Harpsichord by Eric Herz, Boston, 1977

This harpsichord built by Eric Herz belonged to Dr. Thomas H. Wendel, president of the American Beethoven Society from 1985-2004. The instrument was a gift to him from his college friend, William F. Buckley Jr., who also played the harpsichord.

The instrument has been on loan to the Beethoven Center since 2004 by David Wendel, in memory and honor of his father’s extraordinary devotion to classical music education.

Harpsichords were still used in Beethoven’s lifetime, and his publishers marketed many of his early keyboard works as being for harpsichord or fortepiano.