Michael Mietke


Michael Mietke was a German harpsichord and harp maker.

Biography

He lived his entire life in Berlin and is known to have been an instrument maker there from 1695. He succeeded Christoph Werner in 1707 as official maker to the court. He delivered a harpsichord to the court at Köthen in 1719 on the recommendation of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was probably the instrument for which Bach composed Brandenburg concerto no.5 as a show-piece.

Surviving instruments

Three of his harpsichords survive:
A plain single-manual instrument, preserved Hudiksvall, Sweden, is signed 'Berlin, 1710'.
In Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin there are two instruments, both probably made for the court. Both are unsigned, although they have been linked to Mietke beyond reasonable doubt. One is a single-manual, which belonged personally to Queen Sophie Charlotte, and the other a double-manual. Both are lavishly decorated by the court decorator Gerard Dagly: the single manual instrument, covered with gilded chinoiserie on a porcelain white background, earning the instrument the affectionate modern nickname "The White Mietke", while the double manual instrument is in similar style, but on a black background and thus often referred to as "The Black Mietke".

Progeny

The sons and grandson of Michael Mietke followed in his footsteps: