In einer eMail vom 18.12.2006 12:53:41 Westeurop=E4ische Normalzeit schreibt [EMAIL PROTECTED]:
> http://www.musicaviva.com/encyclopedia/instfamily.html?startinst=ctn Hi, Frank, You didn't expect to post that link and not get shot down in flames, did you? ;-) Two points in your "introduction" to the renaissance cittern worry me a bit. The first point: "The original cittern is the direct ancestor to the modern flat or arch backed mandolin, the baroque cittern, the Portuguese guitar etc., etc., etc., but - curiously enough not the modern Irish cittern." -> I would regard the flat-backed mandolin as a variant (not even a descendent!) of the lute-shaped Neapolitan mandolin. Just look at them and try to play them! In that case, the Neapolitan mandolin would be descended from the cittern, too...? And why does a flat back and double courses make a mandolin a cittern, whereas the same features do not make an Irish cittern (which is a variant of the Irish bouzouki, which is a variant of the lute-shaped Greek bouzouki) a cittern? I don't see the essence of this distinction :-( Is the flat-backed Irish bouzouki one of the "etc.s" of which the Renn. cittern is an ancestor? If so, why? If not, why not? The second point: "-The name [of the cittern] probably derives from the greek word "kythara" and it is therefore likely it [the cittern] evolved from the same roots as the guitar." -> Whether or not the Renaissance cittern and the guitar have common roots may be - and will be - argued about. BUT the etymology of the names "guitar" and "cittern" is NOT an argument either way! The only thing you can deduce from the common etymology of the names is that both guitar and cittern are most probably stringed instruments, because that's how most derivates of "Kythara" are used. But I think most people know that already... I have the sneaking suspicion that you're mingling morphology with heredity here. Hope you don't mind the flak, it's well meant... Cheers, John -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
