Italian Waltz: "Mio Amico" (F.L. Grossi, 1917)

F.L. Grossi: "Mio Amico - Valse"
Published by G. DeStefano, Philadelphia, 1917

This is an Italian-American waltz published in 1917. Like most of these ballo liscio dances, it was arranged for two mandolins and guitar. I have extracted an additional mandocello part from the guitar bass line to make it a quartet.

The parts are from Sheri's Dropbox folder for DeStefano -- attached here for easy reference. I have used the chords from the guitar part; they are somewhat different from the chords handwritten on the first mandolin part.

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



Martin

Martin, I do enjoy your videos. But --- what in the world is this instrument?
Attachment 165107
Sorry I couldn't get a sharper view of it. The whole scene is interesting.

Martin, great stuff! :mandosmiley:

Nicely played, and I really like the feel of the rhythm you're getting with these tunes lately.

Thanks also for the sheet music! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HonketyHank

what in the world is this instrument?

Attachment 165107

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Looks like a theorbo or something similar. Here's a video of a guy named David Bergmuller playing a theorbo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW1FigTC6Hw
(or direct link)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HonketyHank

... Sorry I couldn't get a sharper view of it. The whole scene is interesting.

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Indeed it is! Instruments everywhere, I counted 10 of 'em, :disbelief: :grin: maybe more that I missed! The people at the workbench on the right are doing something involving a vice and an instrument. I'm intrigued by the little 3-cornered thing on shelf below workbench at right, can't tell if it's a pointy-cornered balalaika-type thing or just a non-roundy mandolin, also not sure it that's a complete instrument or just a soundboard, almost looks like interior braces visible, would have to study it more I guess.

Below are slightly sharper views perhaps, with all the instruments (that I found) circled. Click a few times to enlarge:

Attachment 165146

Plain:
Attachment 165147

I wonder what that black thing is, on the left-side lady's lute between the instrument's bridge and the rosette? Some sort of oddly-angled rectangular pickguard? Or a cut-out in the top?

Anyway, thanks again Martin :mandosmiley: for the tune and the cool pics and the sheet music, and thanks to HonkeyHank :mandosmiley: for pointing out this particular scene.

Thanks both -- I'll dig out the original image and post it, which should be clearer than your screenshots. Can't remember where I found it, but I think it's a highly-romanticised image of a luthier's workshop-cum-sales room which does not bear closer scrutiny. From all descriptions, even the Vinaccia workshop in Naples was in a rather squalid and crammed back alley setting.

Martin

Seeking more info on the theorbo, I found this site: http://theorbo.com/index.html

At which I found this rather amazing photo of the site's proprietor:
Attachment 165160

The same picture is used in the artwork of the cd Les Galanteries: Mandolin Music from 18th-Century, by Artemandoline.

Attachment 165161

As promised, here is the original picture, which I got from here.

It's not, of course, an 18th century painting. Rather, it's a historicising scene by Italian painter Vincenzo Capobianchi (1836-1928), roughly contemporaneous with the tune I used it for.

It's a hotchpotch of instruments, fashions and props that don't go together: the lutes and theorbo are from a different era to the mandolins, the shawl of the seated lady is Spanish, but the instruments are not. The luthiers' workbench is in a grand palazzo with a precious tapestry, and so on.

There was a fashion around 1900 for paintings of fantasy rococo scenes. Quite a few of these include mandolins, as that instrument was much more popular around 1900 than during the actual rococo. I attach another one of those.

Martin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Martin Jonas

... It's a hotchpotch of instruments, fashions and props that don't go together: the lutes and theorbo are from a different era to the mandolins, the shawl of the seated lady is Spanish, but the instruments are not. The luthiers' workbench is in a grand palazzo with a precious tapestry, and so on. ...

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Thanks Martin! :mandosmiley: Yeah I'd kinda wondered about the ladies' attire... I mean it's not like everyday I go mandolin-shopping wearing a shiny silk low-cut gown. :)) ;) But still, cool artwork. :)