Keyboard instruments are living witnesses of past times. Theiraesthetic and tonal appeal produce an almost mystical attraction which has endured for centuries. All this, with his love of music and his passion for historic instruments, was the incentive for Andreas Beurmannto assemble this collection, piece by piece. Steadily, many precious instruments were acquired over the years, and the collection grew to one of the most significant of its type. It contains a plethora of especially rare treasures including the oldest French harpsichord, and many other artifacts; in fact, about 100 instruments are treated here. The book is a pictorial account ofthe famous collection, and the reader is asked to learn more from thepictures than from the text. Nonetheless, it is still a catalogue, with notes on both the structure of the instruments as well as their history."