Iconography in musicology

FOOTNOTES:

1. [01:42] See the details about this painting on the deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de [link]. See here an attempt to reconstruct a performance of Lasso’s penitential Psalms (Bußpsalmen) based on this painting [YouTube link].

2. [3:20] The examples shown in the video are taken from Daniel Rosin’s research about the Baroque cello; see below for a link. 

3. [06:30] For example: 1. British Library, Manuscript Sloan 1021 (c. 1619), fol. 24r. Translated by Peter Croton: “The right hand should be held a short distance in front of the bridge and the little finger should be firmly placed and held there. The thumb should be stretched out quite far so that it exceeds the other fingers by almost a joint’s length. The fingers should be pulled inwards under the thumb [while plucking], so that the sound is quite strong. The thumb should pluck outside [the hand], not inside as do the old [players] and in general the Dutch and elder Germans. For it has been shown that it is much better for the thumb to pluck outside [the hand]; it sounds purer, clearer and brighter, whereas the other [method] sounds altogether dull and muffled.” ["Die Rechte Hand soll kurtz für [vor] dem Stege gehalten und der kleine finger steif aufgesetzet und gehalten werden. Der daume soll starck ausgestrecket werden, das er fast ein glied den andern fingern vorgehe. Es sollen auch die finger einwerts unter den daumen fein zu sich getzogen werden, das der resonans fein starck klinge. Der daume soll auswertz nit einwertz, geschlagen werden, wie die Alten zu thun pflegen, und gemeinlich die Niederländer und Alte Teutschen. Denn es [ist] probiret worden, das es weit besser, den daumen auswertz zuschlagen, klinget reiner, scherffer und heller, das ander klinget gar faull und duempffig."]; 2. Thomas Mace, Musick's Monument (London, 1676), p. 71: “… you may set your Little Finger down upon the Belly of the Lute, just under the Bridge, against the Treble or Second String; …”; 3. Esaias Reusner, Erfreuliche Lauten-Lust (Leipzig, 1697), “Hochgeneigter Leser!”. Translated by Peter Croton: “The little finger of the right hand must be placed in front of the bridge when one wishes to play sweetly; should it however sound somewhat stronger, one can also place the little finger behind the bridge.” ["An der rechten Hand muβ der kleine Finger vor dem Steg gesetzet werden, wann man lieblich spielen will; soll es aber etwas stärcker klingen, kan man auch wol den kleinen Finger hinter dem Steg setzen."].

4. [10:20] The instrument shown in the video is from ca. 1525 from Naples (Castello Sforzesco, Milan). Photo: Catalina Vicens (www.catalinavicens.com). 

5. [11:08] The two images of portative organs shown in the video are taken from Cristina Alís Raurich’s Medieval organ instagram. 

6. [11:20] The reconstructed medieval organ shown in the video was built by Orgelmakerij Van der Putten in 1999 for the Drents Museum in Assen, the Super Librum Foundation [link].

7. [11:26] The video shown is of Marc Lewon and his recreated “Cetra”. See here the full performance, and here a short documentary about it [Video production by: Carsten C. Sommer]. 

SELECTED SPECIALIZED ICONOGRAPHY PROJECTS:

• Bass violin and Cello iconography collected by Daniel Rosin [link]

• Bowed Strings iconography project - collected by Barry Pearce [link]

• Cornetto iconography collected by Bruce Dickey [link] 

• Recorders iconography collected by Nicholas S. Lander [link]

• Great bass viol iconography collected by Joëlle Morton [link]

• Trombone iconography collected by Will Kimball [link]

• Renaissance flute iconography collected by Liane Ehlich [link] 

• Horn Iconography collected by John Manganaro [link]

Credits:

Created by Elam Rotem and Daniel Rosin, December 2020.

Musical example: Emma-Lisa Roux.

Many thanks to Peter Croton (peter-croton.com), Marc Lewon (www.leones.de), Cristina Alís Raurich (medievalorgan.com), Catalina Vicens (www.catalinavicens.com), Véronique Daniels, and Anne Smith.