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 theorbo was made in two sizes, the ordinary instrument measuring about 3 ft. 6 in., and the Paduan, also known as archlute, about 5 ft. The chitarrone, or Roman theorbo, was the largest of all, a contrabass lute in fact, and frequently stood over 6 ft. high.
It differed slightly from the theorbo; the body was a little smaller than in the Paduan variety, the whole of the extra length being in the second neck.
As a name, theorbo signifies a number of long-necked lutes with second peg-boxes, such as the liuto attiorbato, the arciliuto, the French théorbe des pieces, the English theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angelique or angelica.
The tuning of large theorboes is generally characterized by the octave displacement, or re-entrant tuning, of the uppermost or of the 2 uppermost strings, thus limiting the upper range of the instrument.
Typically, theorboes have 14 courses, though a very few pieces from the Early Baroque period require a 19-course theorbo.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Theorbo (653 words)
Musikinstrumentenmuseum der Universität Leipzig(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-17)
It is indeed taxing and time-consuming to tune instruments of the lute family, which often have an extra set of lower bass strings at the side of the fingerboard.
The majestic theorbo pictured here has 26 strings with two pegboxes (one for the set of bass strings at the side of the fingerboard).
Theorboes were used principally as continuo instruments, less often for solo playing and vocal accompaniment.
It remained in use well into the 18th century as a solo instrument, paired with the theorbo or harpsichord to provide the supporting bass line (the basso continuo or thorough bass) in ensembles.
At first the theorbo was strummed to provide chordal accompaniment for voice, but later composers began to use it to provide a melodic bass voice and eventually wrote pieces featuring it as a solo instrument.
The use of the theorbo declined in the early 18th century, overtaken in popularity by the harpsichord.
The theorbo, or chitarrone as it was known in Italy, evolved from the lute family and is described...
Theorbo A theorbo (from Italian tiorba, also tuorbe in French, Theorbe in German) is a plucked string instrument.
It is important to note that- although theorbo and other musical instruments Name brands, singles, and bulk sets a compromise between the very large theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angelique or angelica.
The theorbo, or chitarrone as it was known in Italy, evolved from the lute family and is described in Giulio Caccini's Nuove musiche 1600, as the preferred instrument to accompany the solo voice.
The long, open bass strings, called diapasons, extended the theorbo's range beyond that of the renaissance lute and offered new musical possibilities, which composers soon exploited, giving birth to a solo repertoire for the instrument.
The theorbo therefore became one of the most versatile and widely used instruments of the baroque period.
A virtuoso on the lute and the theorbo, "Il Tedesco della Tiorba", as Kapsberger was known to his contemporaries, was one of the most successful composers of his day, a profilic composer of lute and theorbo music, and between 1604 and 1640 he stood very much in the mainstream of Roman music.
Kapsberger continued to write lute, theorbo and secular vocal works during his years under the Barberini, but the bulk of his published output after 1624 shows a tendency towards sacred themes, occasional music, and opera.
Thus, the resurrection of Kapsberger´s music that has taken place over the past decade is long overdue, for it is a vital part of the magnificence, the startling contrasts, and the revolutions in the arts and sciences that characterized the age of Roman Baroque.
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.
Based on the Theorbo by Christofolo Choc, Venice 1637 in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this is a small instrument with 15 ribs, alternately rosewood and ivory (substantiated with sycamore).
Like many Carraveggesque works, The Theorbo Player was once attributed to the master himself, but it is now recognised as one of the masterpieces of Antiveduto Gramatica.
Gramatica's painting is a fragment of a larger Concert (known through photographs of a copy, now lost), in which the theorbo player turns towards a woman playing the harpsichord and a young boy playing the flute.
However, the combination of a theorbo and Spanish guitar suggest that the picture should be dated in the second decade of the seventeenth century, after these two instruments had become more fashionable.
The theorbo is a type of lute which was developed in Florence during the 1580s to accompany the voice.
The large size of the theorbo and especially the length of its bass strings mean that it has a powerful sound, especially in its bass register.
This was translated into other languages, as 'theorbo' in English, 'théorbe' in French, 'theorb' in German, etc. During the second half of the 17th century, distinctive national styles of theorbo were developed, sometimes with different tunings, especially in France, England and Germany.
Other instruments that were derived from the lute are the archlute, the theorbo and the chitarrone.
The theorbo was apparently an extension of the archlute, its body being larger and the neck containing the second pegbox for the lower strings being even longer.
All the characteristics of the chitarrone, however, seem strangely to resemble those of the theorbo; its length, the number of its strings (although the chitarrone is sometimes described as using courses of strings), and its tuning of the first two strings an octave lower.
Modern theorbo players are overwhelmingly reluctant to play on instruments which are as large as the majority of surviving originals.
I must point out that my recommendation of a large theorbo is directly contrary to the advice given by Nigel North in his lutenists' continuo tutor, who advises one to consider the length of one's arms and the stretch of one's hands before buying a theorbo.
However, most modern efforts to make theorbos work with double fingerboard strings have failed because it is very difficult to find a working tension which is tight enough to avoid the strings rattling together, yet light enough not to compromise the bridge, nor to damage the player's hand.
If you are considering booking a theorbo for your concert, but are not sure how to use it, where to put it on stage, or what music to send the player, click here for answers to some of the commonest questions.
For a more extended discussion of theorbo sizes, and especially the implications and problems of playing big theorbos, click here.
For advice on finding theorbo makers, second-hand instruments, or construction plans to build a theorbo, click here.
