A Lute Spotting (Another Lute Identified?)

Another one of my favorite lute paintings is Peter Paul Rubens' (1577-1640) painting of the lute player wearing the ruff.  Rubens painted this glorious painting, circa 1609-1610 and it is very much in the formal portrait style of so many Dutch paintings of the period.  What stands out is the wonderfully detailed and accurate depiction of the lute being held by the sitter.  The subject serious and confident, and certainly seems to know what he's doing.   This is not a prop found in the corner of the artist's studio!  

This lute seems to be a 10-course on the larger size- perhaps approximately a 70cm string length.  The lute seems to be in the "old" renaissance tuning, given that the left hand fingers are in the nominal Bb major chord position.  This would seem to be the standard tuning in 1609-1610 in the Netherlands, contemporary with Van Der Hove and Vallet's publications of lute music.

Lute Player (1609-1610) Musée des Beaux Arts in Troyes (1)

This lute in the painting looks to be very similar to the surviving Hans Frei lute in the Warwick County Museum in the UK.  This lute known as the "Warwick Frei", which survives as a 10-course lute, but there is evidence that there was a treble rider that broke off and was never replaced.  The body has been thought to be originally from the early to mid 16th Century, probably originally built as a 6 course lute, and went through subsequent changes as tastes changed as the years went by.

I am not insinuating that the lute in the painting is the exact same as the one in the Warwick museum- the lute in the painting includes an inlaid spade behind the bridge and a different rose.  Also, Rubens was detailed enough to include the crack in the soundboard between the spade inlay and the bridge- common misfortune that lutenists have dealt with for hundreds of years as this painting points out!

 The Hans Frei lute on display in the Warwick County Museum

Three views of the lute-

 

Regarding the "Warwick Frei", something that's interesting to me is that the style and geometry of the body seems to be unique- even Hans Frei's other lutes that survive bear little resemblance to this instrument- The contour of the body and deep end clasp seem to be unlike other lutes.  If you know of other Frei lutes that are similar, feel free to comment.

Here is a recent Eleven Course version that I made recently.  It has a slightly longer string length at 71cm and the added treble rider for the chanterelle.

I'll finish with this interesting side note- Rubens seems to have painted the same man when he was younger in 1597.  No lute though- perhaps he left his seven course lute that he had at the time at home for this painting?  

Portrait of a Man, 1597 Possibly an Architect or Geographer, Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), New York City, NY, US

(1) (edited 9/16/2023 for location of painting)

The audience doesn't give you extra credit for reading from a facsimile.

 

"Yeah... but I would have enjoyed the concert so much more if they were reading from facsimile."

Said no one...  Ever.  

I jest-fully point this out because in the world of early music, whether it be performance or lutherie, we can adopt a dogmatic attitude that only  X   is acceptable and that somehow any other way is fakery, not legit or amateurish.  However, I would argue that it is the end result that matters.

So get out on stage and do what you gotta do.  Ready... go!

But sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do to get through the gig- not cheating mind you, but you figure out ways to make the process of music making smoother, from page to eye to brain to fingers, in order to deliver a better performance. 

OK, I will admit that I've written in chords symbols in jazz-style shorthand for a Bach cantata that I had to learn in a few days with one short rehearsal.  It helped me filter through the gazillion 16th notes on the page which were being played by the cellos around me.  The fact is, the audience was none the wiser and could be captivated by the sound of my theorbo and my stress-free demeanor.

But what about historical accuracy?

Let's face it, if we would be slavish about complete historical accuracy, then performers should only perform in period costume and abstain from bathing for several months- just to make the performance that much more convincing.  Everyone up to about the fifth row will be aware of you total dedication and commitment.

Le pew!

OK, so what about lute making?

As I've discussed before, modern lute-making presents modern builders with challenges.  Staying true to the art of lute making, as we live in a modern age, requires making various "compromises".  We have things they didn't have, such as electric light, electric tools like bandsaws, bending irons and glue pots.  Beside all that, other useful items the masters didn't have.  

"What is this sandpaper you speak of?"

The truth is, today's audience and modern lute players have an expectation of aesthetic perfection- far beyond what the old guys were familiar with.  But the market demands it... 

Today's luthiers be like:

"I don't use sandpaper...  Except when I do"

Cheers!

A New Website

It has been a while since I have posted here but I have been busy, busy busy as of late.  The last year has been busy with a workshop move, etc.   However, I am happy to announce that I have finally launched my new website: 

https://www.goodlutes.com/

Please feel free to visit, say "Hi" via the Contact form and let me know if you see any typos!  

Cheers!

Finding your way- Monkeys, Typewriters and the complete works of Shakespeare

If you haven't already heard it, there's a saying, "If you put a bunch of monkeys in a room with a typewriter, they will eventually write the complete works of Shakespeare."

This phenomenon has actually got a name- it's called the Infinite Monkey Theorem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem

I know what you're thinking, here we go again with the obtuse references.  Land the plane, Bill... what does this have to do with luthierie?

Sometimes, as an instrument maker working alone, you feel like you're finding your way along, but your journey is beset with obstacles, mistakes, do overs.  What this ultimately means is (hopefully) improvement.  You learn what works but many times by learning what NOT to do.  The important thing is the end product that leaves the shop is up to snuff and everyone is happy.

But, for me there's always that nagging feeling that there's improvement to be had somewhere.  It could just be in the process and how it can be improved.  I'm not doing mass-production but if there's a more efficient way to do something, I'm open to it. 

Compared to guitar and violin makers, lute makers are a very rare breed,- schools are rare as are other in-person methods of learning.  Aside from the ultra-rare apprenticeship, it's impossible to completely circumvent the process of trial and error, especially when starting out.  A period discovery ensues where one finds that what seems to work for some, may not work for others.   For instance, I think of one maker's method of fitting ribs to build the back of a lute- which is completely different to other makers' methods- which is different than the method I have become comfortable with.

As stated before, I am very grateful to those who have been so helpful to give me advice.  I will say that however helpful in unlocking the secrets of lute making, all the advice in the world can't give you the tactile experience of what doing fine work feels like with your hands.  For example, I've asked myself-

How much pressure to use with that chisel?

What does the consistency of the hide glue need to feel like for that given operation?

How much should I thin that varnish?

 

DoyaknowwhatImean??? 

Not yet... I'm still typing.

Lute Spotting - A Lute Identified?

One of my favorite paintings featuring a lute is "The Lute Player", by the French painter Valentin de Boulogne working in Rome in the mid-1620's.  I remember seeing this for the first time on the cover of Paul O'Dette's seminal recording from the early 1990's, "Il Tedesco della Tiorba" which contained theorbo and lute solos of Kapsberger.

This wonderfully detailed and dramatic painting is in the same style of several artists of the time.  It is a fine example of "Chiaroscuro" style, which uses bold contrasts of light and dark, with the elements of the painting either highlighted by a single point of light... or hidden in the dark shades of mystery.  

This dramatic aesthetic of light and dark is also reflected in much of the Italian music of the time.  Some examples being Simone Molinaro, Alessandro Piccinini and Giovanni Kapsberger's solo lute and theorbo music (see previously mentioned recording) as well as with Monteverdi's madrigals and early operas. 

The lute in the painting seems to have a the wide body, multi-rib style seen in so many paintings of the period.  In fact, we are fortunate that several instruments of this style still survive in museum collections.  Lute makers such as Harton, Dieffopruchar, Rauwolf, Sellas and Venere of the early seventeenth century all made lutes in this style.

The lute appears to be a seven-course instrument, although I believe there was some debate on social media a few years back of whether there's an eighth course.  Perhaps a "split" seventh course with two single strings at different pitches.  Pragmatic indeed if true!  Alas, we cannot see the back to get an idea of how many ribs or the material.

For more information, the painting is part of the collection at the Met Museum in New York City https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/439933

I submit for your approval...

One of the surviving lutes with which we might find a connection is the lute by Magno Dieffopruchar, Venice 1612 presently kept in the Museo Civicio in Bologna #1753.  (also a seven course!)  This lute also typifies the wide-bodied roundish lutes of the style built in Venice in the early 17th century.  Although several examples of these style of lutes survive, I think that this particular lute is a perhaps one of the more extreme examples of this style, with a profile that seems to closely match the lute in the above painting.  

                                                                                                                photo by Robert Lundberg

Well, I am not saying they are the exact same lute- indeed, the roses differ and the fingerboard points or "beards" are smaller in the painting.  However, perhaps they could have been from the same workshop and same model.  Hypothetical... but possible.  Maybe.

What do you think?