How do you know that this instrument is a 4-course guitar. There is no way
of telling as far as I can see that is intended to be plucked rather than
played with a bow.
As ever
Monica
The only evidence that I'm aware of for the existence of figure-of-eight
shaped 4-course guitar in the 16th century Italy is found on a pilaster of
the Duomo of Cremona (c.1560):
http://www.vihuelademano.com/vg-crossroads/LStalk/pilaster.jpg
And in the context:
http://www.vihuelademano.com/rcmdias.htm#p5
What is particularly remarkable about this fragment is that the instrument
appears to be 'wrapped' in a book (presumably of music ...?) which, in a
way, gives an idea of its size: unless, of course, the intentions of the
artist or sculptor were purely symbolical.
Generally I agree with most of the points in Meucci's article but the
question still remains whether the name chitarra a sette corde / chitarra
a nove corde (or chitara da sette corde, i.e. as in Barberiis' book) is of
a lute or figure-of-eight shape. Meucci's logic here is based entirely on
a presumption (unless I missed something ...) that the figure-of-eight
shape would have to be categorised as 'Spanish' and if there is no such
attribute than it is in the lute shape. Unfortunately, a sole reliance on
language definitions is never going to be accurate and so we may never get
to the bottom of it, until some new, more definitive evidence, comes to
light; it may indeed will ...
Alexander
On 28/01/2013 10:27, Martyn Hodgson wrote:
Thank you Peter,
Have you a precise date for this painting? You suggest later half of
the 16th century (and I note Tibaldi died in 1596) so it might not
actually predate the the mandore boom years.
As you also remark: 'Of course, nothing proves that the instrument
depicted is a "chitarrino" but at least it proves some lute-like
instrument of soprano range at that time and place.' ; and I wholly
agree with you - nevertheless all these things add grist to the mill
and I look forward to any other further discoveries.
What would be ideal would be an Italian representation similar to the
cover of the Morlaye book ie unequivocally tying an instrument (of
whatever shape!) to a tablature, but........
regards,
Martyn
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