This channel was originally created by Chris Hirst to feature original music by the group Quatrapuntal. Since then it has also come to include Chris's other activities as a lutenist, including solos, explanation videos and collaborations with other musicians. These other videos contain some of the styles that influenced the original Quatrapuntal music so there is a thread which connects the diverse content. The influences include baroque/classical, folk, Portuguese and Neapolitan traditional music, film music, musicals, some popular songs and even heavy metal! Each original Quatrapuntal song has its own unique character and blend of styles.
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Quatrapuntal website (anche in italiano / também em português): www.quatrapuntal.com
This is a 19th century mandora, so by that point they started to have fixed frets. I actually regret that now as I can't tweak the intonation like with tied frets, but too late now.
No, chitarrone is just an early 17th century name for the Italian theorbo, exactly the same. This is a much rarer and later German theorbo - all the info is 8n the video description
@@adampasztor6187 that is only because most modern players use those for convenience. Many historical Italian theorbos were double strung, people use single strings today because they are easier to play and a bit louder. Different tunings existed as well, there was a lot more variety than you see today. But chitarrone is just an alternative name, not a different instrument.
Is the singer missing some parts or is he just able to his the high notes? I'm not detecting the resonance that I hear on recordings by Alesandro Moreschi
I don't really know what you mean, but Moreschi is problematic as a reference. The poor quality of the recording equipment changes the tone considerably, and he had a technique very particular to his time, quite different to the great 18th castrati. It is a fascinating glimpse, but probably a long way from the sound of Farinelli.
@@Quatrapuntal it’s so simple you’ll laugh! The composer Koji Kondo had to keep it as simple as possible due to storage restrictions in old video game consoles, give it a listen!
Beautiful. It's such a difficult instrument to play because it's so delicate and this fugue, in my opinion, is easier to play on the classical guitar. Great performance!
I've never played it on the guitar but I can confirm it is a beast on the baroque lute, as is the Allegro (also on this channel). It is very rarely played live in concerts on the lute by anyone because it is so difficult. I very rarely do solo concerts and not sure I would dare!
This seems a wonderful but very difficult instrument to play. I think you play very good and it deserves a bit of reverb, like all other fado guitar players like to do ..
My main instrument is the lute so although the P. guitar has a difficult and very unique technique, compared to the baroque lute it's not so bad! The video was done a while ago so the sound is not great, this one is better ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sSRy6orRI98.html
With all gut strings the tuning is a lot more problematic, I use nylgut (synthetic gut) which is quite stable once stretched. See here to hear it properly ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qVk8VS-Ad2c.html
No, it's an early 19th century style mandora, a type of lute that's nothing to do with guitars even though there are coincidental similarities. There is more info about it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HzexBS6-IUM.html
@@Quatrapuntal oh yeah I've seen a few in the "Laute in Europa" book and in some luthier websites like Marco Salerno's website, I hadn't seen 8 string mandoras but I did see up to 6 strings. I'll try to research more on the mandora, I'm very curious about it. You always seem to have the most interesting instruments even for the already rare topic that is early music. I'm fascinated by all of it.
@@The_IRL_Bard years ago there weren't that many lutenists, and no Internet of course. These days anyone can put anything online and there are a lot more players, so it's a lot more saturated. I have tried to find my own niches of areas that are little covered by others, also the more rare and unusual things have always interested me more. I have been researching and playing post-baroque music for a long time, the video I linked is the last surviving piece from 1818.
Sehr interessante Stimme. Ob der Titel Recht hat kann ich nicht sagen, da die Stimme auch wie ein Countertenor klingt. Ich empfehle sich einmal den österreichischen Kastraten Arno Raunig anzuhören, der (höflich) als Countertenor bezeichnet wird, sich selbst aber einen Kastraten nennt ,was nur er selbst genau wissen kann. Traurig aber wahr.
If the person has a "normal" male broken speaking voice they are a countertenor and singing in falsetto. Arno Raunig speaks with a broken voice so he is a high countertenor/sopranist. The singer on this recording had an unbroken adult voice so spoke like a child, which is the closest modern equivalent to a castrato. Look up Samuel Marino, he also has an unbroken voice it is extremely rare.
@@Quatrapuntal Ich möchte mich sehr herzlich für den Hinweis zu Samuel Marino bedanken. Marino hat auch ein ausgeprägtes schauspielerisches Talent, was nicht jedem Sänger eigen ist. Was halten Sie von Radu Marian als Sänger. In welche Kathegorie würden Sie ihn einordnen? Er ist für mich ein aussergewöhnlicher Sänger, leider mit einer schwachen Bühnenpräsenz , was er natürlich nicht zu verantworten hat. Alles Gute für Sie.
Sim, é algo muito especial ouvir fado tocado ao vivo, com toda a atmosfera e emoção. Lisboa é o melhor lugar para ouvir fado. Visitei o Brasil há 25 anos, um país lindo.
Месяц назад
Splendid stuff! A few questions....1/Who built your Theorbo? 2/The Long Basses are clearly not gut. What are they made of, and where can they be bought? 3/ what is the string-length, in cm's of the 2 necks? many thanks!
It was built by Klaus Jacobsen who lives in London, the basses are plaited nylon which was an experiment Klaus did but they are great, 25 years later they sound the same and rarely go out of tune. The stopped length is 80cm, can't remember exactly for the basses but something like 150cm. See also the info on this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qVk8VS-Ad2c.html
Месяц назад
@@Quatrapuntal That's quite a coincidence....When I lived in London, I used to share a workshop space with Klaus, in Stoke Newington. A very tall Danish chap. I play Lute professionally, hence the technical questions. Are you self-taught? You have a very fluent, neat, and confident technique, particularly in the right hand. Who made the metal-fretted Mandora? It sounds very warm and attractive. With all good wishes, Edward Fitzgibbon.
Klaus is still in Stoke Newington I believe, he makes very fine instruments although he has only done one other German theorbo I believe. I was at Birmingham Conservatoire firstly, then the Guildhall, mainly taught by Bill Carter but also has a few lessons with Nigel North when he lived in London. I play professionally as well, but have been out of the London scene for years now and do less concerts these days.
Thanks glad you enjoyed it. My latest video is the lute in an entirely different direction ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XsCe9Do_ac4.html
Thanks, BWV998 isn't often played on the lute and even less on this which is the kind of German lute Bach knew, mainly because it is so difficult. I would say it's the most difficult piece of music for this instrument, which I did as a personal challenge back during the lockdowns. I don't know if I would dare to play it live though! I also did the fugue that comes before this.
First of all, thank you for wonderful video story and the playing.. I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about favorite scene and old movie of my Romeo and Juliet 1953. In the movie Romeo and Juliet 1953! I was first-year college - there was a party at the home of the Capulet's for Juliet for her birthday. It was a very lovely little orchestral precept played in the background and had singing tell me a bit about that I really would like to know. Again super thanks for wonderful video and wonderfully fine play goblets -
Chis, exceptional playing, and a wonderful instrument, I subscribed because this is my 43rd play of this clip.. it's addictive, it resonates in my head. thanks! Best!
Thanks I appreciate that! I have recorded all of the rest of the parts of the larger piece this comes from, they will be on a CD at some point but still quite a few other things to record.
I bought one years ago but gave up due to the 2 different types of tuning, Lisboa or Coimbra and fiddly tuning... your video has triggered me to retry.. thanks
Lisboa is by far the most common and useful in my opinion, many professionals play Coimbra model guitarras in Lisboa tuning just to complicate things. I would say by far the most difficult aspect for a beginner is the RH technique with the false nails on index and thumb only. It is completely different to any other plucked instrument I know of.
Thank you for this wonderful recording! I hope Mr. Santos reappears and makes more recordings. Also, I'm glad to read that he isn't technically a castrato but instead has the physiological condition you mention in your introduction. [BTW, as you may know, the polite term for a castrato during the 18th century was "musico."]
I think that's pretty unlikely, he must be going on 65 now. There were various terms, mostly not too polite (there are reports of audiences chanting "long live the knife") but then again the boys mostly came from very poor rural backgrounds so had an easier life and far more wealth as singers than they would have otherwise had.
There are a few possibilities there, maybe the cougar liked it and wanted to listen, hated it and came to bite you, or maybe he was just hungry and was attracted to the meal drawing attention to itself
I'm trying to decide if there is a characteristic echo due to the shape and size of the body... and then the 7 extra long bass strings are quite characteristic. There are six strings more like on a 12-string, pairs probably at octaves. So if this instrument is used to play "stairway to Heaven" or Hotel California" and cleverly so as to not give away that it is a Theorbo... does it sound just like a guitar? I'm thinking the taper of the body does create a unique echo spectrum or sustain... Nice work we got to see and to hear there !
The body shape certainly does make a difference, as does the very light and thin construction which gives it a more transparent, clear sound. It's best not to compare it to a guitar as it's a totally different instrument, with an entirely separate history, tuning and playing technique. Like comparing a flute to a clarinet. This video has more information about it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oBEoVbY2xrk.html
Sorry that’s not a real/full voice. That’s FALSETTO. No chest voice. A real castrato would have a “female” chest voice. Sorry to disappoint. Good try!!
Clearly you haven't read the description, I lived with this singer for over a year and heard him speaking every day with an unbroken voice. He is singing in his head voice, as female sopranos do, because he was trained inappropriately as they didn't know what to do with him. 18th century castrati didn't use chest voice across the range, read Tosi who was a castrato.
@@Quatrapuntal my dear friend, you may have lived with a person for 100 years, but that voice is not a full voice. I am a singer in singing teacher and believe me, I can identify a real voice from a falsetto voice. I am sorry you are confused and you have believed, the tale that your friend has told you.
@@alexgomez2 yes of course I will disregard all of my experiences of living and performing with him over several years, and everything that the doctors told him, based on the opinion of a random person on the internet listening to 10 seconds of one recording. I never said he was singing in chest voice, if you read my previous reply I said he is singing in head voice, hence the weakness in the lower range. What is your reference as to what an unbroken adult male voice sounds like anyway? Please don't say Moreschi, although he sang in head voice above about C or D. In fact, one of his pupils who was a falsettist could imitate Moreschi so well that everyone though he was a castrato. And this is people who heard castrati singing all the time in person, not from an ancient gramophone recording.
Possibilities ! Imagine what is next? Get the nails to work independently from one another, and put a bowing wheel in the middle. Each nail needs its own anchoring soundbox, or maybe the anchor is flexible enough that all are using the same soundbox. I am absolutely certain this can be done. A new hurdy-gurdy. I can't wait to hear the chords of my new vlurdy-chordion.
You can see the full video here showing how it is constructed: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l9pqYhEIgRE.html Da Vinci invented a keyboard instrument that has small wheels that bow each string, someone did a reconstruction I forget what it was called. With the nail violin they did some more experiments in the early 20th century it shows some in the video, then I think gave up because of the difficulties of playing anything chromatic. If you ever make one, please let me know!
Its seems to be almost closer to the archlute than to the theorbo, it has double string courses till the 7/8th course and it has the typical lute/archlute tuning instead of the Italian or french theorbo that had the 1st two strings an octave lower
The archlute is a lot smaller, string length around 65cm this is above 80. The tuning is nothing like the archlute, it is to a chord of minor like the baroque lute without the top string. Many historical Italian theorbos had double strings, most use single strings now because they are more convenient (and easier to play).
@@Quatrapuntal that's cool, well I guess I have to add another instrument to my list, I only got a french theorbo and I have a renaissance lute on its way. My wallet is gonna sufferrrrrrr
Yes it's certainly an expensive business, not like a violin where there are fairly minimal differences and always the same stringing/tuning. Theorbos are mainly useful for continuo accompaniment, if you don't do a lot of that and already have a French/Italian theorbo (they are virtually the same) then you would be wasting a lot of money to get a German one. I would suggest a baroque lute if you want to be able to play a lot of new repertoire.
@@Quatrapuntal i mean I want all the instruments, I'm planning on taking a path as Luthier and learning from Jose Miguel Moreno, one of the best luthiers ive seen, he's also a family friend and the maker of my theorbo. For now I need to get me a baroque guitar and a baroque lute for superior grade and after that I'll see what playing early music can get me till I learn to make instruments.
