Dear lutenists, during the Easter I had time to experiment with my smaller theorbo, Stephen Barber, 76cm:8x1/140cm:6x1. I stringed and tuned the instrument a fourth higher than a normal a-theorbo: C D E F G A B c d g c' e' a d'. The tensions on shorter strings vary between 3.6-4.3 Kg's, basses 3.0-3.1 Kg's.
But what is interesting, is that the insrument really is very different from normal theorbo! Not only the pitch, but also the general "Klang" is interestingly special: the re-entrant tuning gives lots of sounds around g-e'. Funny and kind of happy tinkling in the register of about baroque guitar. And in my first impressions this feels more suitable to Italian than French repertoire! But just in France they used this tuning in solo music... So perhaps my expectations of French baroque are too dark and pompous? What about smaller and higher tunings in Ialian music? At least Castaldi composed duets for theorbo and an octave theorbo, and also the theorbo in his hands in a picture http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/wikla/mus/Castaldi.jpg looks like about the size of an d'-theorbo! Does anyone in the collected wisdom know anything else about the use of smaller theorboes in Italy? All the best, Arto To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
