The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-07-28
OLD INSTRUMENTS.
A BROOKLYN DEALER WHO HAS AN
INTERESTING PAIR.

S0A 1yAo Aha A1hS
Nearly rs Long-History of Various
String Instruments.
William V. Pezzoni has on exhibition
in a window in Brooklyn a lutte that is
liz years old. 1t is said to be the only
n 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 1881.
The lutte is as old as the hills. It 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 fourished about 1900
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 a Tyre having four strings.
The guitar is an improvement on the
Tyre. 1t is seldom found sculptured in
the monuments of Greece and Rome,
as the people did not consider the in
strument sufficiently dignifed to so
symbolic it, which accounts for its not
appearing in the ruins Of those proud
cities. 1t was, however, one of the most
ancient musical instruments Of Egypt.
Some historians are of the opinion that
Hermes, II 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 reioicings
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 II intervals in the oc-
tave, consisting Of 10 limmas-an in
terval rather less than a semitone.
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 set for the
finger board and the higher for the diapa-
son strings. This style lutte was known
as the theorbo. Its height varied from 8
feet 6 inches to 5 feet. Very deep notes
were produced from it. Another lutte
somewhat differently formed was known
as the archlute. Both have, however, long
since given away to the violoncello and
double bass. Handel wrote a part for a
theorbo in 1920. After this date the lutte
appears no more in orchestral scores. 1t
remained, however, in private use until
the close of the century.
Venere Of Padua, celebrated as a maker
of lutes, fourished in 1860. His instru-
ments were highly ornamental and were
admired for their beauty, ivory, mother
of pearl and tortoise shell being used in
decorating them. The present direction
of musical taste and composition is adj
verse to the cultivation 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 a favorite instrument of
music in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, but declined in the eighteenth
century. The great ]. S. Bach wrote a
partita for it, which still remains in
manuscript. The latest engraved publ
cation for the lutte is 1850.
Mr.. Pezzoni was placed in the posses
sion of the lutte a short time ago by
Signor Giuseppe Vitale, a prominent
Brooklyn musician, who obtained it at a
pawnbroker's sale. 1t is a very valuable
instrument, although it was sadly in
need of repair when it came into Mr.. PEI
zoni's hands. He has been offered sums
for it varying from IS to $500, but it is
not for sale.
The lutte is a handsome me-. The body
is pear shaped. It is beautifully inlaid
with ivory and pearl. The neck is %
inches long. The fingerboard, containing
II frets, is -! inches long, and the body,
with a three inch sound hole, is 154
inches long. The base of the instrument
is Al inches deep, while at the neck it is
8 inches. 1t has IS strings, s Of which
are designed for the bass. The head. or
nut, is divided into two sections and con-
tains the pegs, or keys. One of these
sections is 10 inches long and the other
II inches. The latter is used for the
open bass strings, which are above and
independent of the fngerboard. Four
Of the middle strings are double and are
formed from very fine wire. The re-
naming strings are of silk wound with
copper wire.-New York World.
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