I think the instrument is from the 19th century - a Toggenburger Halszither. I've updated this page with a couple of illustrations of these instruments:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/s.walsh > It may be a stupid question, but what exactly is a folk cittern? > > An intriguing question�I didn�t think it was controversial. There isn�t usually much discussion of issues to do with folk music on the main lute list, but it seems to be coming up more on this cittern list. I�ll say what I mean (and I thought most people would mean) by �folk cittern� � please feel free to criticise! Folk citterns, unlike the 18th century instruments we have recently been discussing, will not be expensive, craftsman-made instruments destined for a middle and upper class audience. The instruments won�t, in general, be as finely made or decorated. There won�t be specially composed/arranged music for the instrument � and especially not �art� music like lessons and sonatas, and maybe not even popular ballroom dances. Posh instruments, posh music (even if it�s technically undemanding) for an elite. Folk instruments would be used to play dances (not �high� class, ballroom dances) and songs � or, as can happen, the high (social, not necessarily, aesthetic) status music of one generation gets absorbed into the folk music of people lower down the social order in subsequent generations. Some of the instruments illustrated in Bachmann Geiser�s book, �Handbuch der europaischen instruments� 1981 look to be of very humble construction e.g. they have zither pins for tuning. (One such instrument came up for sale here in England recently). Martina has said there is no idiomatic repertoire for the waldzither. Waldzither players play folk tunes. ----------------------------------------- Email sent from www.ntlworld.com virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
