Dear Russell,Russell wrote:To possess & play an instrument you’ve had a hand in creating – via your commission - must be deeply satisfying to say the least.
That's very true. 'Universal' is also the inspirational effect of passionate people who spend their life doing what they like the most and doing it the best they can, without compromise.
After a long and extremely old-fashioned apprenticeship in someone else's workshop, this man spent the last three decades working 70 hours a week, making historical copies of keyboard instruments and eventually managing to build his reputation as a clavichord maker. He works without electricity - pieces of wood some inches thick are shaped and brought to the required thickness (which varies between 2-5mm) by hand.
Towards the end of a dinner and persuaded by the last glass of wine, he showed me the fruits of his spare time and dedication - not a blog but a private journal of his works and investigations, handwritten with calligraphy nib in impeccable, dense 15th c. blackletter script.