> "We are of the opinion that the earliest picture of an undeniably wire > strung harp referred to in writing associated with the picture as an > Irish (or Scots) harp, much later to be known as clarsach, is from > Michael Praetorious, early 1600's.
I dont have access to Roslyn Renches book as I write this, it is at home. There are a few clarsarchs surviving from before 1600, at least 1 century prior. I suspect some iconographic evidence for that distinct shape of harp do exist, and contrast with the continental form which is more acutely angled and has a thiner soundbox. BTW, who is this 'We'? You mucking about with royalty? > Even until Haydn the formal orchestra had no > standardized tuning for string instruments well, yes, no absolute pitch reference existed, but what of it? this does not prevent B-quadratus from being distinguished from b-rotundus, nor did it prevent the development of different practical ways of tempering the relative tones. -- Dana Emery To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
