On his cittern ning website:
http://cittern.ning.com/profile/TimoPeedu
Timo Peedo has photos of 3 different citoles.
citole 1 (photos 3 and 4): looks like a reconstruction of the British
Museum (Warwick Castle 'gittern') instrument - but simpler. Kate
McWilliams was at the last Early Music Exhibition in London and had her
reconstruction - which she offers for sale. Her website is:
http://www.trombamarina.com/gittern/Citole%20page.htm
Kate's version is fancy, like the original, but with
conventional-looking, but fixed, frets and a still rather
violin-looking (the instrument was converted into a sort of violin later
in its existence) string set up - with 3 double gut strings. Timo's is
much stranger. The four single (gut? metal?) strings tie at the trefoil
thing at the end of the instrument. I wonder if this is actually
workable as a way of stringing or perhaps the instrument is more
conjectural. On Timo's 'Warwick' instrument there are no frets - but
wedges (which I'm sure is meant to be more authentic but I can't imagine
how they actually work. Do you 'fret' the notes by pressing the strings
between the wedges?)
citole 2 (photo 5) This one is rather like this one (Parma?):
http://www.ellisium.cwc.net/citole.htm
Timo's citole2 is thin-bodied, with four single strings of metal? gut?
and the strange wedges for frets. Again I can't see how they tie at the
tail end. If a string snapped could you tie another one on?
Citole 3 (photos 6 and 7) has a citole unlike ones I've seen in the
iconography. It's got three pairs of (gut? metal? strings) and a fancier
- and more practical-looking way of tying the strings at the tail. But
again the strange wedge 'frets'.
Perhaps Timo is not around now? Anyway, I wonder if these instruments
are workable, playable things. They look really interesting and strange
- especially the 'frets'. And would instruments like these be part of
fancier music making - in consort with other instruments, perhaps. Or
would they have been used by itinerant soloists playing
we'll-never-know music?
Stuart
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