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*** #7, Summer 1999 ****
*** by Federico Marincola ***
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*** Table of contents ***
Part I -- An hypothesis on the tuning of the Italian theorbo
(by Andrea Damiani)
Part II -- About Andrea Damiani

Part III -- About Federico Marincola
Part IV -- Two pieces for the Italian theorbo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Part I -- An hypothesis on the tuning of the Italian theorbo, by Andrea Damiani
<a.damiani@mclink.it> (with the kind permission of the SIL - Societa'
Italiana del Liuto, English translation by Federico Marincola and Doc
Rossi) (1)
If you know the XVII-century Italian theorbo repertoire, while reading through p
ieces
you will surely have noticed that some passages don't seem to fit the typical re
-entrant
tuning of the instrument, for instance when a melodic line moving by step is sud
denly
broken by the passage from the 3rd to the 2nd course (or the other way round). H
ere
is an example, found in a Corrente from the "Libro di Sonate intavolate su la Ti
orba"
(Vatican Library Ms 4145, R - Vat., fol. 26v, b. 1-3):
ex. #1
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |
| | |\ | | |\ | |
| |. | | |. | | |

-0- -0-
-------|-----3---2-|-3---2---0-|-----
-------|-0---------|-----------|-----
----0--|-----------|-0---------|-0---
----0--|---------3-|-----3---1-|-0---
----3--|-2---0-----|-0---------|-----
-------|-----------|-----------|-----
T T T
Similar situations are rather common in the works of Melii and Pittoni, as well
as in some
manuscripts, but are carefully avoided by other composers like Piccinini, Kapsbe
rger and
Castaldi. Up to now such discrepancies have been explained by the possibility th
at some
composers or arrangers didn't yet understand the peculiarities of the relatively
new instrument
very well. For instance, K. Mason, talking about the chitarrone tablature includ
ed in a madrigal
by S. Rossi, suggests: "It is difficult to say whether or not such an accompanim
ent was
acceptable or if Rossi simply did not know how to write for the chitarrone at th
is early
date."(2)
Actually, some manuscripts show that at least a part of the early solo repertoir
e for the
theorbo was made from arrangements of lute pieces. The theorbo was originally in
vented to
play the basso continuo, and transcriptions from one instrument to the other whe
re not always
satisfactory.(3) Melii himself, in the preface to his "Libro Quinto," affirms th
at he has
included some theorbo pieces "even if this is not my own profession", probably m
eaning that
to follow current fashion he composed for an instrument that he didn't know very
well.
If it is true that the earlier pieces reflect a lack of knowledge of the instrum
ent on the
part of composers and arrangers, the problem would seem to have already been sol
ved: it would
be better not to play those pieces full of discrepancies, as they were written b
y incompetent
composers. However, I think we should give Melii, Pittoni and some anonymous com
posers (who
have actually written some beautiful pieces) a chance, and presume that perhaps
they were not
so unqualified as to ignore the most elementary rules of music. Let me form a se
cond hypothesis;
it will need more evidence to be really convincing, but perhaps it is worth expe
rimenting with:
as we know, the first two courses of the Italian theorbo were tuned down an octa
ve, but this
was not the only possible tuning; Banchieri, for instance, gives a tuning in G w
ith only the
first course at the lower octave. Moreover, we know that most of the surviving i
nstruments are
arranged to have two strings for each course (4) and, as far as I know, nowhere
is it written
that these double strings had to be tuned in unison. Perhaps to play the above-m
entioned pieces
correctly, we should use double-course instruments with the strings of the 2nd c
ourse (but not
only, as we will see) tuned an octave apart. I got this idea through playing the
XVII-century
guitar repertoire. Here we find the same problem, but we know that guitarists us
ed a variety of
tunings which made it possible to split a melodic line between non-adjacent cour
ses: the
so-called "campanelas" effect, as Gaspar Sanz says. Sanz studied in Rome with Co
lista, who was
teaching both the theorbo and the guitar. We know that there were several ways o
f stringing and
tuning the guitar, but what is not usually mentioned is that the 3rd course of t
he guitar could
also have one of its strings at the higher octave. We find this in a manuscript
now in Bologna.
This particular tuning was noticed for the first time by M. Lorimer, and is a li
ttle discovery
that has allowed us to play several rather obscure passages in the works by Sanz
, Bartolotti and
Roncalli (to mention only a few names) in a coherent way.(5)
===== > See the Example #2 at http://www.marincola.com/lutebot7/example2.htm
<=====
The connection between the guitar and the theorbo is clear: unlike the lute, whi
ch tended to
conserve its "contrapuntal soul", these two instruments developed in a parallel
way during the
XVII century, and they had in common the search for new timbres and sonorities.
This was
developed through the re-entrant tunings and octave stringing on the lower cours
es, whose
purpose was to create illusory extensions in the range, and through the typical
play with
colors stemming from the simultaneous vibration of close notes [seconds] played
on different
strings. On top of this we know that important musicians like Colista and Bartol
otti played
both lute and guitar, leading us to suppose that perhaps they used some common e
xpedients on
both instruments. We also know that in the XVII century several guitarists consi
dered themselves
indebted to lute and theorbo players for whatever on their instrument was differ
ent from the
simple "rasgueado" technique: see, for example, the prefaces to the books by Pel
legrini and
Valdambrini. The latter specifically says: "To enrich and perfect this instrumen
t I used several
ways and manners of playing peculiar to other instruments, like the arpeggiare, th
e
strascino, the groppeggiare, the trillo and other inventions by Mr. Girolamo
Kapsberger".(6)
I have tried this new tuning on the theorbo and have found the result charming,
especially with
the sound of the double courses - today we usually string the theorbo with singl
e strings, more
for practical than for historical reasons - and for the effects produced by the
octaves. The high
string on the 2nd course allows us to connect to the tones on the 3rd, while the
low string on
the 2nd course connects the 2nd to the 1st, and also creates the effect of the e
ntrance of extra
voices. You can see this in the following fragment from a piece by Melii,(7) whi
ch allows us to
absolve this composer from the charge of musical illiteracy:
ex. #3:
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
| | |\ | | |\ | |
| | | | | | | |

-0-
-----------|-----------|1--3-----|-------------|---------|1-------|-----
--------4--|---3-1--0--|------0--|-------------|0--1--3--|--------|-----
--0--2-----|0----------|---------|---2-3-------|---------|---3----|-----
--------3--|-----------|---------|-------1-3---|------1--|3-----3-|-----
-----------|--------2--|3--3--2--|-3---------0-|1--3-----|1-----1-|-----
--1--3--0--|1----------|---------|-------------|------0--|1-----1-|-----
A possible objection to this theory is that with this tuning the problem is shif
ted from the
2nd to the 1st course. In fact, because of the high string, some passages sound
a bit peculiar,
but we still have a common sound given by the low string. It is not really perfe
ct, but we
shouldn't ask for perfection from this sort of instrument and music anyway. Once
we accept the
possibility of tuning the 2nd course as an octave pair, we should ask ourselves
whether the 5th
and the 6th courses should also be tuned so. This seems reasonable in passages l
ike in the first
bar of ex #4 (from the "Libro di Sonate intavolate su la Tiorba", Vatican Librar
y Ms 4145,
R - Vat. foll. 15v-16v), where the 5th course would then be well connected with
the 3rd course
(the lower note would be the bass, while the higher octave would be the first no
te of the
melody, which continues on the 3rd course. The exceeding value on the last beat
of the 2nd bar
is probably an ornament).
ex. #4:
Passagaglio
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\
|\ | | |\ |
| | |. | |


-----------|---3---1-0-|1---
--0--------|0----------|----
-----------|---0-------|----
----2-3----|3----------|---- etc.
--------0--|1--0----2--|----
-----------|-----------|----
T

Similar passages can also be found between the 6th and the 4th course. Moreover,
the higher
octave of the 6th course could be used to soften the difference in timbre when p
assing between
the 6th and the 7th courses. In fact the sound of the 7th course (the first cour
se on the long
neck of the Italian theorbo) has a prevalence of higher harmonics, which produce
s an effect
of a "higher octave".
We should also find out in which position in the course the higher string should
be placed. It
is obvious that the 6th and 5th courses should be arranged as on a "normal" lute
(lower string
up and higher string down). The 2nd course, though, presents other problems: I h
ave tried both
possibilities and find that perhaps the best solution is to place the strings as
in the 6th and
5th courses, but the lower string should have the bridge knot a bit higher, in s
uch a way that
the index and middle fingers of the right hand can pluck both the strings. On th
e contrary, if
one arranges the strings of the 2nd course as on the baroque guitar (with the oc
tave string in
the upper position) in my humble opinion it is less efficacious, as it gives too
much emphasis
to the higher octave.
This tuning, of course, is suitable only on a small theorbo, in order to have th
e octave
strings neither too thin nor at too high a tension. At this point we should star
t a new area
of research: what do we REALLY know about the use of an instrument like the theo
rbo, which has
survived in so many different shapes and sizes? Do we know exactly which model (
shape, sonority,
double or single courses, etc.) was considered the best to play the basso contin
uo, and which
instrument was preferred for the solo repertoire? I feel that there were many mo
re possibilities
and uses than we can even imagine today. For instance, are we sure that basso co
ntinuo works
better on a single-strung theorbo? If we try playing the musical examples contai
ned in the
Bartolotti and Fleury theorbo tutors with octave strings, we can easily see that
several
examples which seemed incorrect become acceptable. If we read through the manusc
ript in the
Vatican Library that I mentioned before, we will see that the first part of the
book (which
contains, among other things, two pieces from Kapsberger's "Primo Libro") is wri
tten for a
tuning with the 2nd course at the lower octave, while the second part, written s
everal years
later by a different hand, requires the 2nd course at the higher octave. It is a
lso difficult
to find geographical limitations for this tuning: we find it in Rome, as well as
in north Italy
(Melii and Pittoni).
If we want to increase our knowledge, I really think we should not be so tied to
some of the
ideas that we are used to and that we take for granted. Surely there is still mu
ch to be
discovered: we can only keep on inquiring, asking for the help of the musicologi
sts and
organologists. They are more competent, and have more time for this sort of rese
arch than
instrumentalists like us do. Hopefully they will soon clarify this and other mys
teries of
the Italian theorbo.
Notes
(1) This article was first published in Italian in the "Bollettino della Societa
' Italiana
del Liuto" (Anno IV, Numero I, Vol. XI, January 1994).
(2) K. Mason, "The Chitarrone And Its Repertoire in Early Seventeenth-Century It
aly",
Boethius Press, 1989.
(3) For instance, the Ms. Pesaro (Italy), Cons. G. Rossini, b 14/7346, contains
some pieces
for the theorbo, other pieces for the lute, plus other tablatures in which i
t is not very
clear for what sort of tunings they are intended.
(4) The Italian lute maker Ivo Magherini informs me that at least the 80 % of th
e surviving
theorbos are double strung, and remarks that it is difficult to imagine that
the lute makers
of the past would waste their time in doing a job which was not utilized by
the players.
(5) Quoted in the introduction to the "Saldivar Codex N.4, Santiago de Murcia ma
nuscript of
baroque guitar music", M. Lorimer, Santa Barbara 1987, p. XIX. This is manus
cript
I:MOe Ms. 612.8.L.10.21. Unfortunately up to now I have not been able to exa
mine it.
(6) "Per arricchire e perfettionare questo stromento, mi sono prevalso di molti
modi e maniere
usate in altre sorte d'istromenti, come l'arpeggiare, il strascino, il gropp
eggiare, il
trillo, et altre inventioni del Sig.e Girolamo Kapsberger", in F. Valdambrin
i, "Libro Primo
d'Intavolatura di Chitarra", Roma 1646, p.2. On the habit of playing more th
an one
instrument, see also the introduction by O. Cristoforetti in G. Zamboni, "So
nate d'
Intavolatura di Leuto", SPES, Firenze 1982.
(7) "Signora Anzoletta, Gagliarda per la Tiorba", in P.P. Melii, "Intavolatura d
i Liuto
Attiorbato e di Tiorba, Libro Quinto", Vincenti, Venezia 1620, p. 42.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Part II -- About Andrea Damiani
After having studied guitar, Andrea Damiani studied lute under Diana Poulton, la
ter
studying with Anthony Bailes and Hopkinson Smith. He has earned diplomas in lut
e
from the Royal College of Music in London an the Conservatorio Niccolo Piccinni
in Bari.
Mr. Damiani maintains a busy concert schedule both as a soloist and as a member
of
several well-known Italian groups, such as the Concerto Italiano, which has play
ed
at major festivals in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain,

Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and USA.
As a soloist, Mr. Damiani has given numerous recitals dedicated to the repertoir
e of the
Italian renaissance and baroque, and of 18th-century German composers, especiall
y
J. S. Bach and S. L. Weiss.
Mr. Damiani has recorded for and broadcast on several major European radio netwo
rks such
as the BBC, ORTF, RAI, WDR, etc. As a specialist in basso continuo on the theor
bo and
archilute, he has participated in numerous recordings for Arcana, Erato, Harmoni
a Mundi,
Opus 111, Philips, Symphonia and Tactus. As a soloist he has recorded a CD dedi
cated to rare
15th-century sources from the province of Marche for the "E lucean le stelle" la
bel, and
another dedicated to Il Fronimo of Vincenzo Galilei, for Stradivarius.
Mr. Damiani is regularly invited to teach at several international early music c
ourses,
such as those held in Chiusi della Verna, Erice, Lanciano, Urbino and by the Cin
i Foundation
of Venice. He is currently Lute instructor at the Conservatorio A. Boito in Par
ma.
Mr. Damiani is also the author Method for Renaissance Lute, published by Ut-Orph
eus, Bologna.
Andrea Damiani
via Capo Miseno 21
00141 Roma (RM)
Italy
tel and fax: +39 06 86 21 01 53
cell. +39 (0)347 24 03 686
email <a.damiani@mclink.it>
electronic brochure <info-damiani@marincola.com>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Part III -- About FEDERICO MARINCOLA
I live at the border between France and Italy, but I spend a lot of time
traveling around to play my concerts and to teach. Usually I have a quite
tight schedule, but, if you contact me well in advance, I might be available
for recitals and seminars, or for collaborations with professional
renaissance and baroque ensembles.
Here are my addresses and phone numbers:
email: lute@marincola.com
Lute Page: http://www.marincola.com
snailmail: C.P. 50, 18039, Ventimiglia (IM), Italy
French Tel. + 33 4 93 35 66 58
French Fax + 33 4 93 35 56 68
Italian mobile + 39 347 73 09 321
Here is my CV. If you want to check my complete discography, see some press
reviews etc, you are warmly invited to visit my Lute Page at
http://www.marincola.com or you can get my Electronic Brochure
(send an email to info@marincola.com).
----- Curriculum Vitae -----
Born in Rome, Federico Marincola studied classical guitar with Sergio
Notaro, later specializing in the lute with Diana Poulton. Having won
a grant from the Dutch Government, he studied with Anthony Bailes at the
Sweelinck Conservatorium of Amsterdam. Another grant from the British
Council enabled him to study with Jakob Lindberg at the Royal College
of Music in London, where he obtained a Performer diploma in lute, a
second diploma in early music and the Certificate of Advanced Study.
He completed his training with Nigel North and Christopher Wilson.
In the last twenty years, Federico Marincola has been very active as a
performer. He has given many solo recitals and played with singers and
early music groups all over Europe. In 1986, he toured as a soloist in
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He is also in demand
as a "basso continuo" player, and has played in many baroque operas at
some of the most famous opera theaters of Italy (Teatro alla Scala, Milan;
Teatro dell Opera, Rome; Teatro Massimo, Palermo; Teatro Comunale,
Florence; Teatro San Carlo, Naples...). He is the theorbist with the
Cappella della Pieta' dei Turchini, one of the most important baroque
groups in Europe. In July 1998 he was invited by the Lute Society of America
to teach and play at the LSA summer course in Columbus (OH).
With the Italian baroque Ensemble "Arte dell'Arco" he has started an extensive
collaboration with Christopher Hogwood.
He has made more than twenty CDs with orchestras and small groups,
and has broadcasted in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France,
Yugoslavia, the Vatican, India and Shri Lanka.
With "Verany Disques - Arion", he recorded a CD of pieces from the
"Vincenzo Capirola Lute Book" in 1992 (PV793012), a CD of pieces for lute
and renaissance guitar by the French composer Guillaume Morlaye in 1993
(PV794052) and a third CD of lute pieces by Anthony Holborne in 1995
(PV795112). These solo recordings have been very positively welcomed by
the international press ("5 Diapasons" to Capirola and Morlaye,
"5 Diapasons" and "10 by Repertoire" to Holborne).
Federico Marincola, who is also one of the founders of the Societa'
Italiana del Liuto, uses an instrumental technique which is based on
several treatises and iconographical sources from the 16th and 17th
centuries. He believes that, to give a convincing performance of this
repertoire, it is of paramount importance to have a profound knowledge
of the original fingerings and criteria of interpretation. He also finds
ideas and inspiration for the performance of early music in certain
aspects of the philosophy and astrology of the Renaissance period.
In the last years he has also turned his attention to the study of
social science: he is convinced that the sociology of music can be a
great help in understanding the "spirit of the age" in which the
different repertoires were produced. In 1994 he was highly commended for
his thesis on the Jesuit opera Apotheosis sive Consecratio SS. Ignatii et
Francisci Xaverii (1622) by Hieronimus Kapsberger, which earned him his
degree in Sociology at the University of Urbino.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Part IV -- Two pieces for the Italian theorbo
This time I decided to include a couple of interesting pieces for the Italian th
eorbo related
to Andrea's article: "Signora Anzoletta, Gagliarda per la Tiorba" from Melii's "
Intavolatura di
Liuto Attiorbato e di Tiorba Libro Quinto", Vincenti, Venezia 1620, p. 42, and a
"Passagaglio"
from the "Libro di Sonate intavolate su la Tiorba" (Vatican Library Ms 4145, R -
Vat.
foll. 15v-16v)
They are in jpg, and can be downloaded in a zipped file:
http://www.marincola.com/lutebot7/tiorba.zip
***************** HAPPY PLUCKING ;-)))! **************************
######### end of the "LuteBot Quarterly" #7, Summer 1999 ##########
(by Federico Marincola <lute@marincola.com>)