Der Spiegel (The Mirror) Duet - Mozart on Mandola

"Der Spiegel", also known as The Mirror (or Tabletop) Duet, is attributed to Mozart, and was cleverly written to be played from one sheet of music, with the second part read upside down from the first. Here it's performed by me and my alter ego on two different mandolas, a Mid-Missouri M-16 on the left and a Big Muddy M11M on the right.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• der spiegel
• the mirror
• tabletop duet
• duet
• Mozart
• mandola
• mandolin
• mando
• music
• acoustic
• plectrum
• classical
• multitrack
• Big Muddy
• Mid Missouri
• plucked strings
• classical music
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

[Reggae1942]

Could'nt figure out how one of you was reading the music up-side-down until I downloaded the piece!!!

[MandolaViola]

See, that is the genius of Mozart (probably, as it's not known for certain), to write music to be played right side up and upside down simultaneously, and have it all work out harmonically! ;-)

But of course you'll note that my version sounds in the key of C instead of G, because I am just reading from it on the mandolas as though I were playing mandolins, so it sounds a fifth lower.

[Reggae1942]

Correction, it's a Big Muddy M4 Rosewood back and sides with an Adriondack Spruce soundboard.

[MandolaViola]

Aha! Well, I'm still sure you'll enjoy it! My M16, the instrument on the left in this video, is the mandola version of the M4 mandolin. I like it a lot, too. Hard to say which one I prefer. Actually, I've never seen a Dulak instrument I didn't like. He does nice work!

[Reggae1942]

@Reggae1942 Incorrect informatin.

[Reggae1942]

@Reggae1942 Replyed to incorrect user

[MandolaViola]

I didn't ask a question (?)... But I think octave mandolins (or octave mandolas to Europeans) are described as such because they're tuned an octave -below- a mandolin. If I understand you correctly, some of the string pairs on your Freshwater OM are tuned in octaves, one high and the other low. That's one variation, I know, but by no means necessary. Some people also use different tunings, such as GDAD and others.

My mandolas (also known as tenor mandolas) are tuned CGDA, like a viola.

[MandolaViola]

You'll enjoy your new instrument - I loved my Mid Missouri M11 that I unfortunately sold and later regretted. But I'm mainly a mandola person, so having the Big Muddy M11M more than makes up for it. The mahogany smells great, too. ;-)

[MandolaViola]

Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! I know you can find this sheet music online for free download, btw!

[Reggae1942]

That is beautiful, what a difference sheet music makes.