The Mandolin Player

The mandolin is a smaller version of the mandola, an ancient instrument of the lute family. The mandolin originated in Italy in the Sixteenth Century. It became popular chiefly in the South, where the instrument as we know it today, with its familiar shape and the GDAE (violin) tuning, was first produced in Naples in the Eighteenth Century, its first renowned makers being the Vinaccia family. It was a fixture in many orchestras of this period, and features as solo instrument in concertos by composers of the stature of Antonio Vivaldi. More modern variants, such as the Gibson “F” flatback, have contributed to its popularity in other genres. The one in the photo in the player’s hands is Korean and resembles a small guitar, whereas the one on the wall is the traditional Neapolitan model…. but made in France.