Hi, Markus,
thank you for looking up swan neck. I would not be surprised if someone came up with
the discovery that the name was invented during 20th century for the sake of
convenience, like stile brisee was named in the beginning of that century (but not in
17th).
> And how do you interpret the sentence "he can be called the Father of the lute"? I
> can only
> understand it in the way that he was of highest importance that the lute became what
> she
> became then. She never says he was the first, but in my eyes her statements come
> quite near
> to this. "He changed the lute from 11 to 13 courses" and "he theorbified it" - what
> else
> should this mean, that he was responsible for this changes. If she is right, that is
> another problem, and everyone is free to doubt that. But I think her words are very
> clear.
I take her statement the way I take St Paul's statement that Abe became the Father of
the faithful and the circumcised (Romans 4:12). Or, in terms of linguistics, like
SHussein's announcement of a Mother of all wars. (It is a Hebraism or, if you will, a
biblicism.) Luise Gottsched can clearly be considered a predecessor of those many
enthusing admirers and fans of Weiss' music and, inferentially, person, in our days.
> article of Eszter Fontana, where she writes of the theorbo case (Mathias you can
> read it on
> p.60!)
for the interested public: Eszter Fontana, Raetselraten ueber einen
Theorbenkastenkasten in Leipzig, Die Laute IV/2000, p. 48-63. It is a brilliant
article, ideed, ought to be translated into English. Perhaps that is on the way
already (is it?).
On p. 59, Fontana cites from Gottsched's article on Weiss: Er hat sie nicht nur von
elf Choeren auf dreizehn gesetzet, sondern da er auch ihren Hals gerade gemachet, oder
theorbiret, sie in den Stand gesetzet, dass sie nunmehr in den groessten Concerten mit
spielen kann. (He not only put the number of courses from 11 to 13, but also, by
straightening its neck, or theorbifying, made it possible that the lute can be used
even in very large orchestras.)
no mentioning of swan neck or straight neck. (In this case, I take "straightening its
neck" as opposed to bent lute necks.) Ex negativo, I derive it that LGottsched would
have mentioned the swan neck if it had mattered to her.
After that, Fontana quotes Marpurg, speaking of Baron's 1737 visit in Dresden in order
to acquire a theorbo "nach seinem Geschmacke" (according to his taste), and says: "Wir
glauben, dass es sich um ein Instrument mit geradem Theobenkragen handelte" ("I
believe that that was an instrument with a straight theorbo neck.") There you are. No
further comment on that.
Also, Uffenbach's letter, which Fontana quotes from, does not mention a particular
form of theorbification like a swan neck. Theorbify the way Mr Weiss has it done, to
me, simply means that Weiss had his lutes theorbified, no matter if swan neck or
straight, as opposed to standard 11c bent neck lutes. Weiss himself and Gottsched name
the intention: in order to play in an orchestra (even a large one). In another letter
Weiss says that he played in an opera and during that very performance successfully
accompanied a solo singer with his theorbified lute. That's why his theorbified axe
was superior to proper theorboes or archlutes: He didn't have to change the instrument
between tutti and recitativo.
> And even if he was not the inventor of it, his name was very closely connected to it
> as the
> letter of Mr. Hoffmann shows, who should know it!
closely connected, yes, indeed. In her last note of that abovementioned article,
Fontana says that "one may consider the 17th century theorbo, in the shape already to
be seen with Mersenne, a predecessor of straight necked lutes, and that 1704 angelique
by Joachim Tielke a predecessor of curved swan neck lutes." Just two possible ways of
theorbification, which was far from being new in 1717. What may have been new in
Germany, however, was that it was done to a former lute, which thus became what in
Italy, country of Weiss' crucial musical experiences, would since 1594 (!) be called
an arciliuto. (Cf. R. Spencer, Chitarrone, Theorbo and Archlute, chapter on Liuto
attiorbato + note 45.)
To put it short, I think Weiss brought his theorbified lute from Italy, where it was
common, together with his improved (italianized) playing and composing technique.
On the grounds of evidence, I'm afraid, we will not know for sure whether the change
or invention brought up by Weiss in 1717-9 was a swan neck. Swan neck was/is just one
possible variant of theorbification. What's for certain, however, is that swan necked
lutes strike the eye, and probably more pleasantly so than a straight necked
theorbified lute. And I suppose _that_ is the true reason why it is the instrument of
choice for many a player today.
--
Best wishes,
Mathias
Mathias Roesel, Grosze Annenstrasze 5, 28199 Bremen, Deutschland/ Germany, Tel +49 -
421 - 165 49 97, Fax +49 1805 060 334 480 67, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
