Johann Adolph Hass
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Johann Adolph Rudolph Hass (variants: Johan, Haas, Hasse, Hase, Hasch) (12 March 1713 - 29 May 1771) (dates of baptism and burial) was a German clavichord and harpsichord maker, the son of Hieronymus Albrecht Hass, who was also a clavier maker.
He lived his life in Hamburg, and received his citizenship there on 28 October 1746. In 1747 he became a member of the city chamber of commerce. His daughter Margaretha Catharina married the instrument maker Johann Christoffer Krogmann (1748–1816), who may have succeeded to Hass's business; he built fortepianos in the English style.
The first mention of either he or his father as instrument makers was in 1758; 'Hasse in Hamburg' is described as the maker of a cembal d’amour by Adlung. Charles Burney included them in 1773 among well-known German organ builders; 'Hasse, father and son, both dead', he wrote, and added that 'their Flügel and Claviere are much sought after'.
His surviving instruments include one harpsichord and a number of clavichords, rarely fretted. These are generally large and brass-strung, with a compass of C to d''' or F' to f'''. He sometimes used 4' strings (an octave higher than the usual 8') for the bass. It was large instruments such as these that many late 18th-century German composers (such as C. P. E. Bach) had in mind when composing for the instrument, with good bebung ability and a bright tone.
[edit] References
- R. Russell: The Harpsichord and Clavichord (London, 1959, 2/1973)
- F. Hubbard: Three Centuries of Harpsichord Making (Cambridge, MA, 1965, 2/1967)
- Donald Howard Boalch/Peter Williams, Alexander Pilipczuk: 'Hass [Haas, Hasse, Hase, Hasch]', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-06-08), http://www.grovemusic.com/
