Thomas County cat., 1886-10-28
THE MAnpol,N. {
A Pleasing Italian Instrument That L.
Just Now In Eashion.

A Pleasing Italian Instrument That Il
Just Now in Fashion.
The mandolin is the reigning fash
ionable' caprice, having quite super
seded the banjo in the esteem of the Ia
dies. That it should have done so is
by no means strange. for it is really q
charming little instrument when at all
decently played, is not very difficult to
learn, and has good deal more style
and finish about it than the banjo has.
However, the latter may be adorned.
with nickel plating. mother-of-pearl
and all sorts of gaudy ornamentation,
it has plebian look about it, and sug-
gests the idea Of a field hand in his
Sunday suit. But the mandolin. espe-
cially if one of the good kind, made of
jOinted strips of dark mahogany, has
an aristOcratic polish and finish about
is. and wears it in jaunty fashion pc
culiarly its own.
The only unpleasant feature about it
to the learner is the knife-blade like
sharpness of its fine wire strings.
There are eight strings, in pairs, all of
steel wire. Two pairs are wound with
German silver, and are not so cruel as
the others; but the unwound four,
hardly thicker than horse hairs. seem
to cut to the bone the finger ends that
press them down upon the frets. OF
course that pain and trouble ends when
each finger of the left hand is tipped
with bony, callous spot, and one
must expect some such trouble in form
ing q close acquaintance with any
stringed instrument. When nature has
provided that protection, the mandolin
player, if an expert, can produce some
very pleasing effects by producing the
tones by percussion on the strings over
the frets, instead of by strumming with
a bit of tortoise shell held between the
thumb and fore finger of the right hand,
which is the ordinary way of PLAYING.
The tone of the mandolin very much
resembles that of the either, having the
same clear, penetrating quality, but
the compass of the instrument and its
capabilities are much below those Of
the either. . ..,t.,... -fsl.i.l. .s-
The Spanish mandola is much like
the Italian mandolin in its general
features. but has important differences
from it nevertheless. Its body is shall
lower, shaped more like the bowl of a
spoon than the half of an egg divided
lengthwise, which is the form of the in
strument beloved in Naples and Rome;
its strings are of catgut instead of steel,
AID its tone IS not so sharp and Incl
sive. Either mandola or mandolin,
however, has surprising volume of
sound for so small body, and domi-
mates pleasingly the tones of guitar,
or even those of apiano. Expert play
ers have way of maintaining an un-
ceasing tremolando by keeping the lit
tie instrument in a constantly CULVER
ing motion while they are executing a
solo, that at least looks as if it would
be rather hard to effect and harder yet
10 continue for any length of time, but
the lengthening of vibrations thus
achieved prettily supplies the lack Of a
supporting instrument. The power of
controlling the volume of sound in a
crescendo or diminuendo possessed by
Il skillful performer is really surprising
and extremely effective in rendition of
tie Pccuisti PiSslouate anu scHSuouS
music to which the mandolin is best
adapted.
While the mandolin is easy to learn,
up to certain point, it is. like all
seemingly simple instruments. very
difficult to develop to its highest artis-
tic capabilities, and the italian who
has achieved complete mastery of it not
only very justly respects himself high
". but is even respected in an extraor-
dinary degree by his countrymen. The
best players are said to come from
Naples, where a native who does not
at least think that he can play upon
the mandolin is a curiosity.
A good mandolin costs from twenty
live dollars to fifty dollars, and all pro-
durable here are imported from Naples.
NJ Y. San.