Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-08-31
OLD INSTRUMENTS.
4 BROOKLYN DEALER WHO HAS AN
INTERESTING PAIR.

A Lutte That Is One Hundred and Twelve
Years Old-A Lyre That Has Existed
Nearly as Long-History of yariou.
String Instruments.
| William V. Pezzoni has on exhibition
in window in Brooklyn lutte that Is
l12 years old. 1t is said to be the only
one of its kind in existence. From a
printed strip of paper in the interior OF
the instrument it is learned that it was
made by Renault & Chatelain of BraQue
street, Paris, in 1871.
The lute Is as Odd as the hills 1t i
mentioned several fines IN the Bible.
Jubal, said by historians to have been
the first musician, was the inventor of
II, as he was of the organ and al string
Instruments He houshed about /, 800
years before the deluge and was the first
to observe that strings Of different azes
or lengths when stretched produced va
| ious sounds.
In the earliest ages OF Egypt instru-
ments having the same general form as
the harp, Tyre and guitar Of modern times
were common, as the discoveries Of trav-
elers In that country have proved. The
ancients bad many other stringed instru-
ments. but these three classes were the
principal ones.
The Tyre is supposed to be more ancient
than the harp. A very old painting at
Beni-Hassan In Egypt represents the ar
rival Of some foreigners N that country
supposed to be Joseph's brethren. One
of them holds a Tyre having four strings.
The guitar Is an improvement on the
lyre 1t Is seldom found sculpsured IN
the monuments Of Greece and Bone.
as the people did not consider the m
strument sufficiently Hgniaed TO 30
symbolic Il, which accounts for Its not
appearing IN the ruins Of those proud
cities. II was, however, one Of the most
ancient mnsical instruments Of Egypt
Some historians are Of the opinion that
Hermes, one OF the Egyptian councillors,
invented the three stringed Tyre. These
strings gave forth three sounds grave,
mean and acute representing respect
lively winter, spring and summer. Ths
Egyptians and the Greeks, as Is wen
known, divided the year only into three
seasons,
The lute was adopted by the Arabs
from Persia and reached the west shout
the time Of the crusaders. In the psalms
of David 1t Is spoken Of as the mahha-
lsth. and il Is said to have been used by
the children Of Israel In their rejoicings
after the overthrow OF Pharaotis host.
The modern Egyptian lutte Is a direct
descendant Of the Arabic lnte. Il has
seven pairs Of strings and Is played by
plectrum. When frets are employed.
they are disposed Of according TO the
Arabic scale Of II intervals IN the oc-
tave, consisting Of 12 hmmas-an IN
terval rather less than a semstone.
There are also five commas. which are
very small, but quite recognizable as
regards difference Of pitch
The large double necked lutte has two
sets OF tuning pegs, the lower see for the
finger board and the higher for the diapa-
son strings. This style lutte was known
as the theorbo. It's height varied from 8
feet 6 inches TO 8 feet. Very deep notes
were produced from 1t. Another lutte
somewhat differently formed wae known
as the archlute. Both have, however, long
since given away to the vsolonoello and
double bass. Handel wrote part for a
theorbo IN 1870. After this date the lutte
appears no more in orchestral scores. Il
remained, however, IN private use until
the close OF the century.
Venere Of Padua, celehra$ed as maaser
of lutes, fourished In 1890. Ris instru-
ments were highly ornamental and were
admired for their beauty, ivory, mother
of pearl and tortoise shen being used In
decorating them. The present direction
of musical taste and composition is ad-
verse to the cultivatton Of such tenderly
sensitive timber as The lutte possessed
The instrument has now become an OBJ
ject Of research for collections and mu-
seums 1t was fagorite instrument Of
music In the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. but declined In the eighteenth