Dear Lute netters, as some of you might recall I recently decided to get a new instrument. My first idea was to have a copy made of the Sellas E 545 theorbo in Paris, but since my principal aim with this instrument was to use it for Basso Continuo, I discussed with my lute maker Lars Jönsson to use a bigger body than the Sellas original, with less frets (8 tied gut frets + 2 body frets) but hopefully more sound. We went for one of the biggest bodies out there, a Buechenberg model, but we kept the exact dimensions and string setups from the E 545, i.e. 6x2 @ 890mm for the fingerboard, and 8x2 @1300mm for the diapasons. I ´ve only had it for a month, but already have had the opportunity to use it in concert a couple of times. My experiences so far (these are all of course personal, and in comparison with my previous theorbo, which was a Tiffenbrucker 870/1650 by the same maker), in these first steps in trying to learn to play this new therbo, can be summarized: It takes longer to tune it than a single strung instrument, but when tuned it is just as stable It is not quieter because of the double courses It has a very penetrating sound quality One must be much more careful in hitting the strings vertically with the left hand to avoid inconsistencies in intonation The ability to intonate a plucked note with alteration of the left hand pressure and l.h. horizontal movement is improved Playing long slurred tirades is more tiring than on a single strung theorbo 890 mm feels big with double courses, but even with my relatively small hands, is no problem. The right hand thumb needs more than 4 weeks to find its way around in the basses... To illustrate this, the Bavarian Cultural radio funnily enough recorded a concert 10 days ago, which can be viewed here: [1]Die lange Nacht der Alten Musik: Ensemble CONTINUUM | BR-Klassik two examples (if you want to spare yourself Käptn Peng, David Foster Wallace and Kate Tempest arrangements) at 2:10 there is the second toccata from Kapsperger ´s first chitarrone print at 29.15 the Crucifixion sonata by H I F Biber
Die lange Nacht der Alten Musik: Ensemble CONTINUUM | BR-Klassik Bayerischer Rundfunk Best wishes, Magnus Andersson -- References Visible links 1. https://www.br-klassik.de/concert/ausstrahlung-1418078.html Hidden links: 3. https://www.br-klassik.de/concert/ausstrahlung-1418078.html To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html