Otto Joachim Tiefenbrun Clavichord 1789 in Copenhagen
By repute, a gift of Edvard Grieg to Anton Adolph Louis Theodor (Louis) Hornbeck.
Thence by descent through the family.
Property from the Collection of Daniel Hornbeck, Los Angeles, California.
Footnote:
Louis Hornbeck (Danish, 1840-1906) was the third child of Theodor Julius Hornbeck, a member of the Royal Theater Orchestra and his wife Mette Petrine. It is suspected that Theodor Julius was the illegitimate son of King Frederik IV of Denmark (1768-1834).
Following in his father's footsteps, Louis Horbeck studied music and became an accomplished pianist. Louis met Edvard Grieg in 1863 when Grieg moved from Bergen to Copenhagen. Two years later and he and Grieg founded the Euterpe quintet with three other musicians to promote traditional Nordic folk music.
- 5 octaves (FF-g''')
- No oktävgen (4' for the bass)
- Unfretted bichord
We know very little about this German clavichord maker (coming from Brandenburg) active from at least 1769 in Copenhagen which was an important scandinavian city for music.
Due to the research of Dorothe Falcon Møller, Tiefenbrun must have been a successful instrument maker in Copenhagen because he could afford a house there in 1781. He obtained citizenship in 1784.
We know that he also made harpsichords from which none is in existente.
​
The travel-clavichord made by Tiefenbrun in 1786 must have been belonged to Beethoven. We have documents which shows he spoke of his clavichord even in 1822! a viola player who used to play with Beethoven bought this clavichord which he gave to the museum (cite de la musique) in Paris in 1880s.
​
Scandinavian clavichords in general were made with high standards comparable to the German ones.
