From: Bernd Haegemann [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 00:03:44 +0100
To: Lutelist lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Subject: viola da gamba [OT]
dear lutenetters,
on sunday I visited a little castle in Westfalia where surprisingly I found a
a small exposition room with musical instruments. (No lute, though.)
But something that I would think is a viola da gamba (violoncello size),
7 strings, very nicely decorated with ivory and mother of pearl.
It has an additional small soundhole close to the end of the neck above
the body, about 4 cm in diameter and decorated like the soundhole of a
baroque guitar - this sort of 3D-rose :-)
I asked about the possibility of taking a photo. but the guide didn't know
whether it is allowed or not (in Germany this
means: no). In fact, nobody ever asked about this or the other
instruments, he said.
Strange enough, because this castle belongs to the family of
Bentheim-Tecklenburg,
owning a very nice collection of musical scores in Rheda, now in the
University library
of Münster.
Do you have some idea about this sort of instrument?
Best regards
Bernd
Hi Bernd;
The rosette feature is common to Austrian viols (at least), and it helps
trace the lineage back to the plucked waist-cut viola-bodied lutes of the
late 1400's. If it's 7 string it's probably late 1600's. 7 string viols were
commonly tuned 444344 (depending on how you want to see it; is standard six
string guitar tuning 44434 on the lower 6 strings, or classic 44344 lute
tuning on the upper 6 with an added lower string in a 4th relationship)
here's a group photo of similar instruments, all Austrian, in 6 string, at
Orpheon:
http://www.mdw.ac.at/I105/orpheon/Fotos/Fotos-Events/VdgPanoramaA2.jpg
here's an assortment of pictures somewhat chronologically tracing the line
(with pierced rosette sound-hole) back to the late 1400's. Some 4 and 5
course lutes (both bowl-back and viola-bodied) of late 1400s had a large
central rosette plus one or two smaller diamond or lancet shaped rosettes
closer to the neck. Many viols had either just a rosette or some combination
of rosette and C, F, or flame-arabesque holes:
http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/historypics/lucy2.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/viola-guitar-angels.jpg (late 1400's)
http://www.TheCipher.com/viol_TimoteoViti_c1500Madonna-italy.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/viola-guitar-valencia14xx.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/LuteViolGuitarFamily_SVirdung1511.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/viol_CrispinDePasse16thDutch.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/viola-bowed_ReneIIc1490French-bw.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/viol-guitar_GonesseOrgan_detail.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/viol_musscher-sm.jpg
http://www.TheCipher.com/Violboy_tempel-1671-24ksm.jpg
so you did in fact see a lute -- a bowed lute that is ;')
Roger
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