Tarantella Napoletana - Mandolin

Scarlatti Sonata K.162 - L.21 - Mandolin and Guitar - Marissa Carroll & ...

Bandolim/Mandolina/mandolino/Mandolin

Il mandolino è uno strumento musicale che appartiene al genere dei cordofoni e tuttora si trova in Italia come nel resto del mondo.

Oltre al mandolino "classico" (o napoletano), caratterizzato da quattro corde doppie accordate insieme, ne esistono altri tipi denominati nell'Ottocento e Novecento dal luogo d'origine dei relativi prototipi, per esempio: cremonese, milanese, toscano.

L'origine del mandolino risale alla prima metà del XVII secolo: soltanto a circa la metà del Settecento risale invece l'inizio della produzione di mandolini napoletani da parte della celebre "Casa Vinaccia" di Napoli. Questi mandolini sono quasi tutti intarsiati e hanno filettature d'avorio e madreperla lungo il manico, si deve proprio ai Vinaccia l'applicazione delle corde di acciaio in sostituzione di quelle in ottone, nel primo Ottocento.

A mandolin (Italian: mandolino pronounced [mandoˈliːno]; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is usually plucked with a plectrum or "pick". It commonly has four courses of doubled metal strings tuned in unison (8 strings), although five (10 strings) and six (12 strings) course versions also exist. The courses are normally tuned in a succession of perfect fifths. It is the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello and mandobass.


There are many styles of mandolin, but three are common, the Neapolitan or round-backed mandolin, the carved-top mandolin and the flat-backed mandolin. The round-back has a deep bottom, constructed of strips of wood, glued together into a bowl. The carved-top or arch-top mandolin has a much shallower, arched back, and an arched top—both carved out of wood. The flat-backed mandolin uses thin sheets of wood for the body, braced on the inside for strength in a similar manner to a guitar. Each style of instrument has its own sound quality and is associated with particular forms of music. Neapolitan mandolins feature prominently in European classical music and traditional music. Carved-top instruments are common in American folk music and bluegrass music. Flat-backed instruments are commonly used in Irish, British and Brazilian folk music. Some modern Brazilian instruments feature an extra fifth course tuned a fifth lower than the standard fourth course.

CAMILLA FINARDI

Camilla Pinardi 

ITALIAN MANDOLIN

Bernardo De Pace

A native of San Fernando di Puglia, Italy, he began to play the mandolin at the age of five. Just before the turn of the century he won an international competition, which took him on a tour of European cities. In 1900 he performed in England and decided to stay for three years. He dazzled the Sultan of Turkey and was made a royal musician for seven months in the year 1903. Among his patrons were Kaiser Wilhelm (Germany) and Czar Nicholas (Russia). He moved to the U.S. and appeared on early radio, in vaudeville and Broadway shows. 

He appeared in productions of the Metropolitan Opera and composed for the mandolin and orchestra. In the eighth edition of George Whites Scandals (1926) Mr. De Pace shared the bill with Broadway veterans Ann Pennington, Frances Williams, Harry Richman and Willie & Eugene Howard. When Mr. De Pace died in New York in June 1966, six children and thirteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren survived him. One of his grandchildren, Bobby, is a composer, lyricist and leader of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). A requiem mass was held for Bernardo De Pace at St. Jeromes Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, June 18, 1966. Selections: Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna overture (Franz von Suppe); Souvenir (Franz Drdla); Humoresque (Anton Dvorak); Thats Why I Love You (Walter Donaldson, Paul Ash) interpolating Sweethearts (Victor Herbert. Robert B. Smith); Irish Jig; Belle Nuit, O Nuit dAmour (a.k.a. Barcarolle) from Tales of Hoffman (Jacques Offenbach, 1881). 

This is the earliest known motion picture of virtuoso Bernardo De Pace, The Wizard of The Mandolin, released February, 1927. He subsequently appeared in at least two other films shorts for different studios.