MANUALE TEORICO-PRATICO DEL MANDOLINISTA

AGOSTINO PISANI

ULRICO HOEPLI

EDITORE-LIBRAIO DELLA REAL CASA

MILANO 1913

(rough translation from Italian to English)

The inventor of the plectrum instruments, a steel strings, and a brief history Casa Vinaccia and on the origins of the Neapolitan mandolin,The history of the mandolin in his origins is shrouded in darkness: publications on tools and dictionaries musicals from the 8th century and early ages of the present century contain on that topic very little news, so it is difficult to trace facts safe and salient. The origin of the Neapolitan mandolin it dates back to the middle of the 17 century: at this time it seems to have begun his famous mandolin production Casa Vinaccia, of which also in today honor and fame are kept high by successors, in kinship, who continued the art of ancestors, increasingly perfecting it. The first built mandolins had gut strings and wooden keys, and the keyboard reached up to the high king only. But such mandolins must be very few have been manufactured, and without take care to put the label on it factory and date those I have could see in museums and antique dealers of Florence and who carry the label, they all have the date between 1750 and the 1800. The keyboard (fingerboard) remains short up to 14 and 15 key only in some instruments made by the Marc Gaetano and Vincenzo in 1770-1779; therefore on the same date and of the same manufacturers have mandolins whose keyboard reaches La (A) as it is in mandolins modern. In the aforementioned period they produced in Naples good mandolins the factories of Antonio Vinaccia and his sons Giovanni, Vincenzo, Gennaro and Gaetano, of Fabricatore G. B., Fabricatore Gennaro, Donato Filano: all these architects worked between 1720 and 1817. These mandolins carry inside of the case a printed label following wordings: Antonius Vinaccia filius Januarii fecit. Neapolis to the Rua Catalana Street, year 1764. Vincenzo Vinaccia made the descent of the Ospedaletto. Neapoli, n. 20, year 1776. Gajetanus fecit marc. Neapoli, Strada Rua Catalana, n. 85, year 1779. Donatus Filano fecit. Neapoli, year domains 1765. Jn. Battista Fabricatore fecit. Year 1784 in S. M. -of the Help, Naples. Gennaro Fabricatorefecit. Neapoli, year 1793, Strada S. Giacomo, n. 37. The mandolins of Vinaccia and the Fabricatori of the mentioned period (1750-1800) are almost all rich in inlays, ivory threads along the handle in ebony, executed with remarkable precision: ebony scoop, ebony pegs, fairly regular ebony keyboard discreetly intoned. The cash at 15 or 20 fleshed sticks, it is made of wood very thin and light (red maple), painted with rather coarse paint However. It is due to Pasquale Vinaccia the application of steel ropes (strings) in replacement of used brass ones primitively and that they lacked voice and of Argentine stamp, and to Pasquale Vinaccia also owes its invention to the mechanics for support and movement of the strings, now universally used for the Neapolitan system mandolins, widely also for guitars. I said that the Casa Vinaccia maintains still his fame: the current ones artists lords Achille and Vinaccia, from about twenty years, they are building mandolins of such perfection that it did not come reached so far by other manufacturers. They are true artists: in the examination of one instrument built by them, in the most minutes details you can see perfection: recently saw a mandolin of 14 years ago, that is to say built by Vinaccia in 1884, and that is a true masterpiece. The pitch of the keyboard is in the mandolins Today's marc, taken to the maximum perfectibility; so too the construction of the case, the painting, the conjuncture of the splints and stability of the harmonic plane. Add the works of inlay and ornament of which is shown off in the instruments type of luxury, and it will be worthwhile to recognize that the Vinaccia factory is worthy of admiration under every relationship. They left the Vinaccia factory also of the students (eg Maratea,Esposito, etc.) that, if they do not reach the perfection of the unreachable masters, they also excel over others in various ways dowries, which reveal the teaching received and practiced with art teaching. The Marc export instruments in England, in France and especially in America. The factory production is calculated 30 instruments per month among mandolins and guitars. The questions that come to the house they are far greater than production, and a well-known merchant of tools he told me that the Marcas accept now the orders with the faculty to deliver them six months later. This highly back to the honor of Vinaccia: they want the tool to come out worked and perfected by their own hands; few workers are employed in their factory for construction of minor parts. So do true artists, those who intend to keep the celebrity of name, increasingly high and bright.