PRELUDE by VICTOR KIOULAPHIDES on Liuto moderno (5x2 Mandoloncello) of the Mandolin family.

[GoatMee]

I soooo want one of these beasts! I play mandoloncello and mandola in my Mandolin orchestra and I've always wanted the 2-in-1 liuto cantabile.

[Mandolin1944]

What an amazing sound and remarkable technique! Is that instrument tuned in fifths like a mandocello? Quite amazing I'd like to see a close view of how you manage that large fret board. Wonderful video!

[thewolfling]

Please read my comments below in reverse order (if they show up below this one).

:)

[thewolfling]

Hi Alex, that is absolutely beautiful! I fully agree with what Victor said.

I am lucky enough to have two of these instruments myself. One is an incredibly worn down but still playable 1915 Puglisi/Reale & sons that is about the size of a regular lute or an aoud. The other (also Puglisi) is a few years younger and about the size of the one you play in this video. The body of that one is in much better condition, but I have yet to try it because I still have to sort out the middle part of...

[thewolfling]

@thewolfling because I still have to sort out the middle part of the bridge and I will have to replace all the tuners before I can string it up.

They both appear to be neapolitan style and they actually both use the exact same five-on-a-plate machinehead bit .

On the small one I use custom gauge phosphor bronze guitar strings (.012p-.018p-.029w-.042w-.060w­).

It's used to accompany my singing, mainly. Unfortunately I don't practice nearly enough nowadays and I've always...

[thewolfling]

@thewolfling Unfortunately I don't practice nearly enough nowadays and I've always played rather messy anyway...

Great to see more of these beautiful instruments popping up on the net now! And thanks for the explanation about the orchestra and solo models! I've always wondered about the fact that one was nearly twice as big as the other when they came from the same factory and they were clearly designed for the same tuning. :)

[thewolfling]

@thewolfling

I have a funny anecdote about that but my post is already long enough as it is!

Thanks for sharing this wonderful piece of music with us. Thanks to Victor for writing it too, and for not having it removed. :)

[greymandolin]

That is a stunning piece of music, superbly played.

[lelloferraro]

I own (I don't dare to tell I play) such instrument. I seldom use itbecause the guy who made it, meant to make a kind of an experiment He wanted to build a mandoloncello which "diapason" is as long as the cello's one So, my instrument has got a long lasting resonance but it's too hard to handle

[OrchestradiMandolini]

Hello lelloferraro,

Thanks for your comment. Indeed these are large and fully resonating instruments. The one I play at the video has a 68,5 cm mensura. That is like that of the Violoncello.

Best, Alex Timmerman.

[leoncioviolin]

bravo

[victorkioulaphides]

AMAZING!!! That you play this (rather difficult) piece on the liuto is in and of itself nothing short of a miracle; that you play it with so much inner feeling, such well shaped phrasing and impeccable timing, well... that's just "the Alex touch". BRAVO!

[cathal627]

Great! Sounds like there's plenty of volume from this giant lute!