Thanks Gary. The claim is that he played 'viol' - plucked or bowed was not specified. See earlier comment by Antonio.
Rob 2008/6/5 gary digman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > I seem to recall reading that Francesco played viola da gamba as well as > lute. > > Gary > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob MacKillop" < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Antonio Corona" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 1:38 AM > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Francesco and the viola da mano > > > Thanks Antonio. >> >> So, allow me to simplify things, at least for my own benefit, and forgive >> me >> if I over simplify. I'm just thinking out loud... >> >> The vihuela de mano was created in Valencia and found its way to Naples >> where it became popular, more popular than the lute. Some Italian makers >> started making their own version which they called the viola da mano. >> Eventually there emerged two apparently distinct types, Spanish and >> Italian. >> The Italian version seems to have kept the classic viol shape with deep >> indents on the sides, while the Spanish version smoothed out the sides, as >> with the Raimondi drawing, or the figure of eight, almost classical guitar >> shape of Milan's book. Both types were used in Italy, either imported or >> copied, and the Spanish types were referred to as Spanish lutes or lyras. >> Isabella d'Este asks for a Spanish type, and, importantly, insists on it >> being made from ebony. >> >> Although there seems to have been a distinction in the physical aspects of >> the Italian and Spanish viola/vihuela, the repertoire could be played on >> either instrument. >> >> The Borgias, being originally Spanish, were important in spreading the >> popularity of the vihuela/viola to Rome and the northern states. >> Francesco, >> therefore, did not need to live in the South to come across the viola. His >> 1536 book mentions the viola before the lute: *Intavolatura de Viola o >> vero >> Lauto*. It was printed in Naples where the viola was most popular. This >> raises the possibility that Francesco did NOT play the viola, but its name >> was given chief prominence in order to boost sales in its area of >> publication...? However, it is certainly possible that he DID play the >> viola >> alongside the lute early in his career, but dropped the viola when it >> declined in popularity in favour of the lute. >> >> Two Neapolitan viola da mano players, Dentice and Severino, were active in >> both Italy and Spain, and their works could be added to the canon of >> vihuela >> literature. >> >> OK? >> >> Rob >> >> -- >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG. >> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.6/1481 - Release Date: 6/3/2008 >> 7:31 PM >> >> >> > > --
