Synopses & Reviews
The name "mandolin" was used to refer to two quite different instruments: the gut-stringed mandolino, played with the fingers, and the later metal-stringed Neapolita mandoline, which was played with a plectrum. This is the first book devoted exclusively to these two early instruments about which information in reference books is scant and often erroneous. The authors uncover their rich and varied musical history, examining contemporary playing techniques and revealing the full extent of the instruments' individual repertories, which include works by Vivaldi, Sammartini, Stamitz, and Beethoven. The book's ultimate aim is to help today's players to produce artistically satisfying performances through an understanding of the nature and historical playing style of these unjustly neglected instruments.
Review
"An authoritative book on the fretted instruments...a concise, focused and informed book. Tyler and Sparks...have here delivered a volume of great importance: a reliable guide to authenitc performance on the early guitar, along with a comprehensive review of its original sources."--
Early Music