VIOLA DA GAMBA was: Duduk and melancholic instrument

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

Stephen Moyes wrote:
"I'm not sure if she has ever been mentioned here before, but the French 
musician Colleen (aka Cecile Schott) has made some wonderful music using 
the viola da gamba and also does a certain amount of live looping. I can 
particularly recommend her album 'les ondes silencieuses'. 
www.colleenplays.org/   "


Cool you mentioned her.   She's a really unusual and very sensitive 
musician.

after hearing her I went and researched the Violo Da Gamba
(not knowing it)

I found out some interesting things.    It was played sitting down in an 
upright position like a modern day cello.
I had a flat fretboard and was tuned in 4ths except for one 3rd string 
which led to the modern guitar tuning.

I read that music written with it was a lot more sophisticated 
harmonically because of the fretting and
six strings and the ability to play chords easily in tune.

Cellos were much louder, having steel strings which supplanted the gut 
strings of the Gamba and eventually caused the instrument to cease to be 
used in repertoire.
There was ,  if I get my sources correct,  a reduction in harmonic 
sophistication after it's demise but I can't find the original piece of
writing that said this.

here's the wikipedia article on this fascinating instrument

_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viol_

Thanks for mentioning Collen, Steve!




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> ----- Original Message ----- From: o.malhomme@laposte.net
> Speaking of cello as a melancholic instrument, what about the "viola 
> da gamba" ?
> (I am not too sure of the translation) </div>
>