The Italian Mandolin: Its evolution, nomenclature and types.

[Alex Timmerman]

Dear Mandolin Cafe friends,

First of all I wish 2016 will be a good, healthy, peaceful and musical year for everyone!


And secondly and as a personal gift I like to share the following family tree with you:

The Italian Mandolin: Its evolution, nomenclature and types.

I have made this family tree of the ‘Italian Mandolin’ on the basis of the most important mandolins that I've encountered in museums and private collections worldwide over the past 40 years. I linked these instruments to the names and as they are found describing most of these mandolin types in the oldest written sources that have survived. The opposite photo shows the development the most important types with the most distinguished instruments within the Italian Mandolin family.

It provides also a workable family tree of the Italian mandolin .
Of course I am aware of a second, or even third title of one and the same type of mandolin. These names often appear as a second option (for example the Mandolino is also called Mandolino 'Veneziano'; the Mandolino Milanese was also named Mandolino' Turino'; the Mandolino Cremonese has been indicated Mandolino 'Bresciano etc.) but I see these indications as a namegiving at the time for derivative models and and find them thereby of secondary interests for the respective mandolin-type. They are therefore not included for the type shown in the family tree. Another (secondary) models, eg. The Mandolino 'Toscano' and Mandolino Lombardo 'a corde doppie metalliche' etc. are excluded because of their rather meaningless role in the music field and place in the family tree. That is likely something for later, when the from the types derived models will be handled.

It is my wish that you will enjoy this family tree showing the main lines of development of the Italian Mandolin.


Sincerely,

Alex Timmerman.

PS. I hope that the text stays readable and the photos are kept in reasonable quality via the Mandolin Cafe here. After downloading, it is possible to print the image for yourself and/or your students on A4 paper.

[Eugene]

Bravo! Very nicely organized and illustrated. I really like that you’ve discussed your exclusion of some alternate names and marginal types in your commentary here. (I feel personally appeased!) If you don’t mind sharing, I’d also love a pdf version. My university e-mail address is the same as it’s always been. (Please let me know if you need me to send it again.)

I do have a few questions for discussion. Please don’t take them as criticism of this attractive and useful document, but rather to be in the spirit of sincere inquiry.

Some marginal types are rightly excluded (and I do believe they should be as really too marginal and without lasting presence: e.g., the “mandolino lombardo a corde doppie metalliche,” of which I’ve handled and photographed an example by no less than Luigi Embergher!). Isn’t the siciliano, however, on similar level: perhaps too marginal to have substantial influence on the current concept of mandolin and its repertoire?

I’ve always thought it intriguing that the early Neapolitan mandolin seemed deliberately crafted to exploit the vast popularity of the violin and widespread familiarity with its standard tuning. I know, almost any stringed instrument can be tuned do different intervals without altering its type by construction, and its standard tuning shouldn’t necessarily be considered part of its definition. However, violin tuning (fifths) is just so conspicuous in the case of mandolin and constitutes such a deliberate break from the largely fourth-tuned thigs from which Neapolitan mandolin construction was derived. Should the presence of wire-strung chitarre (which is the only non-mandolin instrument pictured here) be considered on similar level to that of violins? Certainly, the illustration of the chitarra battuta/battente is useful in the visual demonstration of the influence of canted soundboard, hitch pins, etc.; however, is the influence of violin tuning worthy of a word of mention even if violin isn’t illustrated alongside wire-strung chitarra?

I’m sure you’re aware of the assertion of some that for a brief period, while five- and six-course mandolini overlapped in the 18th c., that the terms “mandola” and “mandolino” were simply used to differentiate a five-course soprano instrument (tuned b to g’’) from six (g to g’’). There is some circumstantial evidence that this may have been the case, although I believe such evidence a little shaky at best: e.g., Dalla Casa’s differentiation for works within his book for archlute (dated 1759) and his inclusion of a tuning chart for “mandolino” as described above. What do you think of this assertion? I agree that this is not a good point of differentiation for the modern organologist, but if it was a convention of the past, including for designated repertoire, should it be somehow acknowledged?

[Bill Clements]

Bravo, Alex!
A PDF version would be outstanding.

[DavidKOS]

I'm so glad somebody is pursuing the musical issue about Italian mandolin. After all, it's an Italian invention....and everyone else is a Johnny-come-lately.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Eugene,

Thank you for your comment. It is always nice to see and feel the interest for our lovely instrument, the Mandolin!

To answer your 1st question about the Mandolino Siciliano I like to say that I did include it because of its presence through the centuries; from c. 1755 onwards. But I did hesitate while I was busy putting the Family tree together. Nevertheles, becaus it has nearly always been there ánd because of the fact that Folk music plays a not to underestimate roll in Art music, I decided to include it. And as you can see I place it because of its marginal roll at the margin; at the very edge of the poster.

The 2nd question about the tuning of the Mandolino Napolitano, the Neapolitan and the Roman mandolin types I'd like to say that I did mention only the construction of the table of the Chitarra battuta as an important feature for the development of the canted metal strung mandolin types (the Mandolino Genuese, Napolitano and Romano). I did, on purpose, not mention that the tuning of the Mandolino Genovese was derived from the guitar at that time. Simply because this assumption might well be not the case. And about the violin I like to point out that I did not include that instrument because it has nothing to do with the construction or the development of the early metal strung mandolin types. Another important reason not to include and place the violin alongside the Chitarra battuta is that it is only an assumption that the tuning in fifths (gg-d'd'-a'a'-e"e") for the Mandolino Napolitano and Romano was derived from that - however similar - of the violin. The more I am 'captured' in my research in this matter the more reasons I encountered to doubt obvious solutions and easy thoughts. So, no important violin role here for me.

Question 3 about the terminology "Mandola" versus "Mandolino". My ideas are as follow; The use of these two indications for a (or the) same instrument is indeed encountered in music sources of the same time. Even in one book with collected music we find them as is the case in the 1759 Filippo Dalla Casa book.

I have checked the music for Mandolino and that for the Mandola in the Filippo Dalla Casa book for you and have once again come to the conclusion that the 'Suonata a Mandolino e Archileuto obligati' by Antonio Tinazolli was composed for a Mandolino with 6 double strings tuned gg-bb-e'e'-a'a'-d''d''-g''g'', and that the 'Concerto a Mandolino e Basso del Archileuto' in C ánd the 'Concerto a Mandolino e Basso del Archileuto' in D by Giuseppe Vaccari can be executed on a Mandolino strung with 5 double strings tuned bb-e'e'-a'a'-d''d''-g''g''. With that number of strings and tuning it is also possible to perform Lodovico Fontanelli's 'Concerto a Mandolino e Basso del Archileuto'. The last composition of concern here bears the indication 'Mandola' in the title: 'Suonata con Grave e suo Minuetto / a Mandola e Basso - del Archileuto'. That Sonate, for which no composer name is given, is composed for an instrument with 6 double strings that tuned as gg-bb-e'e'-a'a'-d''d''-g''g''. Indeed exactly like that of the 1st Sonata for Mandolino mentioned here. This Sonate by Tinazolli for the 6x2 strung Mandolino and the last Sonate by the unknown composer for a 6x2 strung instrument that is indicated with the name 'Mandola' can therefore be performed on one and the same instrument. This is such an example where two names are used for the smaller and higher pitched instrument that was already by then and certainly later named the Mandolino. You probably notice it already; I do not (can not) support the assumption through the Dalla Casa publicaton that it is possible to make a differentiation, as you put it, between ''a five-course soprano instrument (tuned b to g’’) from six (g to g’’).''

But this 'overlapping' of the use by two (or more) names for the same instrument is something that simply happens. And even, I am always sad to notice, up to this very day. For me it matters when a name stays on to indicate a particular type over the period it exists and of course the other, often the oldest one, dies out as the indication. And this happened with the old indication "Mandola" or "Mandolla" in favour of the indication "Mandolino" for the smaller of the two instruments. And, to give another example, it did so in case of the Mandolino Milanese and the Mandolino Lombardo. For me reasons enough to leave this out in the poster.
My wife advised me: ''Alex, less is more!''


With this I hope I have been able to answer your questions, Eugene.

Best greetings,

Alex.

[brunello97]

Bravo, Alex!
A PDF version would be outstanding.

As would a "landscape" oriented version on a shower curtain. Alex……?

Mick

[Alex Timmerman]

That's a brilliant idea for my students, Mick! They should sing all the names, strings and tunigs etc. every morning while showering ánd learn them by heart

Best greetings,

Alex.

PS. I am working on a PDF version for everybody.

[brunello97]

That's a brilliant idea for my students, Mick! They should sing all the names, strings and tunigs etc. every morning while showering ánd learn them by heart

Best greetings,

Alex.

PS. I am working on a PDF version for everybody.

Absolutely, Alex. I wasn't joking… I have a "Periodic Table of the Elements" shower curtain now. It has been both amazing and sublime in its subconscious transmission of information as I slowly wake up in the shower. Pondering the evolutionary morphology of the mandolin would be equally as enjoyable.

Thanks again,

Mick

[Eugene]

. . . And thanks again, Alex.

[Bill Clements]

Okay, even better would be a wall poster of Alex's awesome chart.
I'll bet Mick would also like a refrigerator magnet version!

[Alex Timmerman]

Dear friends,

Thank you for your nice comments for the ITALIAN MANDOLIN FAMILY poster! It is greatly appreciated.
As promised, for better printing quality on A4 and A3 I have now placed a PDF file of the poster at my Embergher website.

Best greetings, Alex.


Here is the direct link to the PDF file for a free download:


http://www.embergher.com/timmerman/f...ee_PDF_WEB.pdf