Skowroneck, Martin (EN)

Skowroneck Martin, *21 December 1926 Berlin, †14 May 2014 Bremen, German builder of keyboard instruments and flutes. His ancestors arrived in Berlin from Poland around 1800. After studying music (flute class) in Bremen, Skowroneck began producing recorders and transverse flutes there in 1949, followed by keyboard instruments faithful to historical models – clavichords in 1952, harpsichords in 1953, and fortepianos in 1991. He was self-taught in the field of instrument making, working independently and studying exhibits in music collections. Although the design of his first instruments was based on 20th-century models, he soon became interested in historical models. He built instruments based on harpsichords from various schools, including Flemish (Ruckers, Dulcken), French (Blanchet, Taskin), German (Mietke, Zell), Italian, and English. Unlike the mass-produced harpsichords with modernized designs that were popular in the mid-20th century, instruments build by Skowronec were original, personal interpretations created with full respect for historical construction principles. He did not produce instruments on a mass scale, but only unique examples, whose design he constantly improved; he made all the components himself, including painting the case and soundboard. He built nearly 90 harpsichords, three fortepianos (Hammerflügel) and a small number of spinets, virginals and clavichords. His instruments are characterized by extraordinary precision of workmanship, tuning stability, the use of excellent materials and attention to decorative details. He collaborated with outstanding harpsichordists of the 20th century, including G. Leonhardt, who played on instruments built by him for many decades. He was also involved in teaching and research, lecturing in Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and the United States, and publishing works on the construction and restoration of musical instruments. He was one of the pioneers of historical instrument making in Germany and a key figure in the authentic performance movement. His many years of experience are summarized in the book Cembalobau: Erfahrungen und Erkenntnisse aus der Werkstattpraxis.

Literature: E.L. Kottick A History of the Harpsichord, Bloomington 2003; M. Elste From Landowska to Leonhardt, from Pleyel to Skowroneck: historicizing the harpsichord, from stringed organ to mechanical lute, “Early Music” 42 no. 1, 2014; C. Price On the Shoulders of Giants: Harpsichord Making Today: Part I, “The Galpin Society Newsletter” LXIII, 2022.