It is most likely a larger size shawm. Bass and larger 16th C recorders
   usually had a removable cap, often  with a brass band on the end,
   similar to the ones on the fontanelle (the "pepper-pot" covering the
   little finger key). You would see this even if the instrument were
   turned so that the window was facing away from you.  The edge between
   the side and the top of the cap was typically beveled. You don't see
   any of this in the painting. Also, the instrument in the painting is a
   bit slender looking for a recorder of that size, but not for a shawm.
   Compare the painting with the Praetorius woodcuts.
   (Without getting into the theorbo debate, the woodcuts correlate pretty
   well with surviving instruments for the woodwinds.)

   ...Bob


     I'd guess a great bass recorder, especially since there are other
     recorders in the pictures. It's not a bassoon or dulcian. Those have
     a U-shaped structure, and this looks like a single bore instrument.
     FWIW, the only extended tenor shawms I've seen (one of them in our
     loud band) use a slightly bent bocal, not the bassoon-like one in
     the picture, and the top of the instrument is not nearly as broad,
     but there could be other designs I'm not aware of.

   --


To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

Reply via email to