537 (RDM 6.3.65)

        Mr Adler secured this instrument because the owner, who had resisted all offers had died and his widow was willing to sell, three-and-a-half foot oak case, four octave keyboard, experts estimate middle of 17thcentury, little box at the side where it was customary for ladies to keep perfume or hairpins (RDM 5.4.61)

Viola D'Amore

Viola D'Amore:            The 7 stringed Viola, received from the Gaspar Cassado (Noted Spanish Cellist) collection

Hans Rueckers Epinette, Virginal or Harpsichord

Hans Rueckers Epinette/Virginal or Harpsichord

17th century, the Stradivarius among harpsichordInformation from Boalch, Makers of the Harpsichord and Clavichord, 1440-1840, p.551:Type:  Rectangular virginal. one-of-a-kind octave quint virginalDate: 1610Inscriptions: Ruckers number /51Specification: 1x4Compass: C/E-c³, short octaveKeyboard:  White naturals, black sharpsNumber of roses: 1Style of rose:  Seated harping figureExterior of case:  PaintedScale: 147 mmLength: 711 mm, Width: 380 mm, Depth: 185 mmRemarks:  The only surviving Ruckers 2.5-voet virginal at pitch R+9 - a unique, but undated, instrument authenticated by O'Brien - his number (c. 1610)a AR.  The instrument is not part of a mother and child combination, but stands in its own right.  Because of its unique position in the range of Ruckers instruments, it is the subject of considerable investigation and comparison by O'Brien .....  The outer case is shaped like a small writing desk, and is painted in the standard Ruckers green marbling.  An internal lid painting shows courtiers in a landscape with a castle.  The date of c. 1610 is ascribed on the basis of the rose and soundboard decoration.

Reference:  O'Brien, G. Grant: Ruckers, a harpsichord and virginal building tradition.  Cambridge, CUP 1990

\Alexander Bertolotti Harpsichord

Painted Bertolotti Harpsichord: with trestles, Venetian (1600)  The painted casing is antique, the soundboard and rose also.  The keyboard is completely renovated or altogether new.

Italian Harpsichord, Two Manual

 Italian Harpsichord:      decorated with garlands, (1750), on trestle, bought at Sotheby's.

           17th century, bought in England.  It has a beautiful Flemish painting on the inside of the lid in the style of Tenier and a beautifully ornamented frame, shaped like a modern grand piano but much narrower. (It is notable that there were also famous Flemish harpsichord makers in the 17th century.  The strings in this instrument are plucked by a "quill" when the key is struck.  There is a double keyboard  with several pedals or "stops" (RDM,6.3.65)

Clavicytherium or upright Clavichord

Clavicytherium or Upright  Clavichord 1589.Bought from Alain Vian, doors are original, keyboard partly restored

           Italian, late 1500s, upright clavichord (Star, 21.11.73)  from a monastery in the south of France, probably used to lead prayer and hymns, had to obtain permit from Musée du Louvre as they had to check whether there was still one in France, very few remaining, one in the Donaldson Museum of the Royal College of Music in London, another in the Metropolitan Museum, New York and a few in Germany.  It has about 3 octaves and its strings are about as long as those of a zither.  They are strung vertically over a sounding board which has two ivory ornamented rose-holes.  At the sides of the keyboard are gilt figures of cherubs in high relief.  The doors which close on the strings are ornamented with painted floral borders and panels of holy figures on the inside and a

prayer in Latin on the outside.  The sound produced when the keys are pressed down is small but tinkles clearly. (RDM 6.3.65)

Took two years to restore in Paris, early 17th century, probably made in Italy (RDM, 1.3.65)Information from Franciolini catalogue, catalog 6, Series AClaviciterio dipinto a soggetti sacri, fregi ed ornati dorati fondo bleu con stemma del Papa Sisto V al quale credesi appartenuto.  Firmato: Petrus de Paulus Fecit 1587.  Temater tu virgo paris sotera deum que tu puer es sotera tu puer ille deus.  Salve sancte puer salve vir guncula mater ter venerande puer, lungo m.0.60, largo m.0.40, alto 1.10, rarissimo.  L. 1000At Franciolini's trial, this instrument was mentioned as being a fake: "A clavicytherium had been made from an old shrine, and throughout the instrument there were forged parts." (p.197)

Square Piano

Square Piano 1725:      from Gaspar Cassado's estate, erroneously sold as spinet

           from Naples, reconditioned in England and the date of which he gives as 1730.

           Recognized authorities have up to now considered that the earliest extant square piano in existence is one by Johan Socher dated 1742. (Star 29.8.70)

Broadwood Piano, one of the first pianos

Broadwood Piano  London, 1788      Bought from Sotheby's, repaired by Hermann  Gertz, Johannesburg, 

           five-octave square piano built by John Broadwood (the oldest firm of piano-makers still in existence) in London in 1788.  It is one of his earliest instruments.  The date at which Broadwood began making pianos was 1781 in Great Pulteney Street, Bolden Square, which address is on Mr. Adler's instrument. (RDM, 27.9.66)

Johannes Player Spinet

Johanness Player Spinet  1741.On trestles, bought from Sotheby's, inset Johannes Player fecit,  four and a half octave span, two of the bass notes halved to allow for quarter-tones.  Player was known to have experimented with quarter-tone keys.This discovery was lost for

hundreds of years, until quite recently when a quarter-tone piano was hailed as a "modern" discovery, Pretoria News, 10.3.69  Only four other of his instruments have so far been traced.  One is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, another in Washington.  The spinet here, beautifully inlaid with carnation and tulip design, already has in miniature the shape of grand pianos to come. (RDM, 27.9.66)

Information from Boalch: 11 listed  This instrument is probably the one on p. 527Type: Wing spinetsigned on jackrail: Johannes Player fecit,  exterior of case, plain wood, length 1511 mmNameboard inlaid with tulips and carnations issuing from foliate cornucopias.  Compass is lacking GG# and AA# but having split C# and D# in octave above.  Arcaded naturals.  Walnut case.Sold at Sotheby's  in 1966

Ferdinand Weber Harpsichord, from Ireland

    Weber harpsichord, 18th Century      Made in Dublin by Ferdinand Weber, a friend of Handel's. Handel

had close associations with Dublin.  "The Messiah" was first performed there.  Webers harpsichords are now rare.  Two are in the National Museum in Dublin, one in the Brussels Conservatoire.  (Rand Daily Mail, 6.3.65?)

           1752, bought at Christies, beautiful hinges (Panorama, July 1958), Repaired by Michael Thomas      Information from Boalch: 7 instruments listed:

      a)      harpsichord, 1746, P.J. Watts, Maidenhead      b)     harpsichord, 1751, Brussels Museum      c)      clavicytherium, 1764, National Museum of Ireland      d)     harpsichord, 1768, National Museum of Ireland      e)      harpsichord, 1775, Royal College of Music      f)      wing spinet, 1775, National Museum of Ireland      g)     clavicytherium, privately owned in Ireland

Travelling or Practice Piano

Travelling Piano  1825:           has a large mirror for Madam to practice her attitude.

Developed before railroads for use during stage coach travel, clear piano sound. (Sunday Times, TV Times, 1.6.71)  The keyboard slides into the frame. Was surprisingly simple to use, balanced on your knees, even in a bouncing stagecoach.

Tympanum Dulcimer, Hackbrett

Tympanum, Dulcimer, Hackebrett  with two new mallets          earliest ancestor of the piano, made in Belgium, exquisitely

inlaid with ivory roses and which may be used with such beautiful effect in Brahms' Gypsy Songs (Pretoria News, 10.3.69)

8 Keyboard Action Models

8 Piano Action models bought from Neupert 28.6.1957        Made by Neupert for an exhibition of musical instruments in

New York before World War 11 (RDM 6.3.65), this set specially made (Panorama, July 1958).

      Displays the development of how the sound was produced in keyboard Instruments over the Centuries

Two modern Steinway Grands, and the special music room

Of course, there were two modern Steinway Grand pianos, set back to back, for performing all the collected four hand and eight hand music

Placed in the usual back to back position.  These can be seen in the centre left background.

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Views of Music Room and Research LibraryThe views are SE, NW, NE, SW corners of this specially build music room exhibiting the research library, instruments and, below the bookcases, the extensive sheet music scores.

More Hans Adler Information Sites

Hans Adler on Wikipedia 

Hans Adler Classical Musicians Autograph Collection 

Witwatersrand University H.A. Rare & Notable Exhibits 

Album #1 and #2 H.A. collection of touring International Musicians' dedicated and autographed Photos and their Concert Programs 

Witwatersrand University's H.A. Music Collection Brochure