Cobbe Collection
The house is home to the Cobbe Collection; with forty two historic keyboard instruments it is the world's largest group of its kind. Many of the instruments are associated with famous composers.
The instruments include harpsichords and fortepianos dating from 1750 to 1840 - including an Erard pianoforte reputedly made for Queen Marie Antoinette. It is one of the few French instruments of the time to escape destruction for firewood following the 1789 revolution. The pieces were brought together to represent those instrument makers who were highly regarded or patronised by composers, rather than to illustrate a complete or technical history of keyboard manufacture. Twelve of the instruments were actually owned or played by great composers such as Purcell, J. C. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Mahler and Elgar.
There are concerts held in two series a year featuring the historic clavichords, harpsichords and fortepianos and occasional tours of the whole collection by its owner Alec Cobbe, who lives there.
Read more about this topic: Hatchlands Park
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