Christian Zell (or Zelle) (c. 1683An entry in the register of deaths and burials at the Jacobikirche in Hamburg states he was 79½ when he died, though there is no record of his exact birth date. – 13 April 1763) was a German

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

maker. He was probably a pupil of harpsichord maker Michael Mietke. The first mention of him is in 1722 in the register of citizens of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, the city where he was to spend the rest of his life. In that year, he took over the workshop of instrument maker Carl Conrad Fleischer after marrying his widow; they had three children. There are three of his harpsichords surviving: a 1728 instrument in the

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (''Museum of Art and Design Hamburg'') is a museum of fine, applied and decorative arts in Hamburg, Germany. It is located centrally, near the Hauptbahnhof. History The museum was founded in 1874, fol ...

; a 1737 instrument in th
Museu de la Música de Barcelona
and a 1741 instrument in the Museum of the Organeum in

Weener Weener () is a town in the district of Leer (district), Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Ems (river), Ems. The towns population is at 15,654, making it the largest town of the region ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

. They are noted for the richness of their decoration, with

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other Sinosphere artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...

typical of Hamburg harpsichords, and most significantly, their 'matchless tone'. The harpsichord played by American singer-songwriter

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

on her 1996 album

Boys For Pele ''Boys for Pele'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Amos. Preceded by the first single, " Caught a Lite Sneeze", by three weeks, the album was released on January 22, 1996, in the United Kingdom, on January 23 in the ...

and the subsequent Dew Drop Inn Tour is a

replica A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...

of the 1728 Christian Zell harpsichord although without the elaborate paintings. It was made by Robert Goble & Son.

Notes and sources

* Alexander Pilipczuk: "Zell

elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...

Christian", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 18 May 2007), http://www.grovemusic.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Zell, Christian 1680s births 1763 deaths 18th-century German artisans German musical instrument makers Harpsichord makers

See also

Notes and sources