I am grateful to Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland, for commissioning a theorbo from one of the finest luthiers, Malcolm Prior. I am currently Musician In Residence for QMU, with the responsibility of bringing together staff and students, as well as community members, to perform music. To that end I have created a number of ensembles, from medieval to jazz band, including a new Baroque Ensemble, for which this theorbo will be put to much use.
The theorbo (sometimes called a chitarrone) was developed towards the end of the sixteenth century, to provide greater bass support within an ensemble. It excelled in accompaniment to singers, and was central to the development of early opera, being much used by the likes of Monteverdi, Caccini and others.
Malcolm Prior has created a stunningly beautiful instrument, with great power where needed in the bass, and a singing treble. The string lengths are 85cms for the fingered strings and 168cms for the long bass 'diapasons'.
Here is a photographic history of the construction of the instrument, and an mp3 sound file recorded two days after getting the instrument - a somewhat tentative, one-take home recording of Corrente Prima by Alessandro Piccinini (1566-1638). More recordings as the foot of this page.
Visit Malcolm Prior's website
The following mp3 files are all home recordings:
Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger (1580-1651)
Passacaglia in Am
Canario
Kapsberger
Photo: PhotoExpress, Edinburgh
