Claude Mercier-Ythier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claude Mercier-Ythier
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Claude Mercier-Ythier (left) with Francesco Mazzoli in Paris in 2013
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| Born | 1931 Cannes, France
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| Died | 3 July 2020 (aged 88–89) |
| Occupation | Harpsichord maker |
Claude Mercier-Ythier (born in 1931, died on July 3, 2020) was a famous French harpsichord maker. He had a special shop and workshop in Paris. There, he focused only on making and fixing harpsichords. These are old musical instruments that look a bit like pianos. Harpsichords he built or fixed were used in many concerts and recordings. One famous recording was of all of Bach's keyboard music. This was played by a musician named Zuzana Růžičková. Claude Mercier-Ythier also wrote an important book about harpsichords in 1990.
A Life Making Harpsichords
Claude Mercier-Ythier came from a family of people who worked with wood and machines. He loved music from a young age. When he was just 18, he built his very first harpsichord. He did this in his garage with his friends!
After studying music, he went to Germany. There, he worked with a skilled harpsichord maker named Kurt Wittmayer. This helped him become even better at his craft. He also worked for other famous instrument makers.
In 1962, Mercier-Ythier opened his own workshop in Paris. He was the first Frenchman since the time of King Louis XVI to focus only on making harpsichords. He made harpsichords for many different places. These included businesses, theaters, and concert halls.
His instruments even appeared in over 50 movies! Some of these films were L'Allée du Roi and Brotherhood of the Wolf. After working for 45 years, Claude Mercier-Ythier's harpsichords had been played in over 9,000 concerts. They were also used in 700 recordings.
He also fixed old, historic harpsichords. These restored instruments were then used in concerts and for recordings. For example, he worked on a harpsichord made in 1755/56 by Jean-Henri Hemsch. This instrument was later used by Helmut Walcha to play Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II. He also prepared the harpsichord for Zuzana Růžičková to record all of Bach's keyboard music.
In 1990, Claude Mercier-Ythier published a book called Les Clavecins. This book is about the history and making of harpsichords. It is often mentioned in other books about these instruments.
Claude Mercier-Ythier passed away on July 3, 2020.
His Book
- Les clavecins, Editions Vecteurs, 1990, 978-0-94-519375-3
