Thank you very much for all these very valuable infos, David! Besides the abnormally deep bowl (which evidently was a problem for Herrn Hoffmann too), I wonder why a 14-course lute. 1. As far as I know this is then an "unicum": no other 14-course (German baroque) lute exists. 2. It doesn't seem to be a German Theorbo (I mean the one with the first course in d), otherwise it would have a 14th course in "FF" - even lower than the 14th course of an Italian chitarrone (GG) and possibly not very resonant on that string length, even with such a deep bowl. 3. As Robert Grossman in his dissertation on the Bach BWV 995 recalls, this could be a sort of proof that lutes extending to the contra-G existed, but in that case why is this an unicum? And why J. S. Bach would have prepared his "Pièces à Mr. Schouster" (apparently an editor, possibly preparing a printed edition) with a lute extension in mind that was very rare? Judging about the ample literature dedicated to this "riddle", it looks like it still is an open issue... Luca ---- On lun, 12 feb 2018 22:57:26 +0100 David Van Edwards <da...@vanedwards.co.uk> wrote ----
I measured it many years ago. handwritten label: Joh: Christ: Hoffmann // Königl. Poln: und Churfl. // Sächs. Jnstrument // und Lautenmacher. // Leipzig, 1720. //. plus a repair label by Hoffmann dated 1732 Therefore conceivable that the swan neck was added then, but Hoffmann is usually specific about his modifications with labels saying renoviert or rebarirt. 14 Courses 2 x 1, 6 x 2 + 6 x 2 @777mm and 1159mm 13 ribs of birdseye maple with 1mm ebony strips between Triple rose diameters 63 & 75 332mm from the bottom. Unsually deep body. Pegbox decorated with carvings at the sides and the rear. Present belly by Hans Jordan of Markneukirchen in 1953; but based on the original which still survives in a cardboard box in the museum. A huge German baroque lute with very beautifully carved pegbox, fits Baron's description of a "deep sack like shape" which he disliked.. According to Hans Jordan's notes there used to be another handwritten label, now missing, which read: �Dieser Corpus wurde von mir auf inständiges Begehren des Herrn Lic. Warlitzen als erstem Besitzer des Instrumentes so groà und hoch verfertigt." "Upon the urgent request of Mr. Lic[entiat] Warlitz as the first owner of this instrument, I have made its body so large and high." Better pictures and some details on the MIMO site [1]http://www.mimo-international.com/MIMO/doc/IFD/OAI_ULEI_M0000504 The museum have a drawing. Best wishes, David At 22:18 +0100 12/2/18, Mathias Rösel wrote: >In the video, Sven tells the kid that it is a lute built in 1727. > >Mathias > > > >-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- >Von: [2]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:[3]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] Im Auftrag >von Luca Manassero >Gesendet: Montag, 12. Februar 2018 19:07 >An: baroque-lute >Betreff: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Johann Christian Hoffman n, 14 course swan-neck lute >in Leipzing > > Dear common wisdom, > a couple of years ago I stumbled upon the Leipzig Museum website, > planned to visit their Hoffman exhibition (but had to pass on it, > unfortunately) - then one day realized that the pictured Hoffmann > swan-neck lute they recently acquired (2012, says the YouTube video) > mounts 14 courses: 8 fretted and 6 at the second pegbox (2x1, 6x2, > 6x2). > See [1][4]http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/dt/Forschung/hoffmannn.php: it's the > first instrument pictured under Johann Christian Hoffmann' section on > the page. > It's a really strange instrument with an incredibly deep body (it must > be uneasy to hold, or at least it looks so). > I'm sure the book about Hoffmann they sell > ([2][5]http://www.hofmeister-musikverlag.com/martin-und-johann-christia n-h > offmann.html) has all the measures about that instrument, but that book > is really kind of expensive. The Museum's website doesn't talk about > string length and date on this lute (I do read German and couldn't find > the infos anywhere on the website) > The YouTube video on the same page shows a German lutenist (Sven > Schwannberger, I think) playing a swan-neck lute, which is of course > not the original Hoffmann lute, as it shows 13 courses, as usual. > Anybody out there who has more details about it? > Thanks a lot, > Luca > > -- > >References > > 1. [6]http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/dt/Forschung/hoffmannn.php > 2. >[7]http://www.hofmeister-musikverlag.com/martin-und-johann-christian-h offmann.h >tml > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >[8]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- The Smokehouse, 6 Whitwell Road, Norwich, NR1 4HB England. Telephone: + 44 (0)1603 629899 Website: [9]http://www.vanedwards.co.uk -- References 1. http://www.mimo-international.com/MIMO/doc/IFD/OAI_ULEI_M0000504 2. mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 3. mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 4. http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/dt/Forschung/hoffmannn.php 5. http://www.hofmeister-musikverlag.com/martin-und-johann-christian-h 6. http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/dt/Forschung/hoffmannn.php 7. http://www.hofmeister-musikverlag.com/martin-und-johann-christian-hoffmann.h 8. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 9. http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/
