What is a virginal, anyway?

Basically, a virginal is a sort of sideways harpsichord. The strings are plucked by little plectra, like tiny guitar picks, rather than struck by hammers as in a piano. The major difference between a harpsichord and a virginal is that where the harpsichord strings run straight back away from the player (as in a grand piano), virginal strings run left-to-right. I suppose the idea is to save space in a domestic environment, although the actual space savings are not as large as you might hope, since the size of either instrument is largely determined by the length of the bass strings. Still, the virginal keyboard is situated on the side of the instrument, rather than at one end as with a harpsichord or grand piano, which makes placement of the instrument a little more flexible since you don't have to provide room at the end for the player.

Due to the left-right orientation of the strings, there is usually only space to equip a virginal with a single choir of strings (a "choir" just means a single set of strings, one for each note on the keyboard). In a typical harpsichord, there would be two choirs for a single-manual (one-keyboard) instrument, or three or more choirs for a double-manual instrument. This not only provides greater volume of sound, but allows the player to vary the tone color somewhat, since each choir can be engaged or disengaged individually. Since virginals have only one choir, it is not possible to change tone color in this way, but that doesn't mean there is no variation in the timbre. The jacks (mechanisms that hold the plectra) in a virginal do not stretch across the instrument in a straight line (as they do in a harpsichord); rather, the jacks are arranged on the diagonal, so that the relative plucking point of each string is slightly different that its neighbors. The effect is a bit like the similar yet distinct timbres of violin, viola, and cello in a string quartet or orchestra; although each instrument has a distinctive voice, they can blend together logically almost like a single instrument.

There are several styles of virginals. The kit I am assembling is representative of the Italian style, which consists of a basically rectangular box with the keyboard jutting out from one long side of the instrument, slightly to the left. The Flemish style virginals are also basically rectangular, but the keyboard is recessed into the side of the instrument. Flemish virginals can be further divided into "spinets" and "muselaars;" spinets have the keyboard on the left side and muselaars have the keyboard on the right. This has a radical effect on the sound produced. Spinets pluck the string close to the nut (in other words, towards one end of the string) and as a result the sound is rather thin and nasal. Muselaars, in contrast, pluck the string closer to its middle and the resulting sound has been described as "round," "flute-like," and "plummy." If you play the guitar, you can simulate the effect of either type by plucking near the bridge or over the fingerboard.

The most elaborate virginals were made by the Flemish makers such as the famous Ruckers family. Called "mother and child," these included a second, smaller instrument that slid into a recess in the side of the larger instrument and could be removed from the recess for performance. This smaller instrument was called an "ottavino" since it sounded one octave higher than the larger virginal. If desired, the "child" could be placed on top of the "mother's" jacks (after the jackrail had been removed) and slots in the bottom of the child would allow the mother's jacks to operate the child's keyboard, coupling the two mechanisms. When coupled this way, the mother's keyboard would play both instruments.



Other types of virginals exist, which eliminate the "dead space" in the corners, resulting in an instrument shaped like an irregular pentagon, or even an elongated triangle. While slightly smaller and lighter, according to some authorities the tone of these instruments is not as full or attractive as the rectangular virginals.

So why is it called a virginal? No one is really sure. Sadly, there is no truth to the notion that it was named for the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I of England (although she was, by the way, reportedly an excellent player of the instrument). It seems likely that as a domestic instrument, it would have been associated with young girls and unmarried women, hence the name.

One more note about the name: in Elizabethan English usage, you often come across the term "virginals" or "pair of virginals." Much like a "pair of scissors" or a "pair of pants," this refers, paradoxically, to a single instrument. Furthermore, at that time, the term "virginal" could refer to any plucked-string keyboard instrument, such as a spinet, muselaar, or harpsichord.

In my next post, I'll have some more information about the specific kit I am assembling, as well as some photos.