Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/211

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RUCKERS.
199
No. Form. Date. Dimensions. General Description. Present Owner. Source of information.
ft. in. ft. in.


44 Bent side. 1636 . . . . . . 2 keyboards not original; 5 oct.; black naturals; stops and legs like Taskin's; beautifully painted. Inscribed as No. 30, with date. . . . Dijon. France. E. Vander Straeten.
45 Bent side. 1640 6 0 by 2 6 1 original keyboard; 4 oct., etc., C—D; white naturals. Inscribed Andreas Rukers, 1640; and inside top Musica Laetitiae Comes Medicina Dolorum; inside flap Concordia muses Amica. 2 stops; Rose No. 6; case patt. paper. Miss Twining, Dial House, Twickenham. A. J. Hipkins.
46 Oblong. 1644 5 8 by 1 8 1 keyboard; 4 oct., C C. Inscribed Andreas ruckers, Anno 1644. M. Victor Mahillon, Brussels. V. Mahillon.
47 Bent side. 1651 6 8 by 3 0 2 keyboards not original; nearly 6 oct., G—F, lowest G♯ wanting; white naturals. Inscribed as No. 30. with date, and Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. Musica Donum Dei. and formerly Acta Virum Probant. Concert of monkeys on the belly, one conducting. Rose No. 6. South Kensington Museum (gift, as having been Handel's, of Messrs. Broadwood). A. J. Hipikns.
48 Oblong. Un-
dated
2 7 by 1 1 original keyboard placed in the middle; 4 Oct., C—C; white naturals. Rose No. 6. M. Régibo, Renaix. A. Régibo.
49 Bent side. 7 6 by 2 7 2 keyboards; the lower 4 oct., etc., B—C, the upper 3½ oct., E—C; only one key, a white natural, left; 3 stops; no name or rose, but style of work of A. R. Inscribed Omnis Spiritus Laudet Dominum Concordia Res Parvae Crescunt Discordia Maximae Dilabuntur. Musée du Steen. Antwerp. V. Mahillon.
50 Bent side. 7 3 by 2 11 2 keyboards, not original; 6 oct., F—F; black naturals; inscribed as No. 30; date of renovation, 1758, marked on a jack; fine paintings. Le Baron de Göer. Château de Velu, Pas de Calais, France. V. Mahillon.
51 Oblong 3 8 by 1 5 1 keyboard; 4½ oct., C—F; white naturals; inscribed as No. 30. . . . . . . . . . V. Mahillon.
52 Bent side. 6 6 by 2 8 2 keyboards; 4½ oct., B—F; white naturals; name and rose wanting; attributed to A. R. by the work. M. Snoeck, Renaix. C. Meerens.
53 Oblong. 3 8 by 1 4 1 keyboard 3¾ oct., E—C. Rose No. 6. M. Snoeck, Renaix. C. Snoeck.

IV. Andries Ruckers de Jonge (the Younger).

54 Bent side. 1655 . . . . . . Case painted in blue camaleu in rococo style; attribution to the younger A. R. from the late date. M. Lavignée (from the Château de Ferceau, près Cosne). S. Blondel.
55 Bent side. 1656 5 by 2 1 original keyboard; 4 oct., C—C; white naturals; painting inside top. Rose No. 7. M. Régibo. Renaix. A. Régibo.
56 Bent side. 1659 5 10 by 2 4 1 original keyboard; 4oct., C—C; white naturals. Rose No. 7. M. Régibo. Renaix. A. Régibo.
57 Oblong. 4 9 by 1 1 original keyboard to the left; 4 oct., etc., D—E; white naturals. Rose No. 7. M. Régibo. Renaix. A. Régibo.

V. Christofel Ruckers.

58 Oblong. Un-
dated
3 7 by 1 original keyboard to the right; 4 oct., E—E, without the highest D♯; white naturals; Rose No. 8; soundboard and top renewed. M. Régibo. Renaix. A. Régibo.

RUDERSDORFF, Hermine, born Dec. 12, 1822, at Ivanowsky in the Ukraine, where her father, Joseph Rudersdorff, a distinguished violinist (afterwards of Hamburg), was then engaged. She learned singing at Paris from Bordogni, and at Milan from de Micherout, also master of Clara Novello, Catherine Hayes, etc. She first appeared in Germany in concerts, and sang the principal soprano music, on production of Mendelssohn's 'Lobgesang' at Leipzig, June 5 [App. p.777 "June 25"], 1840. The next year she appeared on the stage at Carlsruhe with great success, and then at Frankfort—where in 1844 she married Dr. Kuchenmeister, a professor of mathematics,—and at Breslau. Her parts consisted of Agatha, Reiza, Valentine, Isabella, Elvira (Puritani), etc. From 1852 to 54 she sang at the Friedrich-Wilhelmstadt Theatre, Berlin, with great success, in light French operas of Adam, Auber, Boieldieu, Hérold, and Thomas, as Juliet (Bellini), and in new German operas, such as Bertalda in Lortzing's 'Undine,' etc., besides playing at Aix=la-Chapelle, Cologne and Dantzic. On May 23, 54, she first appeared in England in German opera at Drury Lane, as Donna Anna, and was fairly well received in that and her subsequent parts of Constance in Mozart's 'Entführung,' Agatha, Fidelio, and Margaret of Valois, and in English as Elvira in 'Masaniello.' She took up her residence in England for several years, only occasionally visiting Germany for concerts and festivals. She sang at the Royal Italian Opera in 1855, also from 1861 to 65, as Donnas Anna and Elvira, Jemmy, Bertha, Natalia (L'Étoile du Nord), etc.; and in English at St. James's Theatre for a few nights in Loder's opera, 'Raymond and Agnes.' But it was as a concert singer that she was best appreciated, her very powerful voice (not always pleasing), combined with admirable powers of declamation and certainty of execution, and thorough musicianship having enabled her to take high rank as a singer of oratorio. Conspicuous may be mentioned, her rendering of the opening soprano recitatives in the 'Messiah' and of the air following, 'Rejoice greatly,' and of the final air and chorus in the 'Israel,' especially at the Handel Festivals, when her voice would tell out with wonderful effect against the powerful band and choir. In concerts, whatever she undertook she always showed herself a thorough artist, being devoted to her art, in which she worked with untiring industry. This she proved by her revival of Mozart's fine scenas 'Ahi lo previdi' and 'Misera dove son,' and of