At 02:46 PM 3/18/2007, Lex Eisenhardt wrote: > > > Maybe the chitarrone is indeed a 'big kithara', rather than a 'big >chitarra' (or 'big kuitra')? > > > > Chitarrone is the decendant of both, because they are the one, a decendant > > of Roman era lutes. > > RT > >In wikipedia it reads: 'It is important to note that- although theorbo and >chitarrone are virtually identical, they have different evolutionary >origins, the chitarrone being a descendant of chitarra italiana (hence its >name).' > >Makes you wonder who the author thinks that the ancestors of the theorbo >were. Maybe better to admit it is speculation. >Like they sometimes say: 'even a bastard has only one father....'
Gross over-application of biological analogy to instrument organology is just bad policy, in Wiki or elsewhere. Also, a thing's name is relatively plastic from place to place and over time AND doesn't necessarily imply functional or structural similarities. Instruments don't evolve; players needs change with changing tastes for music and builders respond. There is no transfer of genetic material dictating limitations on what is possible of instrument development. Eugene To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
