Dale, I made both my instruments: the smaller in D based on the Stautinger of 1773 and the large single strung continuo one in A on an instrument by Edlinger in Prague. I'm not making for others any more but concentrating on research, playing and directing. David Van Edwards makes good instruments and offers a mandora after Wenger. I also know Martin Bowers has just made one. You'll find their contact details on the Lute Society website Martyn
Dale Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Martyn, I want one! Who built yours? I've been circling this idea that a gallichon is THE great, versatile continuo instrument for 18th century vocal and instrumental music. Any savvy rhythm guitarist could step into accompaniment nirvana once (s)he adapted to the pitch variance. Dale ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martyn Hodgson" To: "Rob MacKillop" ; "Baroque-Lute" Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 12:05 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Bach's bass lines > Rob, > > I'd be happy to lend you my large single strung gallichon in A for a few > months if you could pick it up and arrange insurance etc. > > regards, > > Martyn > > Rob MacKillop wrote: > I've just been thinking about Bach's bass lines (not the > lute/violin/cello > suites) and the impossibility of playing them as written on either a > baroque > lute (either swan or bass rider), an Italian theorbo or a German Continuo > theorbo - only the Gallichon seems capable, and even then a large c.90 > plus > gallichon in A would suffice. I've been listening to a lot of part music > these last couple of weeks, from Renaissance recorder consorts (in a > beautiful meantone temperament) to A Musical Offering and The Art of Fugue > on viols - and thought how wonderful it would be just shaping a single > line > in a consort: something I haven't done for a long time, and even then not > very often. I'm sure it would help my line phrasing in solo lute pieces. > > So...when my harpsichord friend asked me if I'd like to join her small > ensemble (harpsichord, violin, viola) with my new (Italian) theorbo > (arriving in a couple of weeks time) to explore A Musical Offering and > suchlike, I said 'Yes!'. But now I'm not sure what contribution one could > make on such an instrument in such a setting with such music. Doubling the > bass line would be odd as I'd have to leap octaves all over the place, the > viola is taking care of the tenor line, the violin the soprano line. The > harpsichord could play bass and alto/second treble line. There's nothing > left to play! We could look at those pieces with more than four voice > parts, > but somehow it is all beginning to lack integrity. On the other hand, it's > just friends getting together - not a serious recording project. But I > just > can't 'hear' where the theorbo would fit in. Can't afford a gallichon as > well... > > What to do? Ideas? > > Rob > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > --------------------------------- > Rise to the challenge for Sport Relief with Yahoo! for Good > -- > --------------------------------- Rise to the challenge for Sport Relief with Yahoo! for Good --
