DB Annex

Variete-Kabaret Metropolto(detail)
Theo Matejko

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Tanz im Feldlagerto(detail)
Jakob Michel

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Supraportenzyklus von Gesellschaftsstückento(detail)
Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich

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Wilde Frau Mit Wilden Mannern Tanzendto(detail)
German 15th c.

SUCHE: "Tanz"
Bildarchiv

We have done what we could this past week to understand what Tom Matrullo so kindly pointed out was the theorbo, contemporarily a far more utilized instrument than was at first expected.

(French: horbe, German: Theorba, Italian: theorba, Barbitone) The large double-necked bass lute much used during the 16th and 17th centuries as general bass in the orchestra. The body of the theorbo was constructed on the same principles as that of the lute but larger, and the same scheme of decoration was followed. The neck, instead of being bent back at an angle to form the head, was straight, having sufficient pegs set in the sides of the head for from 12 to 16 strings tuned in pairs of unisons; on the fingerboards were marked 8 or more frets for semitones. Above this neck was another without frets, Curving forwards and slightly to one side to enable the long bass strings, stretched not over but at the side of the neck, to escape the pegs of the shorter strings. These free strings, known as diapason strings (German: Begleitseiten) were plucked d vide like those of the lyre, each giving but one note; the number of these strings varied from 8 to 11.

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Theorbos were a type of archlute developed in the 1500s and were still in use in the 18th century. They developed from the notion of taking the lowest string to a second head, which extended in a step directly from the first head, which was in line with the neck, thereby avoiding the use of one very long pegbox, which would be unable to take the strain of the bass strings. These unstopped strings, called diapasons, caused a sudden jump and change in the tone colour.
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Au contraire, mes amis!
Theorbos are!

Thomas Berghan:

Title: Chaconne
Source: The Saizenay Ms
Instrument: Solo Theorbo

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From Lynda Sayce's home of the theorbo:

This was made by David Van Edwards. There are no surviving originals to copy (most frustratingly, the Bodleian library in Oxford owned Henry Lawes's theorbo until well into the 19th century, when they burnt it because it was taking up too much space!) so this is reconstructed from the information in Thomas Mace's 'Musick's Monument', measurements in the Talbot manuscript,and a painting by John Michael Wright. This theorbo has much in common with the 12-course lute, from which it clearly developed, and uses a deep lute body copied from a small bass lute by Michael Hartung. It has 7 stopped courses, all double, and 6 bass courses, also all double and tuned in octaves. It is tuned in G, with one re-entrant course, (g d' a f c G F / E D C B' A' G'). The stopped string length is 80cm, and the basses increase gradually in length to 135cm. It has therefore a smooth transition in sound from the stopped courses to the basses, without the sudden change of timbre which characterizes Italian and French instruments. Its tone is very lute-like, with considerable sustain, quite different from the Italian theorbo sound. It is perfect for accompanying Restoration songs, instrumental music, and English opera - Matthew Locke, John Blow, Henry Purcell, Christopher Simpson, etc.

Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie (Hyperion), most colourful of Vivaldi's surviving oratorios includes obbligato parts for just about everything, including four theorbos portraying the clatter and bustle as servants prepare for a feast.
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Two Upon a Ground (Signum)
Virtuosic duets and divisions for two viols
Charivari Agréable

Susanne Heinrich - Bass & Treble Viol
Kah-Ming Ng - Bass & Treble Viol
Lynda Sayce - Guitar & Theorbo
Susanna Pell - Keyboards

JOHN JENKINS - DIVISION IN A
HENRY PURCELL - TWO IN ONE UPON A GROUND
TOBIAS HUME - PAVAN
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Also:

Music for Philip of Spain (Signum)
Music associated with Philip II
from the four European countries of his wives
Charivari Agréable

LUIS MILAN - AL AMOR QUIERO VENCER
TRADITIONAL - UNE JEUNE FILLETTE
DIEGO ORTIZ - RECERCADA SEGUNDA free download

Linda Sayce - theorbo, baroque guitar
Imma Einsingbach - voice, baroque guitar
Constance Allanic - baroque harp, viola da gamba
comprise Stella Vagans
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Henry Purcell: When First Amintas Sued for a Kiss
Ellen Hargis (soprano) and Paul O'Dette (lute and theorbo)
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Sophia Brumfitt and Rosemary Hodgson comprise Rosa Mundi, wherein Ms. Hodgson has occasion to play the theorbo.
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Since the mid 80s, Hopkinson Smith has focused principally on solo music for early plucked instruments. These include the vihuela, Renaissance lute, theorbo, Renaissance and baroque guitars and the baroque lute.
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Armonico Tributo is a period instrument ensemble based in the Midlands, U.K. In our repertoire we explore music from the entire Baroque period, c.1600 - c.1750 and specialise in performing 17th century chamber music from Italy and England.
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Oliver Wadsworth is a luthier of some accomplishment.
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The central idea of this workshop course was to work together as a group to produce one 14 course theorbo for the English Lute Society to use as a hire instrument. This is a brief report on a tiring but successful mission.
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Things of interest gathered along the way:

Signum Records artist's links at Vitaminic
ram files and some free .mp3s - complete pieces, not clips
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Baroque Lute Harpsichord
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Vzhuru na ptaky / A Birding We Will Go
Ritornello, Michal Pospisil (Martin Kaplan - violin, chorus, Vaclav Luks - horn, organ positive, Ondrej Michal - cello, Jan Mikusek - vocal, dulcimer, organ positive, Tomas Najbrt - baroque guitar, theorbo, chorus, Jan Novotny - double bass, flutes, Michal Pospisil - vocal, organ positive, string drum, Jew's harp, birdcall, Miroslav Rovensky - horn, Miloslav Student - archlute, baroque lute, drum, finger snapping, Jew's harp, vocal)

Baroque: O sojce / Song about the Jay
Baroque: O srnatku / Song about the Fawn