Martyn Hodgson wrote:
> The 18thC Mandora (aka Gallichon - various cognates) was also tuned
> in E as well as D.
This of course means that the modern guitar tuning was already common -
or at least fairly well known - as a lute tuning before it was used for
the guitar.
Among other things that gives a whole new perspective to the late
19th/early 20th C. German "Wandervogel-laute." Usually it's been
shrugged off as just a silly attempt to give the guitar some fake
pedigree by making it look like a lute. Now it turns out a virtually
identical instrument existed even as early as the 17th century.
Is there any evidence of such an instrument from he early 19th century?
> The large continuo gallichon was tuned in A (ie with first course
as the
> top line of the bass clef) so 886 cm is by no means too large.
Sorry I misunderstood Barber there. I thought he meant an octave higher.
> Despite Barber's statement that the Schorn is the only extant large
> galichon in A, there are, in fact, a number of others
Is there any evidence that Tielke made such instruments?
> The Mandora/Gallichon should, however, not be confused with the 18thC
> Italian lute
Could you tell us a bit more about the difference? The description you
give seems to fit the galichon fairly well.
> My view is that these are, indeed, simply continuations of the old lute
> (in nominal G or A depending on local pitch) and played accompanied from
> staff notation (like the late archlute of Dalla Casa) but without the
> complication (for amatuers) of the extra open basses.
I would assume that professionals would also occasionally prefer this
more portable alternative to the arhclute and theorbe.
> I'm currently developing a paper on this.
Please let us know when and where you publish!
Frank Nordberg
http://www.musicaviva.com
http://stores.ebay.com/Nordbergs-Music-Store?refid=store
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