Virtual Tour of "Beethoven & Berlioz, Paris & Vienna: Musical Treasures from the Age of Revolution & Romance 1789-1848" Mandolin by Antonio Vinaccia, Naples, 1772 NMM 10006. Mandolin by Antonio Vinaccia, Naples, 1772. There is no question about the dating of this gorgeous instrument, built by a prominent member of the leading family of mandolin makers in Naples. In typical mid-18th-century style, there is a spruce table (for acoustical reasons, the tops of stringed instruments are made of a softwood, while the bodies are of a hardwood for structural reasons) with tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl decoration and whimsical f-holes carved on each side of the soundhole, a beautifully carved bridge, the back of twenty scalloped ribs of maple with ebony/ivory/ebony stringing, the neck and head covered with tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, and exquisite pegs with mother-of-pearl inserts, all in untouched condition, including the varnish, and ready to be played. Mandolin soundhole flanked by two whimsical f-holes. Berlioz was introduced to mandolins in Italy, but by the time he published his treatise on instrumentation (1844/55), he called the instrument "almost obsolete," and said that in France, at least, it was always embarrassing, whenever Mozart's Don Giovanni was to be performed, because mandolin players were not to be found and guitars or pizzicato violins would be used, much to his dismay. Berlioz was not always a reliable prophet, however; before the end of the century, mandolin orchestras were all the rage, playing transcriptions of orchestral music, among other things. Another Vinaccia mandolin, also dated 1772, can be seen at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Board of Trustees, 2001. Three views of the mandolin's peghead. Source:  André P. Larson, Beethoven & Berlioz, Paris & Vienna: Musical Treasures from the Age of Revolution & Romance 1789-1848, with essay by John Koster, exhibition catalog, Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, September 12-November 2, 2003 (Vermillion: National Music Museum 2003), title page and p. 70.   Click arrow to continue Virtual Tour of Beethoven and Berlioz Exhibition Go to Beethoven and Berlioz Exhibition Virtual Tour Index Go to Virtual Gallery Tour Index Exhibition catalog and poster available from Gift Shop National Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion, SD 57069 ©National Music Museum, 2003, 2004 Most recent update: October 22, 2007 You are the 8,235th visitor to this page since May 18, 2003. The University of South Dakota Return to Top of Page