ANTONIO STRADIVARI, MANDOLINO, Cremona 1680

Mandolino and fleur-de-lis lined original case by Antonio Stradivari in Cremona 1680. Antonio Stradivari made several types of musical instruments in addition to the violin family, these included guitars, viola da gambas, lutes, pochettes, harps, mandolas, mandolini and possibly citterns. This mandolino, known as the Cutler-Challen, is one of two which the Stradivari family made for Venice’s Ospedale della Pietà where Antonio Vivaldi taught violin, instrumental performance and composition.
Antonio Vivaldi wrote several works for mandolino, including: C major RV 425 (solo mandolino) and G major RV 532 (two mandolini). It is possible that Vivaldi both wrote and performed these concertos on this actual instrument.
This mandolino is now on display in the National Music Museum of America, Vermillion, South Dakota, alongside several other instruments by the Stradivari workshop.
emuseum.nmmusd.org/objects/13...
The music here is the slow movement of the G major concerto by Antonio Vivaldi for mandolini performed by James Tyler and Robin Jeffrey and The English Concert, Director Trevor Pinnock on the following recording: www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Concer...
The mandolino used by Robin Jeffry in this recording was copied from an instrument made in the early 1700s by Stradivari's two Sons (their father Antonio had died 1737 age 93) and was made in my workshop at West Dean, The Edward James Foundation.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

This Andante is one of my favorite mandolin pieces; from Vivaldi's best work I believe.

[@adamedmour9704]

I actually wish musical instruments could receive more attention as an art form independent of music.

[@TheTubeTube2]

So beautiful. I remember meeting and holding Chris’s mandolin at West Dean College - I’ll never forget it! It exudes art as music and in every other way.

[@M.B.331]

Beautiful mandolin by Stradivari! I think this music is from a mandolin concerto by Vivaldi. 🎶🎼🎵

[@user-do5hd7zb4x]

Bellisima!❤😅

[@prodesign_ru]

Огромное спасибо за такой детальный обзор! Лучше и нельзя представить, чтобы всего в 2 минуты так полно показать инструмент! (Сейчас работаю над второй в своей жизни лютневой гитарой своей собственной конструкции, и какие-то нюансы очень интересны! Еще раз спасибо!)

[@mallorga1965]

Great information. Thanks!

[@user-do5hd7zb4x]

Gratzi!

[@NicolaManfredini-gl4pi]

what is the name of the piece playing in the background?

[@primusimperium909]

The music here is the slow movement of the G major concerto by Antonio Vivaldi for mandolini performed by James Tyler and Robin Jeffrey and The English Concert, Director Trevor Pinnock.

[@NicolaManfredini-gl4pi]

@@primusimperium909 thank you!

[@eddawson9329]

What would be the tuning of a 5 course mandolino?

[@primusimperium909]

I would recommend reading James Tyler's book: The Early Mandolin: The Mandolino and the Neapolitan Mandoline (Early Music Series, 9)

[@TomMcArdleUkulele]

My guess would be b e’a’d”g”, from lowest to highest. Although they probably didn’t tune to A=440.
The 6 course tuning was g b e’ a’ d” g”
4 course tuning was e’ a’ d” g”
Sometimes the e was tuned up to f, as for the partitas of Filippo Sauli.

[@stavrospapadimitriou7631]

Try 'violas da gamba'! Like 'mothers in law' or 'ladies in waiting'.

[@liamtahaney713]

I just...don't like instruments sitting behind glass. There are 2 stradavarius mandolins and it's sad to me. They're tools to make art, not the art within themselves.

[@Timopeo]

They are not behind a glass because they are art, they are because they are history

[@limethefemboy5205]

They're behind glass because if they weren't we wouldn't be able to study them as they'd be sold and bought, moved from hand to hand, broken and poorly repaired. We can study how these were made and make our own mandolinos now thanks to that glass

[@michaelcaplin8969]

@@limethefemboy5205 No, that's objectively not true and is just an assumption that there wouldn't be a solution that would allow them to be used actively without being sold, wich is pretty lazy in my opinion. I can present a solution (just one of many that could be applied here), and it is that instead of sitting behind the glass the entire year, they were actively and continously loaned out to recording projects by prominent performers where you had to apply to borrow it for a certain amount of days. Then the instrument would be inspected and evaluated between projects to ensure that it's always in good condition. This would open up a huge world of oppertunity for performers, where prominent performers and even small orchestras could more or less window shop different important historical instruments according to their sonic needs and build up a unique sonic palette of historical instruments, without having to just hope that the performers personal instruments will match the vibe they are going for (which is not very realistic to hope for in some circumstances). For example, if all the violins from the mid to late 1500s that are in playable condition in museums now were accessible this way, you could do a unique project where you record some of the earliest music written for the violin in the 1580s with the actual original violins the music was intended to be played on. Just imagine the possibilities!

[@austinmistretta8373]

Which is why you should have it, right? 😂