Now that you mention Mersenne...
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k63326258/f320.highres
But seriously, the question of how the instruments were built is important,
but I'm really interested in the music, or more specifically, pieces
that are derived from harp playing.
I know that new tunings in England are called "harp-way" or something,
but what about earlier times?
And does anyone know genuine Irish music for Lute?
On 21.07.20 21:04, David Brown wrote:
Hello Martyn and luters...
As my mail client and VPN seem to insist on arguing, I’ll take my
chances of getting this out….
Since Mudarra and Spanish harp was brought up and I was re-reading
Peter Holman’s 1987 article in Early Music, Holman mentions the
possibility that the painting “The Cabalâ€, at Nostell Priory , by J. B.
Medina that “could be†Charles Evans with his Italian harp. I am
certain the Spanish harp had its influences on the Italian triple harp,
but this harp appears to be a Spanish double. J. B. Medina was born in
Bruxelles to a Spanish army captain trained with a Flemish Protrait
painter. This might explain something about the representation of a
Spanish harp? What does this have to say about the Cabal?
This is a small example of research which the word “appears†is used.
Appearance is in the eye of the beholder, and in this case it “appearsâ€
to be a Spanish harp to me. I should be able to produce an example of
an extant Spanish double??? I think it is cross strung…., but later…
Bartolomo Jovenardi needs to be put into the mix about now to make
things grey..
Mersenne illustrates a triple harp that looks a bit more Spanish and
relays the story of the triple being invented in Naples, it appears
with the influence of the staved Spanish harp. This, could have been
his interpretation of a triple harp and possibly influenced by the
origin story.
Please don’t take me wrong, Holman is asking and speculating important
questions that need (needed in 1987) to be asked. Where would we be if
we didn’t ask questions and speculate only to have them changed with
more information later? It certainly doesn’t change the majority of
evidence that the wire strung harp was probably used in the Lawes
consorts… The Italian harp in England early on, remains a grey area
with hopefully more insight to come.
Anyway, this seems to be going way out of the lute realm and into the
harp area and maybe should be taken off list?…. The start was that
painting of the weird instrument….
Pardon
Sincerely
David
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