Venice and the Theorbo

The melting snow drips on my balcony in an unsteady rhythm, and sounds of Bach's cello suite in C minor arranged for theorbo fill my dining room. The theorbo is an old lute-like instrument developed in Florence Italy in the 1580's, according to lutenist Lynda Sayce. This particular recording was played by theorbist Pascal Monteilheit. It makes me think of the old instruments my husband and I saw in Venice during our trip just before Christmas of last year. My parents and Christopher and I had separated for the afternoon to do our exploring in pairs, and after meeting up at the end of the day discovered happily that the four of us all stumbled on the Museo della Musica, a museum of old stringed instruments. Some of the instruments dated as far back as the 16th century, and among the instruments we saw an Amati crafted double bass. As a violist I particularly enjoyed seeing the viola d'amores, viola da gambas, and finally the modern viola.

Before finding the museum we escaped from the bitter cold wind into a small pizza shop. That was the best pizza of my life! My husband used his tenor acquired Italian so we could be gracious guests, and I realized that having learned German was not helpful to me in the least. In Italy, that is. We stood in the small standing space with another couple and ate our pizza, gratefully protected from the vicious weather.

Once home, I was looking at my viola and realized what a lovely antique treasure of an instrument I have. This instrument is not imprisoned in a glass case, away from loving hands to make it sing. In that moment, I realized that if I don't use it to make beautiful music, as long as it is in my home, its purpose in the world will be unfulfilled. Happily I accept my task.