Frank: Intersting. thesmaller instrument next to it looks like a Guittarr Allemande, but it appears to have a fixed bridge and a more modern stylke headstock. Same basic body shape,though. Brad
Frank Nordberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Doc Rossi wrote: > I'm working on a project involving mid-18th-century dance music mostly > from France, Belgium and Austria. I'd like to have a non-keyboard > plucked instrument in the bass. What are my options besides theorbo, > archlute, harp? Mandora and Colascione come to mind - is there anything > else? How about something like this one? http://www.musicaviva.com/instruments/gallery/display.html?serienr=2389 Larger picture: http://www.pictures-clipart-graphics.com/files/co/coste-bs-360-bg.jpg As far as I'm aware of it's the only known eaxample of an 18th century bass guitar. I'm not sure if it date back as far as *mid* 18th century though and it was heavily modified during the 19th century so it's hard to say how it originally looked. --- You also have the theorbo-cittern, such as: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/ZISTER/0632.htm It was known in Sachsen at the time you mention. Similar instruments were also used in Flandern and in France and possibly elsewhere although I can't find any info as to when. --- According to prof. Andreas Michel, the pandora was alive an well in Germany at the middle of the 18th. c: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/zist_pandora.htm --- Michel's amazing site also includes a seven course cistre from 1772: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/ZISTER/0617.htm According to the tuning overview at the site: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/zist_stimmung.htm the lowest course was tuned all the way down to E. Not sure if that is low enough for you and besides, with a scale length of only 47.5 cm it can't have had much power down there. --- The site also has a c. 1800 seven-string cittern with a G at the bottom: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/ZISTER/0621.htm and the tuning overview mentions a few c. 1800 Thüringer citterns with a range down into the capital letter octave. Same reservations as the previous ones. --- I'm not sure how low a bass do you need. Both the six course guitar and the six course lute would go deeper or at least as deep as the harp you mentioned. Both could be regarded as authentic to the period even though it is a bit early for the former and a bit late for the latter. --- How about the theorbo-guitar? Can't remember if that was 17th or 18th C. --- I think they had some fairly big hammered dulcimers in central Europe at that time. Can't say for sure. --- Finally there are all those psalteries and scheitholz/hummel style isntruments that later became known as zithers. There probably weren't any with basses that early but it may be worth checking. Frank Nordberg http://www.musicaviva.com http://stores.ebay.com/Nordbergs-Music-Store?refid=store To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. --
