Harpsichord in the Austrian Style of the mid-17th century, with 'Viennese bass octave'
Among the few surviving southern German and Austrian harpsichords of this period, a common building tradition can be discerned, so let me include this instrument here with the German ones. The Austrian harpsichords - most of which came from Vienna - are most obviously distinguished by the frequent presence of the so-called Viennese bass octave. This offers an ingenious arrangement of the bass keys, which are divided several times and thus offer an extension down to the contra F, while leaving the instrument beautifully narrow.