The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-29

Quartet, in talking of the little instru'
ment that has lately become so fashion.
able, said that the first introduction OF
the mandolin in this country was by the
Spanish Students, whose music was q
revelation to those unfamiliar with the
favorite instrument of the Spanish peo-
pie. Since then it has steadily grown in
popularity until it has entirely super
seded the banjo as fashionable fad,
and filled beside place that the bar. o
had never held--that of furnishing an
accompaniment to dinner parties and le-
ceptions.
The mandolin, he went on to explain,
was originally played in Spain, but was
not long in finding it's way into Italy,
and now the Venetian makers exceed all
others in the manu- 'acture of them.
Einaccia was the most famous maker,
his instruments fetching all the way
from SIS to $l00. Sig. Ricca himself
has very beautiful specimen of Vinac-
cia's art, the back made of tluted rose
wood, the stem covered with tortoise
shell, the edges inlaid with mother of
pearl and the keys of silver and ivory.
He values it at over $l00, and has played
upon it before the Queen Marguerite, of
Italy. He played in the mandolin Or
chestra at the opening of the Metropoli-
tan Exposition, which she attended,
then only the Princess of Savoy-and
she was so delighted with the music,
which she had never heard before in such
volume, Immediately began to take les
sons, and is now one of the most expert
performers in her kingdom. Her man
dolin was made st her order, and cost
several thousand francs, with gold frets
and keys and her initials upon it in dia-
mords.
1t was hearing Queen Marguerite play
that. inspired Mrs. William Waldorf
Astor with emulation. and she is now a
perfect master of this Somewhat difficult
instrument. A great many New York
girls have taken it up, just as they took
up the ban o, and about the same average
play it we'll. A large proportion follow
the same course they did with the banjo,
take it up with fury at first because it is
q craze, and persevere just long enough
to learn how to play q few chords and
never get beyond that. The rest become
fair musicians.
There are two sorts of mandolins, the
Neapolitau, which is strung with cat-gut
and is the easiest to learn to play upon.
1t is this sort that is played BY the Casino
Quintet. The Spanish mandolin is strung
with eight metallic strings, and though
much more difficult to learn is more
brilliant in effect and is good solo in
strumeut, while the Neapolitan mando-
lin has no eject cxceptin ensemble with
others. 1t is tuned in fifths and played
with a bit of shell swept. rapidly across
the strings, making the curious shiverins
sound characteristic of the mandolin.
Tied with a Big bright ribbon bow,
the player resting her dainty slipper on
stool, and sweeping the g;ittcring little
egg-shaped thing with her bit of tortoise
she'll, a young woman makes an effective
picture and she knows it. whence the
mandolin's popularity. The music is
written like the piano score and the
plaintive little melodies of the Spanish
Italian peasants is best suited to its
unique powers. Many Of the airs played
in the Mexican Village by the Fandango
orchestra are specially adapted to the
their instrument, the bando-
Ian, somewhat resembling it on larger
scale.-New York World.