The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-10-19
OLD INSTRUMENTS.
A BROOKLYN De- .ER WHO HAS AN
iNTERL ..lG PAIR.

A Lutte That Is One Hundred and Twelve
Years Old-A Lyre That Has Existed
Nearly as Long-History of Various
String Instruments.
William V. Pezzoni has on exhibition
in window in Brooklyn lutte that is
112 years old. IT is said to be the only
one of its kind in existence. From q
printed strip Of paper in the interior of
the instrument it is learned that it was
made by Renault g. Chatelain of Braaue
street, Paris, in 1881.
The lutte is as old as the hills. 1t is
mentioned several times in the Bible.
Jubal, said by historians TO have been
the first musician, was the inventor of
it, as he was of the organ and all string
instruments. He fiourished about 800
years before the deluge and was the first
to observe that strings of different sizes
or lengths when stretched produced va
rious 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 had 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 in that country
supposed to be Joseph's brethren. One
of them holds Tyre having four strings.
The guitar is an improvement on the
Tyre. It is seldom found sculptured in
the monuments of Greece and Rome,
as the people did not consider the in
strument sufficiently digniied to so
symbolic it, which accounts for its not
appearing in the ruins Of those proud
cities. It was, however, one of the most
ancient musical 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. The
Egyptians and the Greeks, as is well
known, divided the year only into three
seasons
The lutte was adopted by the Arabs
from Persia and reached the west about
the time Of the crusaders In the psalms
Of David it is spoken of as the mahha-
lath, and it is said to have been used by
the children Of Israel in their rejoicings
after the overthrow of Pharaoh's host.
The modern Egyptian lutte is a direct
descendant of the Arabic lutte. 1t has
seven pairs Of strings and is played by a
plectrum. When frets are employed,
they are disposed of according to the
Arabic scale Of 17intervals in the oc
tave, consisting of 10 limmas-an In
terval rather less than semitone
There are also five commas, which are
very small, but quite recognizable al
regards difference Of pitch.
The large double necked Lutte has two
sets Of tuning pegs, the lower set for thu
finger board and the higher for the diapa
son strings. This style Lutte was known
as the theorbo. Its height varied from
feet inches to 6 feet. Very deep note
were produced from it. Another lut
somewhat differently formed was know,
as The archlute. Both have, however, lopi
since given away to the violoncello an
double bass. Handel wrote part for
thsorbo in 1890 After this date the lut
appears no more in orchestral scores.
remained, however, in private use unit
the close of the century.
Venere of Padua, celebrated as make
OF lutes, fourished in 1860. Els instrr
ments were highly ornamental and wer
admired for their beauty, ivory, mothe
Of pearl and tortoise shell being used
decorating them. The present directio
of musical taste and composition is az
verse to the cultivation Of such tenderl
sensitive timber as the lutte possessed
The instrument has now become an oil
iect Of research for collections and mi
seums. It was q favorite instrument
music In the sixteenth and seventeent
centuries, but declined in the eighteent
century. The great J. s. Bach wrote
partita for it, which still remains
manuscript. The latest engraved publ
cation for the lutte is 1850.
Mr.. Pezzoni was placed in the posse
sion of the Lutte short time ago
Signor Giuseppe Vitale, prominel
Brooklyn musician, who obtained it at
pawnbroker's sale. It is very valuah
instrument, although it was sadly
:. need Of repair when 1t came into MT. re
xoni's hands. He has been offered sun
for it varying from IS to $500, but it
not for sale.
The lutte is handsome one. The boz
is pear shaped. It is beautifully inla
With ivory and pearl. The neck is
inches long. The fngerboard, containil
II frets, is 12i inches long, and the bod
with a three inch sound hole, is
inches long. The base Of the instrume
is Al inches deep, while at the neck 1t
8inches: It has 10 strings, 8 Of viii
are designed for the bass. The head.
nut, is divided into two sections and &C
tains the pegs, or keys. One OF the
], sections is 12-inches long and the otf
II inches. The latter Is used for t
open bass strings, which are above q
independent Of the fngerboard. Fo
Of the middle strings are double and
formed. from very fine wire. The
manning strings are Of silk wound WI
copper wire.-New York World.
Trading In Live Rattlesnakes.
Live rattlesnakes are sold for VI