Grand by franz jacob Späth/Spath (1761)

At present in the state of documentation resp. plan reestablishment

This outwardly rather spectacular instrument from the local museum „Heimatmuseum Oberammergau“ in its present state represents the result of a transformation by an unknown maker from harpsichord, maybe a combination instrument, to a  grand piano. This remodelling obviously occurred in the last decades of the 18^th century. the orifiginal state built by Franz Jacob Späth in Regensburg in 1761 has been tampered with massively. At present the range of the instrument is F' to f³ auf (61 keys);  rather typical for its time and possibly original from beginning. typisch
Our  documentation faces several tasks and challenges: First documentation and researching the very extensive chinoiserie decoration of the 1760s, secondly the exploration of assumed original state ans the changes during the reshaping into a single-manual piano.Even in its present state it represents a spectacular and important cultural and technical monument deserving detailed research,

from D-DRslub Mscr.Dresd,App.3165/3 (Silbermann archive), pag. 226-228 (correspondence):

Spath (Franz Jacob)

Von Regensburg. Hat Ao. 1755. den 10then Julii an mich geschrieben, weilen er ein 16.füßig Orgelwerk[*] unterhanden halte, wozu er einen perfecten Orgelmachers-Gesellen, der auch mit der Zinn-Arbeit wohl umzugehen wüßte, benötigt hätte, ersuchte er mich einen solchen ihm zu kommen zu lassen, weil ihm wohl bewust ist, daß sich bey mir die besten Leute von allen Orten in Condition bewerben.

From Regensburg. Wrote 1755 the 10^th of July when he had a 16 foot organ* in the making, in need of a perfect organ maker journeyman, apt in tin works, he asked me for such while he is aware that the best ones from anywhere try to work for me.

Ao. 1764, den 28. Julii hat er mir wieder geschrieben: daß weilen er das 50.te Jahr erlebet, und seine angespannte Kräften abwerts gehen wollen, Zu diesem keine männliche Succession, sondern 3 Töchter hat, so wäre er entschlossen, einen Christlichen und geschückten Menschen, welcher in der Orgelbau Kunst was rechtes gethan, vollkommen glücklich zu machen. Da er nun glaubet, daß mir ein zimlicher District um Straßburg von Orgelmachern werde bekannt seyn, so nähme ers für eine Göttliche Fügung an, wann ich ihme ein geschücktes Subjectum, am allerliebsten aber einen Schüler von mir, vorschlagen könnte.

Anbey meldete er: Zum Preiß Gottes habe dermalen wider ein Clavessin von 2000 Rfs in Arbeit. //

1764 the 28^th of July he wrote again that while being in his 50^th year and his strength slowly fading and not having a male successor but 3 daughters he made the decision to make a good christian and able subject, having excelled in organ making, perfectly happy. Since he assumes that I am familiar with organ makers within  a fair district around Straßburg he would accept a heavenly benefit if I could recommend an able subject, at best one of my disciples.

On the side he mentioned; Thank God he has a harpsichord of 2000 florins in progress again.

Im nemlichen 1764ten Jahr unter dem 11.t October widerhohlte er sein voriges Verlangen, und daß seine größte Tochter erst 14. Jahr hat. Er wäre Content wenn er einen jungen Menschen wüßte der ein gutes Clavier spiele, Zum Inventieren inclinierte, eine nette Pfeiffe machen, intoniren und stimmen lernte. Er wüßte einen jungen Orgelmachers-Gesellen welcher ehedesten bey ihm in Condition war, allein im Clavierspielen ist er nichts,  hat einen Trieb in der Orgelmacher Kunst sich zu perfectionieren. Bey ihme aber wäre die Gelegenheit hiezu nicht. Er wollte demnach mir die Vorstellung theilen etliche Jahre einen solchen Menschen  beynebst seiner treuen Dienst, providiren zu laßen, er stünde dermalen in Sachsen in Arbeit, und flattirt sich bey ihm sein Glück zu machen &c.

The same year 1764 the 11th of Octobre he repeated his previous intention and his oldest daughter is just 14. he would be pleased if he had a young man who could play keyboard well, is inventive, learning to make, refine and tune a a good pipe. He knows a young organ maker journeyman formerly under contract with him, but no proper player, in urge to become a perfect organ builder. With him the opportunity is insufficient. Therefore he wanted to recommend this just fellow meanwhile working in Saxony asf.

Ao 1774 d 12 Xbris schrieb mir Do. Spath wieder einen höflichen Brief worin er mir Bericht ertheilte, daß ihm Gott bey seinen vielen Geschäften einen geschickten Tochtermann Namens Schmahl Orgelbauers Sohn aus Heilbronn am Neckar bescheret. Er meldet anbey: dieser hat Lust dero seel. Herrn Bruders  in Dreßden seine Aufwartung gemacht // alda alle Ehr empfangen, ist ihm auch Condition angeboten worden, allein wegen meinem Verschreiben, bedauerte mein Hr Sohn. daß er nicht von konnte providiren.
Er hat dato noch eine heurathsmässige Tochter, deren er auch einen geschückten Künstler von unserer Kunst wünschen möchte.
Diesen Brief unterschrieb er Spath & Schmahl.
Dieser Künstler macht von seiner Clavessin-Arbeit, wie pag.226 zu lesen, erschröcklichen Wind. Ein Herr von Waldburg, der 1777. bey uns war, hat seine Instrumente gesehen, und will nichts rühmliches davon sagen.

1773 the 12th of December Mr Spath  again wrote a polite letter reporting God presented an able son in law by then name of Schmahl organ maker's son from Heilbronn on Neckar. He notes that one had made his honours at [my] blessed brother's in Dresden, welcomed gratiously but could not enter [the workshop] because of my [Späth's] contract. He, however, still has a marriage-minded daughter who he would wish an able artisan of our arts for. This letter he signed Spath & Schmahl.  This artist makes an stunning fuss about his harpsichord-work as can be read p.226 [here above]. A Duke of Waldburg who visited us in 1777 has seen his instruments, and would not praise them.

* This was in all likeliness the organ for Regensburg Dreieinigkeit (Trinity) church.

Auch Johann Andreas Stein arbeitete in jenen Jahren an ähnlichen Konzepten.

"Modernisations" like these appear to have been not uncommon, despite all declarations to the opposite. Its mode clearly different from Späth leads to the assumption that this was not done by Späth & Schmahl  but by someone, roughly familiar with piano manufacture and action but outside the prominent workshop traditions.

That the generation of disciples of Silbermann, Späth, Friderici and Stein had no second thoughts about  conversions like those, is revealed by an ad of a rather unknown former apprentice or journeyman of Stein, Johann Georg Kuppler,  in Bayreuther Zeitungen of 27^th of March 1786, who is rather keen to spread all his experience and his produce following his former masters Stein and Friederici.

To the musical public.

May a revered musical public be informed that the Speyer-born instrument maker, Johann Georg Kuppler, established here who was trained in his art by the famous artisans Mr. Stein in Augsburg and the late Mr. Friderici in Gera, that he can offer the following keyboard instruments made anew cheaply, as, Clavichord's of different sorts, Fortepiano's, grand as weell as square, Melodica and Vis a Vis-grands. Quality of sound, precision and longevity of the inner as well as outer structure will testify his recommendation just as he himself might by promptest service; this may be witnessed by the connaisseurs here whose applause he proudly received in  his short time. Since so many music lovers in the present decline and deterioration of the quilled harpsichords are provided with or rather burdened by those instruments, these can contact him (if the body of the instruments is still well) to discuss an alteration into piano which he did recently with some good success. Any external beneficiaries or friends willing to handle commisions for him, will be welcome and shall be in the best way rewarded for their efforts. 

Bayreuth, 18^th of May 1786. 

Johann Georg Kuppler.

Kuppler, whoo soon later moved to Nürnberg may appear - after his history and experience as produce of Stein's inventions Melodica and Visàvis-grand - less astonishing than his direct approach to the music lovers of the 1780s  so "bothered" and burdened by their old harpsichords - und Kuppler's readiness to adapt these by conversion to the new tastes. He certainly was not the only maker of his generation with such ideas and offers to his customers.

Another who offered similar conversions but hardly responsible for this instrument's considering the distance was Johann Benedikt Ernst Wegmann in Frankfurt on Main, who placed an ad on 13th of October 1786 in the local "Intelligenzblatt der freien Stadt Frankfurt" [p.890]:"... auch macht derselbe aus Flügeln, die noch brauchbar sind, Forte Piano nach der neuesten Art." (... the same produces, from grands still usable, pianos after newest fashion...) These conversions represent a rather unnoticed transition area between harpsichord and piano culture.

In the  1760s new keyboard music flourished. Unfortunately it is unknown today what music was performed at its assumed first destination, Ettal monastery, since the music scores vanished after its dissolution 1803 but at Regensburg where the instrument was built, the editor and publisher of the local newspaper, the "Regensburger Diarium", regularly published ads about the recent music publications available in his shop.

So he recommended in an advertissement in No. VII 17^th of August 1762, one year later, te newest music for harpsichord by Wagenseil, Josef Antonín Štěpan  and [Carl Philipp Emanuel] Bach. by the then most popular composers from Vienna and Berlin. Whether this met the taste of the buyer of this particular instrument is unknown but it certainly represents the majority tastes of the time.

In the vicinity the time was characterized by the sonatas of the Landsberg organist Johann Anton Kobrich (1714-1791), published in series from1748 on in the publishind house of Haffner in Nürnberg.