| The Florentine harpsichord and fortepiano maker Vincenzio Sodi (1738--1807) was one of the most important instrument makers in late-eighteenth-century Italy. He was also the last major figure in the history of the Florentine school of harpsichord making. Until now, scholarly research about Sodi has mostly been limited to descriptions of some of his extant instruments and no research on his biographical data has been pursued.;Part One of this work is an attempt, based on original research conducted in Florentine archives, to reconstruct Sodi's life and activities as a maker in the political, social, and cultural context of his time. Part Two describes all of his surviving instruments (four harpsichords and two grand pianos) and includes an account of instruments known from documentary sources, some not previously reported in the modern secondary literature. This thesis, therefore, is the first thorough survey of Vincenzio Sodi's life and work. |
