Rob MacKillop wrote: > I have to say that I never noticed the stringing. The photos do show an > unusual distribution, but it is impossible to say from a study of these > photos whether the nut is original. It looks a wee bit like there is an > extra groove on the first course, but...I shall have to go back to Amsterdam > to check! Well, unfortunately that might not happen for some time. Anybody > on this list live there? I met Lex Eisenhardt when I was there - what a > thoughroughly nice man, indeed. But citterns ain't his bag, so to speak. > > The normal distribution is four double treble courses and two single bass > courses. However, Bremner and Geminiani (both published in Edinburgh by > Bremner) show an instrument of three doubles and three singles. I can't > recall hearing of a seven-course instrument, but that doesn't mean they > never existed... > > Not sure about your comments on the brass rose, David. What is the > difference between an Irish wooden flute and the German flute mentioned in > countless publications of the period? What is Irish about it? > German flute normally means a side-blown flute with a certain range. Prior to the mid-1700s 'flute' in Britain meant what we would call a recorder, and that's what the instruments look like. At least, this is what I've been told by trad music flute afficionados (particularly those who think the recorder is worth playing). The horn-like instrument in the middle might also be construed as a chanter or a bombarde, and the round bulge of the flutes ditto.
Allan Ramsay 1720s use the middle-class image of the new flute versus the old peasant instrument of stock and horn as the opening scene in his 'Gentle Shepherd'. I don't know much about flutes but it looks as if along with the Continental monarchy a lot of instruments were imported to Britain late 1600s early 1700s (probably including our guittar). By the early 1800s the Irish wooden flute had changed to become more or less the same from a non-expert observer's view as a modern orchestral flute, but from a flute-player's point of view very different - as different as a clarinet from a sax. I have a friend who plays one from 1820 (they seem to last better than guitars!). The Irish flute IS different even today and it's not the same as James Galway playing an orchestral flute. Maybe someone here knows why but it sounds different, looks different, is played in a very different manner and I believe is also has different fingering. Your comment obviously raises the suggestion that these roses were mass produced European products anyway and presence on an instrument from Dublin is no proof of any association with Ireland. Unfortunately the same applies to the entire instrument, and the unique tuners. Then as now, music dealers had continental imports signed, stamped or labelled with their own brand. It does not matter whether those importers are also known to have made instruments. The size of the London and Dublin music warehouses and the volumes of instruments sold would stand comparison with today. It is entirely possible unless someone can prove otherwise that the Gibson cittern was made a long way from Ireland. David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
