The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-07-24
OLD I\S'Tkt ME\TS.
A BROOKLYN CEAlER WHO HAS IN
iNTC1E5Tit.S PAIR.

4 Luxe III At D., One Iiun.l".a and Twelve
>-s.!s "a. long :i;>t"r, q" Na@s"u>
>trir. ln.trnrn-nt..
William \. Fa@zpui h@- "a "-
In u window ii Eroahtra "A lutg ,...s j.
liz v-tr- Old. 1t i said To be the "r'l,
,,ne 81 ii, kind III e:;,te:lcr. From a
printed strip # pap r III the interior of
the instrument il i learned that i, EGs
made by Renault 4. tnatelain ii Er;!,jne
street. Paris. in l.sl.
The lutte is As old as the hills. II Is
mentioned several times il tie BE-
Jubal. said by historians 10 have lH1
the first musician. was the nNenf ~
it, as he was of the organ and all string
instruments. He hourisned about l.Je0
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 IF Egypt instru-
ments having the saline general form ;is
the harp. Tyre and guitar of modern TIM,
We're common. AS the discoveries of tray
elers in that country have proved. The
ancients had many other stringed instru-
lnents. but these three classes We're the
principa. ones.
The Tyre Is supposed to be more ancient
thar the harp. 4 very old painting at
Benz Hassan i'll Egypt represents the ar
rival ot some foreigners iii that country
supposed to be Jo-eph's brethren. One
Of them holds "A Tyre having four strings.
The guitar is AN Improvement on the
lvre. 1t is seldom found scul,tured i'll
the monuments of Greece and Rome.
as th4. people did not consider the in
strument sufficiently dignitied To so
symbolic it. which accounts for it, not
appearing il the ruins of those proud
cities. Ii Wa, however. one of the MOI
ancient musical Instruments of Egypt.
Some historians are nt the opinion that
Hermes. one of the Egyptian councillors.
invented the three Strin.ed lyre. These
strings gaze firth three sounas-graye.
mean n acute-representing RESPECT.
lively winter. spring and summer. Tie
Egyptians and the Greeks. IL 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 1t |, spoken of as the MAMMA
latin. and it Is said to have been Used by
the children of Israel i'll their reJoicings
after the overthrow of Pharaoh's host.
The modern Egyptian lnte is a direct
descendant of the Arabic lutte. 1t has
seven pairs of strings and is played by a
w. L&- .1x-.l
they are disposed Of according to the
Arabic scale of II intervals in the oc-
tave. consisting Of 12 limmas-an III
terval rather less than a semitone.
There are also five ommas which are
very small, but quite recognizable as
regards difference of pitch.
The large double necked lutte has W
sets of tuning pegs, the lower set for the
finger board and the higher for the diapa-
son strings. This style lutte was known
rs the theorbo. Its height varied from 3
feet s inches to ) feet. Very deep notes
were produced from it. Another lutte
somewhat differently formed was known
Is the archlute. Both have, however. long
since given away to the v~ioloncello and
double bass. Handel wrote a part for a
theorbo in 1870. 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 PaIua, celebrated as maker
of lutes, Hoarlshed in 1850. bis instru-
ments were highly ornamental and were
admired for their beauty, ivory. mother
Of pearl and tortoise shell being used III
decorating them. The present direction
of musical taste and composition is ad'
verse to the cultivation of such tenderiy
sensitive timber as the lutte possessed
The instrument has now become an ob
iect of research for collections and mu
eeums. 1t was a fasorite instrument q