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This is a 19th century mandora, so by that point they started to have fixed frets. I actually regret that now as I can't tweak the intonation like with tied frets, but too late now.

No, chitarrone is just an early 17th century name for the Italian theorbo, exactly the same. This is a much rarer and later German theorbo - all the info is 8n the video description

@@Quatrapuntal well my mistake I was taught that the theorbo has single strings, tuned in A and has re-entrant 1st and second strings.

@@adampasztor6187 that is only because most modern players use those for convenience. Many historical Italian theorbos were double strung, people use single strings today because they are easier to play and a bit louder. Different tunings existed as well, there was a lot more variety than you see today. But chitarrone is just an alternative name, not a different instrument.

@@Quatrapuntal thank you for educating and clarifying. :)

I don't really know what you mean, but Moreschi is problematic as a reference. The poor quality of the recording equipment changes the tone considerably, and he had a technique very particular to his time, quite different to the great 18th castrati. It is a fascinating glimpse, but probably a long way from the sound of Farinelli.

I don't know that one, my nail violin skills are pretty minimal so it would have to be very simple!

@@Quatrapuntal it’s so simple you’ll laugh! The composer Koji Kondo had to keep it as simple as possible due to storage restrictions in old video game consoles, give it a listen!

Yes it is, although because I am playing 7 different parts they were recorded first before the video, otherwise the sound would have been muffled

I've never played it on the guitar but I can confirm it is a beast on the baroque lute, as is the Allegro (also on this channel). It is very rarely played live in concerts on the lute by anyone because it is so difficult. I very rarely do solo concerts and not sure I would dare!

My main instrument is the lute so although the P. guitar has a difficult and very unique technique, compared to the baroque lute it's not so bad! The video was done a while ago so the sound is not great, this one is better ruclips.net/video/sSRy6orRI98/видео.html

With all gut strings the tuning is a lot more problematic, I use nylgut (synthetic gut) which is quite stable once stretched. See here to hear it properly ruclips.net/video/qVk8VS-Ad2c/видео.html

No, it's an early 19th century style mandora, a type of lute that's nothing to do with guitars even though there are coincidental similarities. There is more info about it here: ruclips.net/video/HzexBS6-IUM/видео.html

@@Quatrapuntal oh yeah I've seen a few in the "Laute in Europa" book and in some luthier websites like Marco Salerno's website, I hadn't seen 8 string mandoras but I did see up to 6 strings. I'll try to research more on the mandora, I'm very curious about it. You always seem to have the most interesting instruments even for the already rare topic that is early music. I'm fascinated by all of it.

@@The_IRL_Bard years ago there weren't that many lutenists, and no Internet of course. These days anyone can put anything online and there are a lot more players, so it's a lot more saturated. I have tried to find my own niches of areas that are little covered by others, also the more rare and unusual things have always interested me more. I have been researching and playing post-baroque music for a long time, the video I linked is the last surviving piece from 1818.

Thanks, you can see the full video this is taken from here: ruclips.net/video/F3hCWTPozl0/видео.html

If the person has a "normal" male broken speaking voice they are a countertenor and singing in falsetto. Arno Raunig speaks with a broken voice so he is a high countertenor/sopranist. The singer on this recording had an unbroken adult voice so spoke like a child, which is the closest modern equivalent to a castrato. Look up Samuel Marino, he also has an unbroken voice it is extremely rare.

@@Quatrapuntal Ich möchte mich sehr herzlich für den Hinweis zu Samuel Marino bedanken. Marino hat auch ein ausgeprägtes schauspielerisches Talent, was nicht jedem Sänger eigen ist. Was halten Sie von Radu Marian als Sänger. In welche Kathegorie würden Sie ihn einordnen? Er ist für mich ein aussergewöhnlicher Sänger, leider mit einer schwachen Bühnenpräsenz , was er natürlich nicht zu verantworten hat. Alles Gute für Sie.

Sim, é algo muito especial ouvir fado tocado ao vivo, com toda a atmosfera e emoção. Lisboa é o melhor lugar para ouvir fado. Visitei o Brasil há 25 anos, um país lindo.

It was built by Klaus Jacobsen who lives in London, the basses are plaited nylon which was an experiment Klaus did but they are great, 25 years later they sound the same and rarely go out of tune. The stopped length is 80cm, can't remember exactly for the basses but something like 150cm. See also the info on this video: ruclips.net/video/qVk8VS-Ad2c/видео.html

@@Quatrapuntal That's quite a coincidence....When I lived in London, I used to share a workshop space with Klaus, in Stoke Newington. A very tall Danish chap. I play Lute professionally, hence the technical questions. Are you self-taught? You have a very fluent, neat, and confident technique, particularly in the right hand. Who made the metal-fretted Mandora? It sounds very warm and attractive. With all good wishes, Edward Fitzgibbon.

Klaus is still in Stoke Newington I believe, he makes very fine instruments although he has only done one other German theorbo I believe. I was at Birmingham Conservatoire firstly, then the Guildhall, mainly taught by Bill Carter but also has a few lessons with Nigel North when he lived in London. I play professionally as well, but have been out of the London scene for years now and do less concerts these days.

Yes - you can hear the whole finished version here: ruclips.net/video/hSOVbybxNNs/видео.html

No, I did the arrangement myself

@@Quatrapuntal Would you be willing to share it?

I don't know where the tab is, I played it from memory, and anyway you would have to have the same instrument as me with the same tuning

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks, there is a better performance video here: ruclips.net/video/sSRy6orRI98/видео.html

Thanks glad you enjoyed it. My latest video is the lute in an entirely different direction ruclips.net/video/XsCe9Do_ac4/видео.html

Thanks, there is a better performance video here: ruclips.net/video/sSRy6orRI98/видео.html

Thanks, BWV998 isn't often played on the lute and even less on this which is the kind of German lute Bach knew, mainly because it is so difficult. I would say it's the most difficult piece of music for this instrument, which I did as a personal challenge back during the lockdowns. I don't know if I would dare to play it live though! I also did the fugue that comes before this.

You may be waiting for some time...

Hello I don't know that film, if you can send a link to a video with that scene I can have a listen?

Thanks, likewise and glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks I appreciate that! I have recorded all of the rest of the parts of the larger piece this comes from, they will be on a CD at some point but still quite a few other things to record.

Lisboa is by far the most common and useful in my opinion, many professionals play Coimbra model guitarras in Lisboa tuning just to complicate things. I would say by far the most difficult aspect for a beginner is the RH technique with the false nails on index and thumb only. It is completely different to any other plucked instrument I know of.

I think that's pretty unlikely, he must be going on 65 now. There were various terms, mostly not too polite (there are reports of audiences chanting "long live the knife") but then again the boys mostly came from very poor rural backgrounds so had an easier life and far more wealth as singers than they would have otherwise had.

There are a few possibilities there, maybe the cougar liked it and wanted to listen, hated it and came to bite you, or maybe he was just hungry and was attracted to the meal drawing attention to itself

Eh?

It certainly is a unique, and unexpected sound. I only wish I had the skills to play it properly.

Could you be a bit more specific?

If you mean the background music, it's not Bach it's Baron, although he was a contemporary of Bach so sounds similar.

The body shape certainly does make a difference, as does the very light and thin construction which gives it a more transparent, clear sound. It's best not to compare it to a guitar as it's a totally different instrument, with an entirely separate history, tuning and playing technique. Like comparing a flute to a clarinet. This video has more information about it: ruclips.net/video/oBEoVbY2xrk/видео.html

Clearly you haven't read the description, I lived with this singer for over a year and heard him speaking every day with an unbroken voice. He is singing in his head voice, as female sopranos do, because he was trained inappropriately as they didn't know what to do with him. 18th century castrati didn't use chest voice across the range, read Tosi who was a castrato.

@@Quatrapuntal my dear friend, you may have lived with a person for 100 years, but that voice is not a full voice. I am a singer in singing teacher and believe me, I can identify a real voice from a falsetto voice. I am sorry you are confused and you have believed, the tale that your friend has told you.

@@alexgomez2 yes of course I will disregard all of my experiences of living and performing with him over several years, and everything that the doctors told him, based on the opinion of a random person on the internet listening to 10 seconds of one recording. I never said he was singing in chest voice, if you read my previous reply I said he is singing in head voice, hence the weakness in the lower range. What is your reference as to what an unbroken adult male voice sounds like anyway? Please don't say Moreschi, although he sang in head voice above about C or D. In fact, one of his pupils who was a falsettist could imitate Moreschi so well that everyone though he was a castrato. And this is people who heard castrati singing all the time in person, not from an ancient gramophone recording.

​@@QuatrapuntalEsmaga

You can see the full video here showing how it is constructed: ruclips.net/video/l9pqYhEIgRE/видео.html Da Vinci invented a keyboard instrument that has small wheels that bow each string, someone did a reconstruction I forget what it was called. With the nail violin they did some more experiments in the early 20th century it shows some in the video, then I think gave up because of the difficulties of playing anything chromatic. If you ever make one, please let me know!

Thanks, it is a unique instrument in many ways.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. There are quite a few other videos on this channel with this theorbo and other types of lute as well.

The archlute is a lot smaller, string length around 65cm this is above 80. The tuning is nothing like the archlute, it is to a chord of minor like the baroque lute without the top string. Many historical Italian theorbos had double strings, most use single strings now because they are more convenient (and easier to play).

@@Quatrapuntal that's cool, well I guess I have to add another instrument to my list, I only got a french theorbo and I have a renaissance lute on its way. My wallet is gonna sufferrrrrrr

Yes it's certainly an expensive business, not like a violin where there are fairly minimal differences and always the same stringing/tuning. Theorbos are mainly useful for continuo accompaniment, if you don't do a lot of that and already have a French/Italian theorbo (they are virtually the same) then you would be wasting a lot of money to get a German one. I would suggest a baroque lute if you want to be able to play a lot of new repertoire.

@@Quatrapuntal i mean I want all the instruments, I'm planning on taking a path as Luthier and learning from Jose Miguel Moreno, one of the best luthiers ive seen, he's also a family friend and the maker of my theorbo. For now I need to get me a baroque guitar and a baroque lute for superior grade and after that I'll see what playing early music can get me till I learn to make instruments.