Of course, there are several different instrument types called mandolin/mandoline/mandolino/mandola etc. Regarding 4th-tuned, gut-strung, lute-like types (like those used by Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Arrigoni, etc.), I'm not aware of anything specific written on technique until the late 1760s when the by-then-old-fashioned instrument was only mentioned as a side note in methods written more for the 5th-tuned, wire-strung Neapolitan type and plectrum technique. Those methods mostly are compiled here:
Minkoff. 1983. Methodes de Mandoline including: Pietro Leoné [mis-IDed: should be Gabriele Leoné] (1768) Méthode Raisonnée pour Passer du Violon à la Mandoline et de lArchet à la Plume; Giovanni Fouchetti (1771) Méthode pour Apprendre Facilement à Jouer de la Mandoline à Quatre et à Six Cordes; & Pietro Denis (1768, 1769, 1773) Méthode pour Apprendre à Jouer de la Mandoline sans Maitre, vols. 1-3. Minkoff Reprint, Geneva. Minkoff. 1983. Corette, Michel (1772) Nouvelle Méthode pour Apprendre à Jouer en très Peu de Temps de la Mandoline. Minkoff Reprint, Geneva. Leoné's is perhaps the best and most technically advanced regarding the Neapolitan type, but is the most disparaging and dismissive towards the older 4th-tuned type of Vivaldi et al. as an older, less "perfect" instrument. Fouchetti gives the most detail, but is still rather sparse and mostly simply translates the plectrum technique of the Neapolitan type. ..And all these methods are looking forward to a growing classical aesthetic rather than back to the baroque. To me, iconography and some music at least imply that punteado technique dominated under a late baroque aesthetic (like the sonatas of Arrigoni that feature some chords/double stops and pedal passages that skip courses) and that quills came to be more commonplace under a developing "classical" aesthetic (like references in the methods above or the 6-course, 4th-tuned sonatas of Hoffman that never skip courses in chording). Earlier iconography varies quite a bit, but almost always depicting what appears to me to be punteado and most often depicting thumb out. Pinkies seem to be planted or not. I play thumb out, no plant--almost guitar-like--but I tend to take scalar passages alternating p-i (rather than the more guitar-like i-m). Here's "The Little Concert" by Longhi (1746): http://www.wga.hu/art/l/longhi/pietro/1/06thelit.jpg Here's some recent iconography portraying, of all people, me: http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v356/51/71/1044223851/n104422385 1_30154097_6173.jpg Here's Alex Timmerman playing a little ca. 1700 Alemanda by Ceccherini (which I also play, but I use a lot more thumb in scalar passages): http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=2SYZ8L2aLww Best, Eugene > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of David van Ooijen > Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 1:21 PM > To: lutelist > Subject: [LUTE] baroque mandolin picking > > Slightly OT, but I know there are early mandoline lurkers out there. > What do we know about baroque mandoline picking: up-down with down > like thumb-index in Renaissance lute technique, confirming the beat > with a natural inégal, some more elaborate patterns like Quants' flute > articulation schemes, mostly down with the occasional up for easy > string changing or just as it comes? > Not that OT, as we have related instruments it might have something to > say for our playing. > > David - heard a lovely mandoline playing 'our' lute concerto by > Vivaldi today and was wondering about HIP articulation/picking on the > instrument > -- > ******************************* > David van Ooijen > [email protected] > www.davidvanooijen.nl > ******************************* > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
