Thelautenwerck (also spelledlautenwerk), alternatively calledlute-harpsichord (lute-clavier) orkeyboard lute, is a European keyboard instrument of theBaroque period. It is similar to aharpsichord, but withgut (sometimesnylon) rather than metal strings (except for the 4-foot register on some instruments), producing a mellow tone.
The instrument was favored byJ. S. Bach, who owned two of the instruments at the time of his death, but no specimens from the eighteenth century have survived to the present day.[1] It has been revived since the twentieth century by harpsichord makers Willard Martin, Keith Hill, and Steven Sorli. Three of its most prominent performers are theearly music specialistsGergely Sárközy,Wolfgang Rübsam, andRobert Hill.
Performances byGergely Sárközy also are freely available.[2]
