James Talbot Ms (c1695) - Christchurch Library Music MS 1187  (part 
transcribed in Galpin Soc Journal Vol14 -March 1961) is the only source which 
clearly and unequivocally describes the instruments where it is called the 
'Lesser French Theorboe' (string length works out around 75cm). Talbot also 
says ' The lesser Theorbo (fitt for lessons [solos?]) carryes the same number 
of ranks (courses) and Strings with F. Theorbo and is 4 notes higher all the 
way. Plus other helpful observations. He also confirms the tuning as in d. 
There is some evidence from M Crevecoeur quoted by Talbot of its use for 
continuo (and pitch standard. A French source calls for a 'theorbe de pieces' 
(or similar wording - can't lay my hands on it at the moment).
   
  Interestingly, the Saizeny Ms gives the keys of the de Visee theorbe pieces 
etc as for a theorbo in the usual A tuning, altho' this might have just been a 
convention and the smaller instrument cld have been intended I suppose. However 
I find I can play virtually all the  pieces on my ordinary theorbo (90cm) - 
undoubtedly tho' a smaller instrument would make things easier. 
   
  On similar instruments: I find a particularly useful instrument is a small 
theorbo with just the first course down the octave, either in A or G (most 
frequent in England) with a similar string length to the French lesser ie 75cm. 
The advantage of using the instrument in A is that if you already play the 
common proper large Italian theorbo in A (ie two two courses down) there's no 
confusion.
   
  Further, I've also speculated some time ago (FoMRHI Quarterly) that the 
frequent historical references to archlute (esp in England) may, in fact, have 
been just as likelt to mean small theorbos. Certainly the highest pitched 
course of one on A would be e' which is only a minor third below the top course 
of what we now generally think of as an archlute in G.
   
  This also allows us to make sense of one of Talbot MS other comments by M 
Crev. referring to the lesser Fr theorbo: 'This fitter for Thorough Bass than 
Arch Lute its Trebles being neither below the voice nor Instrs in Consort as 
Arch Lute' : here I don't think Talbot (or Crev) is saying that the nominal 
highest pitched note of the Lesser Fr theorbo (e') was higher than that of an 
archlute (g') [which is clearly absurd] but that it was easier for it to be 
tuned to reach common consort pitch (ie highest course e' at 75cm) compared to 
the archlute (say g' at 68cm) since at  the consort pitch its treble would be 
closer to the breaking stress (about one and a half semitone stress steps 
higher).  Of course, this doesn't confirm widespread use of the lesser Fr 
theorbo for continuo: it may have been M Crev. was puttong in a chaunanistic 
case for a French instrument since, interestingly, Talbot doesn't list a large 
French Theorbo but he does and 'English' theorbo tuned in A (NB
 NOT G) with a string length  around 90cm.
   
  MH 
   
  
Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
  How many references do we have for the small French theorbo in D? And how
many of them actually state the pitch and approximate string length? I
haven't studied this area, and can only recall one quotation, so I hope the
collective wisdom here will bring me up to speed. 



Robert de Visee is interesting in this regard. Did he write his solos for
the smaller instrument? If we take just one piece (hardly a scientific
survey, but it is as far as I have gone so far), La Montfermeil, which
appears in three versions, lute, theorbo and in 'partition'. Both the lute
and Partition versions are in Am. The theorbo version would be in the same
key on the theorbo in D, not A. Now, I know that arrangements might just as
easily appear in different keys, so this proves nothing. What other evidence
do we have that Visee, Hurel and any others specifically used the theorbo in
D for solos?



I guess at the back of my mind I think we might be assuming more popularity
for the instrument than was the case, but I'll admit I don't know all the
facts.



So, chapter and verse please on the evidence.



Cheers,



Rob



www.rmguitar.info








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