For the member of the New Jersey General Assembly, see William F. Dowd. For the American football player and coach, politician, and publisher, see W. C. Dowd.
William Richmond Dowd (28 February 1922 – 25 November 2008) was an American harpsichord maker and one of the most important pioneers of the historical harpsichord movement.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, he studied English literature at Harvard, graduating with AB in 1948. He and his friend Frank Hubbard built a clavichord when they were both graduate students; this led to their both deciding to abandon their intended careers as teachers of English and instead to become harpsichord builders, basing their methods on historical principles. They separated for their apprenticeship; Dowd worked at the Detroit workshop of John Challis, who himself had learned from Arnold Dolmetsch. At this time, Challis was the leading harpsichord builder in the United States.
In autumn 1949 Dowd and Hubbard jointly founded a workshop in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1955, Hubbard had left on research trips around Europe, studying original instruments, while Dowd continued the new builds and restoration of antique instruments. He worked out a standard design based on the harpsichords of Pascal Taskin, which was to become much used by professional performers.
Their joint business came to an end in 1958, and Dowd established a workshop in Cambridge, Massachusetts along historical lines, producing around twenty instruments a year until 1988. From 1971 to 1985, there was a workshop in Paris under his name producing a similar number of instruments, which he ran with Reinhard von Nagel. His favoured models were two-manual harpsichords based on the French instruments of Blanchet and Taskin, including Ruckers harpsichords adapted by the grand ravalement process.
Dowd's instruments have long provided the benchmark for reliability in terms of tuning and general stability, cleanliness of construction, and for the influence that they have had on succeeding generations of builders.[citation needed] He was the first builder to seriously consider the eighteenth-century German instruments of Michael Mietke (in contrast to his colleague Hubbard). His instruments were used in performance and recording by such artists as Gustav Leonhardt, Isolde Ahlgrimm, Ralph Kirkpatrick, Igor Kipnis, Bob van Asperen, and many others.
The Surviving Instruments of the Blanchet Workshop; in The Historical Harpsichord: a Monograph Series in Honor of Frank Hubbard, ed. Howard Schott (Stuyvesant, NY, 1984)
Haney, H: Portrait of a Builder, The Harpsichord, (1971–2) (about William Dowd)
Notes and referencesEdit
Howard Schott: 'Dowd, William (Richmond)', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-05-18), http://www.grovemusic.com/
^"William Dowd Obituary (2008) - Westport, VA - Boston Globe".
william, dowd, member, jersey, general, assembly, william, dowd, american, football, player, coach, politician, publisher, dowd, william, richmond, dowd, february, 1922, november, 2008, american, harpsichord, maker, most, important, pioneers, historical, harps. For the member of the New Jersey General Assembly see William F Dowd For the American football player and coach politician and publisher see W C Dowd William Richmond Dowd 28 February 1922 25 November 2008 was an American harpsichord maker and one of the most important pioneers of the historical harpsichord movement William Dowd playing a 1987 Dowd Harpsichord Contents 1 Life and career 2 Published works 3 Notes and references 4 See also 5 External linksLife and career EditBorn in Newark New Jersey he studied English literature at Harvard graduating with AB in 1948 He and his friend Frank Hubbard built a clavichord when they were both graduate students this led to their both deciding to abandon their intended careers as teachers of English and instead to become harpsichord builders basing their methods on historical principles They separated for their apprenticeship Dowd worked at the Detroit workshop of John Challis who himself had learned from Arnold Dolmetsch At this time Challis was the leading harpsichord builder in the United States In autumn 1949 Dowd and Hubbard jointly founded a workshop in Boston Massachusetts In 1955 Hubbard had left on research trips around Europe studying original instruments while Dowd continued the new builds and restoration of antique instruments He worked out a standard design based on the harpsichords of Pascal Taskin which was to become much used by professional performers Their joint business came to an end in 1958 and Dowd established a workshop in Cambridge Massachusetts along historical lines producing around twenty instruments a year until 1988 From 1971 to 1985 there was a workshop in Paris under his name producing a similar number of instruments which he ran with Reinhard von Nagel His favoured models were two manual harpsichords based on the French instruments of Blanchet and Taskin including Ruckers harpsichords adapted by the grand ravalement process Dowd s instruments have long provided the benchmark for reliability in terms of tuning and general stability cleanliness of construction and for the influence that they have had on succeeding generations of builders citation needed He was the first builder to seriously consider the eighteenth century German instruments of Michael Mietke in contrast to his colleague Hubbard His instruments were used in performance and recording by such artists as Gustav Leonhardt Isolde Ahlgrimm Ralph Kirkpatrick Igor Kipnis Bob van Asperen and many others He died in Reston Virginia in November 2008 1 Published works EditA Classification System for Ruckers and Couchet Double Harpsichords in the Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society 1978 The Surviving Instruments of the Blanchet Workshop in The Historical Harpsichord a Monograph Series in Honor of Frank Hubbard ed Howard Schott Stuyvesant NY 1984 Haney H Portrait of a Builder The Harpsichord 1971 2 about William Dowd Notes and references EditHoward Schott Dowd William Richmond Grove Music Online ed L Macy Accessed 2007 05 18 http www grovemusic com William Dowd Obituary 2008 Westport VA Boston Globe See also EditList of historical harpsichord makersExternal links EditElaine Comparone plays Scarlatti on her 2 manual harpsichord built by William Dowd in 1968 A William Dowd harpsichord of 1966 once owned by Ralph Kirkpatrick restored by Carey Beebe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Dowd amp oldid 1064943329, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
