Hi Roger, I don't quite see how I have spoiled it for you. If you like the recording, even if it was recorded with a dime-store mandola, (which I don't think it was and also did not suggest) then I see no reason why you should not carry on enjoying it. I just wanted to point out that the instrument is probably not what we may mean by ceterone - a theorbo cittern. All the best Mark
Hi Mark; I'm sorry there's so much contempt going around for players of single-strung archlutes and theorbos (assuming you're correct that that's all Luca ever plays or has played)-- the topic took up a lot of bandwidth on the lute list recently (which I didn't follow closely) with regard to Sting's instrument. Whatever Luca is playing on those tracks I doubt it's some dime-store garden variety modern folk or "Irish" "cittern", octave-mandola thingy or whatever the frell they're calling them these days. As far as altered tunings go, open chord or not, I'd be surprised if no-one ever experimented, got creative, broke the "rules", adapted tunings from any other string instrument, wire or gut, to suit their wants and needs of the moment, their arrangements, etc. All I know is that I loved the sound of it, loved the music when I heard it -- until you spoiled it for me, took the joy out of it. Thank you. Put a feather in your cap, wear it with pride. I would have thought it a "good thing" that modern players of early wire-strung instruments might take a little inspiration from, get some ideas from, hearing _any_ combination of viol and some wire-strung instrument played together (and nicely done at that). The pairing and contrast _is_ very pleasant, very appealing, and in fact was _very_ common and widespread. It's a shame that that the entire wire-strung class of early instruments have gotten so little air-time and attention within the period music scenes generally and their total recording output. I do hope that changes. "Fantasy" and music are one! (fer Christ's sake) Roger -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
