Chitarrone music

Updated 3.4.2013 /.../ previous update 15.6.2010. / © Arto Wikla 8.10.2008

In the late renaissance (c. 1580-1600) and in the baroque (c. 1600-17??) periods many different types of extended lutes were popular. One group of these was called by names chitarrone, tiorba, theorbo, theorboe, theorb, .... Common to this group was a special way of tuning the two (sometimes one) "highest" strings one octave lower compared to other groups of lutes. This created a little "harp like" sound and sonority to these instruments. Robert Spencer's article Chitarrone, Theorbo and Archlute is a well written introduction to the extended lutes.

To make me practice, I've made some videos of my chitarrone (=theorbo) performances, which are far from perfect... ;-) To make this page more useful, I've also included the music here. Perhaps it is interesting to see and hear the music - written and played music. And so it is up to you to play these pieces more beautifully and clean than I do ... :-)

The chitarrone in these videos is model Magno Dieffopruchar 1608, Venezia (Royal College of Music No.26) made by Timo Kontio 2003.

• Anonymous(?): Preludio detta la Wikla, the music (pdf) / video in YouTube, in Vimeo (7.10.2008) / This anonymous(?) theorbo manuscript page was found by James Tyler during an early music course in Finland at the end of 80's (summer 1987?). He told me that he found it in the "attic of the oldest house of the course center"...
• Girolamo Kapsberger: Canario, the music (pdf) / video in YouTube, in Vimeo (5.10.2008)
• Alessandro Piccinini: Chiaccona, the music (pdf) / video in YouTube, in Vimeo (30.9.2008)
• Girolamo Kapsberger: Corrente settima, the music (pdf) / video in YouTube (27.11.2008), HD-video in Vimeo (2.9.2008)

The French theorbo music got 3.3.2009 a page of its own: http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/wikla/mus/Tiorba/deVisee/

Pieces by Bellerofonte Castaldi from his printed book "Capricci a due stromenti / cioe tiorba e tiorbino / e per sonar solo / varie sorti di balli e fantasticarie" played by a small theorbo/chitarrone. Actually Castaldi himself is playing quite small an instrument in a picture in his book! My instrument here is an archlute (Stephen Barber, 1987) stringed and tuned to a high theorbo.

• Mustazzin Corrente (p. 44). Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (14.6.2010)
• Cromatica Corrente (p. 61). Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (14.6.2010)
• Lavina Corrente (p. 53). Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (15.6.2010)

3. ...
   • Alessandro Piccinini: Toccata IV (1623). This Toccata was printed in the "Intavolatura di Liuto et di Chitarrone, Libro Primo", Bologna 1623. The instrument is theorbo (chitarrone), model Magno Dieffopruchar 1608, Venezia (Royal College of Music No.26) made by Timo Kontio 2003. Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (25.3.2013).
   • Gio. Girolamo Kapsperger: Canario (1640). This Canario by Kapsberger was printed in his "Libro Quarto d'Intavolatura di Chitarone", Roma 1640. The instrument is theorbo (chitarrone), model Magno Dieffopruchar 1608, Venezia (Royal College of Music No.26) made by Timo Kontio 2003. Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (28.3.2013).
   • Gio. Girolamo Kapsperger: Capona (1640). This very strange piece by Kapsberger was printed in his "Libro Quarto d'Intavolatura di Chitarone", Roma 1640. The instrument is theorbo (chitarrone), model Magno Dieffopruchar 1608, Venezia (Royal College of Music No.26) made by Timo Kontio 2003. Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (1.4.2013).
   • Gio. Girolamo Kapsperger: Corrente 7ma (1640). This very chromatic Corrente by Kapsberger was printed in his "Libro Quarto d'Intavolatura di Chitarone", Roma 1640. The instrument is theorbo (chitarrone), model Magno Dieffopruchar 1608, Venezia (Royal College of Music No.26) made by Timo Kontio 2003. Video in YouTube, video in Vimeo (3.4.2013).
   • ...