All:
After reviewing some lute iconography, it seems that the renaissance lute was played by more men than women (especially inebriated-looking Dutch guys), but it seems that the majority of theorbo players are women. Possible reasons? *Women are just prettier to paint? *My statistical sampling is biased? *Theorbo was considered a 'woman's instrument' and not popular among 'real men'? *Theorbo was popularly used by women to accompany their own singing? *Theorbos, theorbo strings, and lessons were expensive, so it was used as a mark of wealthy status by families? *The theorbo in painting is used as an allegory to purity (the enlightenment's version of a Unicorn)? *Only after mastering the patience needed to keep a gut-strung theorbo in tune, was a woman considered ready to try her patience on keeping a husband? Any ideas? tedjordan columbusohioUSA -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
