ron fernandez wrote: > Greetings, > > I have established a webpage which shows 2 photos of the 1764 Joaquim > Pedro dos Reis Portuguese "guitarra" (cítara popular) which I took 2 > years ago at the City Museum in Lisbon. > > The page is located at: > http://fernandezmusic.com/Reis_Portugueseguitar1764.html > > At this time, I do not have information on how the date was established > nor by who. This instrument is there in Lisbon for you to go look at. It > is mentioned in at least the 2 major books I referenced on the site--you > should get those works and read them before you make speculations. > > Regards, > > Ron Fernández > Ron,
I think your requirements for comments are rather strict (that we should read two books in Portuguese first!) for what is, after all, just an informal discussion list. I just see pictures of an instrument; not an object of veneration and national pride, if that's what it is. You say the instrument is similar to an English guitar. But compare it to this: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/ZISTER/0627.htm and the instruments on Art Robb's page: http://www.art-robb.co.uk/EG.html Not only is the guitarra much deeper, it seems to have a constant depth whereas EGs taper. But the body outline looks somehow distinctively Portuguese to me. The picture of a guitarra in Silva Leite, which you say is just an English guitar, has this distinctive look to me too. (page 32 of the pdf): http://purl.pt/165/3/mp-315-a_PDF/mp-315-a_PDF_24-C-R0072/mp-315-a_0000_rosto-xxiii_t24-C-R0072.pdf I was in Lisbon a few years ago and got a copy of 'Instrumentos Musicais Populares Dos Acores' by Ernesto Veiga De Olivera. (I see you sell some of those odd looking violas with two heart-shaped roses). Anyway De Olivera illustrastes a couple of guitarras made by S. Miguel of Ribeira Grande, nos 23 and 24. (My knowledge of Portuguese is zero, but I'm sure that's what the book is saying.) They are folk instruments. They have twelve pegs in a pegbox just like the Joaquim Pedro dos Reis instrument. Why couldn't this instrument be from the19th century? You make it clear that you don't know who dated it or how. And if it's a folk instrument, it will be an expression of Portuguese identity. Sorry for making speculations. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
