Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 08:43:51
From: "Olov Gibson" pandite@brevet.nu
To: sjfeld@erols.com

Friends,

I use to build "ancient" musical instruments and have made 3 different lira da braccio's and also many types of fiddles from the medieval period - as a method to understand that time as well as our own.

I have also noticed that Leonardo played the lira and could perform biciniens and triciniens (polyphonic music).

I would however propose that the lira is not a branch of the medieval fiddle, but one of the last, more developed form of the fiddle. Its almost flat bridge top shows that it mainly was used for accordic and/or rythmic accompaniement, like most fiddles centuries back.

What could be my own discovery is that the lira was used in Italy as late as in the 18th century. Have a look at the drawing by Giovanni Battista Piazetta (born 1682 in Venice, died in 1754) called "Violinista" (Mailand, Brera) published in the nice book "Italienische Meisterzeichningen", Prestel-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 1938, by Luitpold Dussler. There I see the flat, broad bridge, the flat string holder and even the two bourdon strings and the typical lira bow.

There is little written music left, interesting is the Pesaro maniscripts with some chords.

Yours,

Olov Gibson,
Visby, the island of Gotland in Sweden