Mandolin

The mandolin is a well known since the 17th century stringed instrument of European descent from the family of lute instruments. From the mandolin are two types, which differ markedly in the shape of the corpus:

• The classical mandolin, also called Neapolitan mandolin (similar to the Milanese mandolin ), has a flat, bent ceiling, no frames and a cup-shaped body (so that it is one of the shell -necked lutes );
• The Flachmandoline is made ​​to borrowed from the Cistern or violin design principles and frames as well as flat or slightly arched ceiling, and just such a soil (and is therefore a box -necked lute ).

The relation of both types consists of four pairs of strings that are tuned like the violin in the fifth row g d 'a' e''. The scale length is in the prime mandolin 32-34 cm, with the secondary mandolin with a different mood from 36 to 38.5 cm. In scores as well as cast lists for music groups and orchestras, the abbreviation is someone. commonly used for mandolins.

• 2.1 Baroque, Classical, Romantic
• 2.2 presence
• 2.3 Folk and Bluegrass
• 2.4 Pop and Rock music

Method of construction

Classical Mandolin can be identified by teardrop-shaped and similar in outline an almond body shape. The instrument maker speaks of the " shell". This is traditionally produced by gluing wood chips, similar to the body of a lute, made ​​and glued to the instrument's top. The flat, kinked usually at the widest point blanket is made almost entirely of spruce.

In the folk music is usually a different corpus constructed similar to violins with vaulted ceiling ( archtop ) with separately prepared sides and only slightly curved bottom or flat as guitars, preferred. In the United States different variants of Flachmandoline been since the beginning of the 20th century corpus incision (English: Cutaway ) and developed with sound holes f - shape ( "f- holes "). One of the pioneers in the development of Flachmandoline was the American instrument maker Orville Gibson. Gibson received a U.S. patent for the developed by him after violin design principles in 1898.

Variants

• An early form of the mandolin, often called Milanese mandolin, played either with fingers or with a feather. The most common mood of this six -stringed instrument that was played by about 1660-1820, gh e 'a' d'' g '' was
• Portuguese half Rundmandoline
• German Flachmandoline
• Gibson A4 - teardrop-shaped flat mandolin with round or elliptically shaped sound hole
• Gibson F5 mandolin flat, starting around 1919 by Lloyd Loar designed for Gibson, with f - holes, cutaway and with characteristic screw on body and headstock, now valuable collector's items
• Electric mandolin with electromagnetic pickups, mostly in construction of single reel ( single coil )

Related instruments

The mandolin closely related plucked instruments include the mandola, bouzouki or cittern which, the mandolin banjo and the Mandriola that Mandoloncello, also the tambura and the saz.

Use in the music

Sound sample mandolin? / I

The mandolin is played with a plectrum made of plastic or horn ( in the 19th century tortoiseshell ).

Baroque, Classical, Romantic

First sources in which the mandolin is mentioned, date from the early 17th century. In the Baroque period composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Domenico Scarlatti and Johann Adolf Hasse have composed for this instrument.

Ancestral mandolin, originally from Italy, was by 1750 Paris to its most important center. Other major composers who dedicated themselves to the mandolin, are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (for example, in an aria in Don Giovanni Deh vieni alla finestra ), Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Niccolò Paganini. In 1800 we find the mandolin, especially in Vienna.

The today known as tremolo, an important technique of the mandolin is already occupied in the 18th century, for example in the Mandolinenschule by Michel Corrette 1772, chap. 10: " Il est que sur la mandoline remarquer on ne peut pas les sons enfler ... on fait un Trill qui est une repetition du meme Son sur une note. " In the literature, the tremolo but requires from about 1840. The most important composer of the Romantic was Raffaele Calace (1863 - 1934), with the help of his brother, the instrument maker Nicola Calace (1859-1923), developed the instrument even further. At this time, founded the first mandolin orchestra.

Presence

The mandolin has been used with increasing popularity during the 20th century in contemporary music. An important German composer for mandolin and mandolin orchestra of the 20th century was Konrad Wölki; it is mainly the musicological recognition of the mandolin and the Zupforchesters owe. In the present, you will find the mandolin in the orchestra, in a variety of chamber music ensembles and as a solo instrument. Due to the increasing number of professional mandolin players, the number of composers who write for the mandolin grows.

The Europe's only professorial chair for Mandolin clothed Caterina Lichtenberg, in the succession of Marga Wilden - Hüsgen at the Academy of Music and Dance Cologne, Wuppertal. A specialist education for students with graduation diploma in this instrument also takes place by Gertrud Weyhofen at the Music Academy of Kassel and more recently at the University of Music Saarland and by Steffen Trekel at the Hamburg Conservatory.

Folk and Bluegrass

Beginning of the 20th century was in Germany in the migrant bird movement mandolin certainly due to their small size popular. Even today there are still many places mandolin orchestra. The instrument took place in the folk revival of the 1970s with a young audience special attention. The mandolin player Erich tasting cup embossed with the instrument the sound of the duo Zupfgeigenhansel. In the Rhenish carnival, played by Hans Süper in Colonia mandolin duet as " Flitsch " became the hallmark of the comedians. In the American Bluegrass Music Bill Monroe has the merit that the mandolin was not just rhythmic accompaniment instrument but also an equal solo instrument. As a virtuoso David Grisman particularly influential and Sam Bush apply. Chris Thile is the most influential young virtuoso who has in the meantime also in the field of classical music ( with a recording of the Bach solo violin pieces in preparation for Mandolin) excelled.

Pop and rock music

A wide popularization learned the mandolin in the 1970s by numerous folk-rock bands. Mike Oldfield plays on his album Tubular Bells, where they used as a solo instrument in the first of two parts and is presented at the end, among other instruments with another short solo. A striking example of the use of mandolin in popular music is among other things the song Losing My Religion REM the band. Punk bands like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys put the mandolin in the form of an electrically boosted. The American folk - rock band The Hooters regularly uses both acoustic and electric mandolins. The rock violinist Warren Ellis also plays with Nick Cave The Bad Seeds and Grinderman bands an electric mandolin by strong distortion, however, has little resemblance to the classic sound of a mandolin.