Dear Eric,
I know your article in the LSAQ, as well as an article by Linda Sayce
in Lute News (English LS) and I am attentive to all news about the
mandora/galichone, which seems quite in fashion nowadays ...but am
still sceptical regarding its relevance to Vivaldi's music with
''leuto''.
On Saturday, Dec 20, 2003, at 23:40 Europe/Warsaw, Eric Liefeld wrote:
> Toward the end of the 18th century (circa 1799), ...
..
> In addition, there is a surviving method from (circa 1770-80)
..
> I would be glad to know of other examples.
Rather to the contrary...
From Bohemian sources we have e.g. the Janovka's Dictionary (1701), who
gives one of the first descriptions of the galichone and the mandora,
but on the other hand he says:
''Testitudo notissimum in nostris partibus instrumentum; nam tanta
per omnes domos, quocunque te verteris in Triurbe hac Regia, Lautnarum
est copia, ut nescio qout Maximorum Palatiorum, in casu huius probandi
asserti, tectis ex integro construendis fuccurrere eis posses.
Instrumentum Nobile, ...''
What in short means that the noble lutes (f-d-a-f-d-a-...) are so
popular one could cover with them all ruffs of the Prague palaces (a
better translation welcome).
According to Linda Sayce there is only one Italian source (Marzani,
Villa Lagrima) for mandora music in contrast to almost all German ones.
It is obvious to me that any kind of Italian ''leuto'' (lute?,
archlute, F.Dalla Casa's _arcileuto francese_, &c.) would be more
familiar to Vivaldi, then any type of Bohemian/German/Ukrainian
''half-lute''.
Beside of all, there is simply no physical/logical proof for ''Vivaldi
and the mandora'', just speculations on the wave of the newly
''rediscovered'' instrument.
Being sceptical, I'll remain open to all news...
Kindest regards,
Jurek
