"Cither" redirects here. Not to be confused with zither or gittern.
The cittern or cithren (Fr. cistre, It. cetra, Ger. Cister,Sp. cistro, cedra, cítola)[1] is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medievalcitole (or cytole). Its flat-back design was simpler and cheaper to construct than the lute. It was also easier to play, smaller, less delicate and more portable. Played by people of all social classes, the cittern was a popular instrument of casual music-making much like the guitar is today.
From left to right, 1: Archicitter, Laurent, Louis-Sigismond, c. 1774–89; 2: Bell cittern by Joachim Tielke, c. 1865; 3: Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Mrs. Froude playing an English guitar or cittern, 1762
The cittern is one of the few metal-strung instruments known from the Renaissance period. It generally has four courses of strings (single, pairs or threes depending on design or regional variation), one or more courses being usually tuned in octaves, though instruments with more or fewer courses were made. The cittern may have a range of only an octave between its lowest and highest strings and employs a re-entrant tuning[2] – a tuning in which the string that is physically uppermost is not the lowest, as is also the case with the five-string banjo and most ukuleles for example. The tuning and narrow range allow the player a number of simple chord shapes useful for both simple song accompaniment and dances, though much more complex music was also written for it.[3] Its bright and cheerful timbre make it a valuable counterpoint to gut-strung instruments. The Spanish bandurria, still used today, is a similar instrument.
16th to 18th centuriesEdit
From left to right, 1: Stringed instruments in Musical Instrument Museum, Brussels, including two citterns by Gérard Joseph Deleplanque; 2: The Sister (Deutsche Guitarre) by Johann Wilhelm Bindernagel.
From the 16th until the 18th century the cittern was a common English barber shop instrument, kept in waiting areas for customers to entertain themselves and others with, and popular sheet music for the instrument was published to that end.[3] The top of the pegbox was often decorated with a small carved head, perhaps not always of great artistic merit; in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, the term "cittern-head" is used as an insult:[4][5]
HOLOFERNES: What is this?
BOYET: A cittern-head.
DUMAIN: The head of a bodkin.
BIRON: A Death's face in a ring.
Just as the lute was enlarged and bass-extended to become the theorbo and chitarrone for continuo work, so the cittern was developed into the ceterone, with its extended neck and unstopped bass strings, though this was a much less common instrument.
Gérard Joseph Deleplanque (1723-1784) was a luthier from Lille who made a wide variety of instruments, including citterns.
The instrument maker Johann Wilhelm Bindernagel (around 1770-1845), who worked in Gotha, made a mixed guitar-cittern under the name "Sister" or "German Guitar", which was equipped with seven gut strings.
The leading 18th-century Swedish songwriter Carl Michael Bellman played mostly on the cittern, and is shown with the instrument (now in the National Museum, Stockholm) in a 1779 portrait by Per Krafft the elder.[6]
In Germany, the cittern survives under the names Waldzither and Lutherzither. The last name comes from the belief that Martin Luther played this instrument. Also, the names Thüringer Waldzither in Thüringer Wald, Harzzither in the Harz mountains, Halszither in German-speaking Switzerland are used.[7] There is a tendency in modern German to interchange the words for cittern and zither. The term waldzither came into use around 1900, to distinguish citterns from zithers.
The cittern family survives as the Corsican cetara and the Portuguese guitar. The guitarra portuguesa is typically used to play the popular traditional music known as fado. In the early 1970s, using the guitarra and a 1930s archtop Martin guitar as models, English luthier Stefan Sobell created a "cittern", a hybrid instrument primarily used for playing folk music, which has proved to be popular with folk revival musicians.[8][9]
cittern, cither, redirects, here, confused, with, zither, gittern, cittern, cithren, cistre, cetra, cister, cistro, cedra, cítola, stringed, instrument, dating, from, renaissance, modern, scholars, debate, exact, history, generally, accepted, that, descended, . Cither redirects here Not to be confused with zither or gittern The cittern or cithren Fr cistre It cetra Ger Cister Sp cistro cedra citola 1 is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance Modern scholars debate its exact history but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval citole or cytole Its flat back design was simpler and cheaper to construct than the lute It was also easier to play smaller less delicate and more portable Played by people of all social classes the cittern was a popular instrument of casual music making much like the guitar is today CitternCittern exhibited at the Music Museum of BarcelonaOther namesFr cistre It cetra Ger zitter zither Sp cistro cedra citolaClassificationString instrument plucked Hornbostel Sachs classification321 322 5 necked box lute plucked with fingers Developed16th centuryRelated instrumentsList Cetra Citole Ceterone English guitar Portuguese guitar Halszither Waldzither Zither Contents 1 History 1 1 Pre modern citterns 1 2 16th to 18th centuries 1 3 Modern citterns 2 See also 3 Bibliography 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditPre modern citterns Edit From left to right 1 Archicitter Laurent Louis Sigismond c 1774 89 2 Bell cittern by Joachim Tielke c 1865 3 Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Mrs Froude playing an English guitar or cittern 1762 The cittern is one of the few metal strung instruments known from the Renaissance period It generally has four courses of strings single pairs or threes depending on design or regional variation one or more courses being usually tuned in octaves though instruments with more or fewer courses were made The cittern may have a range of only an octave between its lowest and highest strings and employs a re entrant tuning 2 a tuning in which the string that is physically uppermost is not the lowest as is also the case with the five string banjo and most ukuleles for example The tuning and narrow range allow the player a number of simple chord shapes useful for both simple song accompaniment and dances though much more complex music was also written for it 3 Its bright and cheerful timbre make it a valuable counterpoint to gut strung instruments The Spanish bandurria still used today is a similar instrument 16th to 18th centuries Edit From left to right 1 Stringed instruments in Musical Instrument Museum Brussels including two citterns by Gerard Joseph Deleplanque 2 The Sister Deutsche Guitarre by Johann Wilhelm Bindernagel From the 16th until the 18th century the cittern was a common English barber shop instrument kept in waiting areas for customers to entertain themselves and others with and popular sheet music for the instrument was published to that end 3 The top of the pegbox was often decorated with a small carved head perhaps not always of great artistic merit in Shakespeare s Love s Labour s Lost the term cittern head is used as an insult 4 5 HOLOFERNES What is this BOYET A cittern head DUMAIN The head of a bodkin BIRON A Death s face in a ring dd Just as the lute was enlarged and bass extended to become the theorbo and chitarrone for continuo work so the cittern was developed into the ceterone with its extended neck and unstopped bass strings though this was a much less common instrument Gerard Joseph Deleplanque 1723 1784 was a luthier from Lille who made a wide variety of instruments including citterns The instrument maker Johann Wilhelm Bindernagel around 1770 1845 who worked in Gotha made a mixed guitar cittern under the name Sister or German Guitar which was equipped with seven gut strings The leading 18th century Swedish songwriter Carl Michael Bellman played mostly on the cittern and is shown with the instrument now in the National Museum Stockholm in a 1779 portrait by Per Krafft the elder 6 Modern citterns Edit Modern citterns Left Portuguese guitar at a music shop 2010 right Hamburger Waldzither In Germany the cittern survives under the names Waldzither and Lutherzither The last name comes from the belief that Martin Luther played this instrument Also the names Thuringer Waldzither in Thuringer Wald Harzzither in the Harz mountains Halszither in German speaking Switzerland are used 7 There is a tendency in modern German to interchange the words for cittern and zither The term waldzither came into use around 1900 to distinguish citterns from zithers The cittern family survives as the Corsican cetara and the Portuguese guitar The guitarra portuguesa is typically used to play the popular traditional music known as fado In the early 1970s using the guitarra and a 1930s archtop Martin guitar as models English luthier Stefan Sobell created a cittern a hybrid instrument primarily used for playing folk music which has proved to be popular with folk revival musicians 8 9 See also EditSee also Lute History and evolution of the lute Chitarra Italiana English guitar Russian guitar Stringed instrument tunings Gregory Doc Rossi Martina RosenbergerBibliography EditMusick s Delight on the Cithren John Playford 1666 Musick s Delight on the Modern Cittern Vol I Robin Alexander Lucas 2021 ISBN 9781838438500 Vol II 2022 ISBN 9781838438517 Methode pour Apprendre a Pincer du Cistre ou Guitare Allemande Charles Pollet 1786 References Edit Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Cittern Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 6 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 399 400 The Renaissance Cittern Site Frequently Asked Questions about the Renaissance Cittern Cittern theaterofmusic com 2012 06 21 Retrieved 2013 07 15 a b The Oxford Companion to Music cittern Shakespeare William Love s Labours Lost Retrieved 22 January 2015 Dilworth John 21 April 2014 2009 How well did Shakespeare know the violin Archived from the original on 22 January 2015 Retrieved 22 January 2015 Poulopoulos Panagiotis 2011 The Guittar in the British Isles 1750 1810 PhD Thesis PDF University of Edinburgh p 199 cittern ATLAS of Plucked Instruments Retrieved 2013 07 15 American Lutherie The Quarterly Journal of the Guild of American Luthiers The Guild 2006 p 9 Frets GPI Publications 1980 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cittern Renovata Cythara The Renaissance Cittern Pages Stefan Sobell website Doc Rossi website Zistern Europaische Zupfinstrumente von der Renaissance bis zum Historismus Cittern Press publisher of printed tune books for the modern cittern Citterns and cittern research at the Musikinstrumenten Museum der Universitat Leipzig Cittern possibly by Petrus Raitta England 1579 at the National Music Museum Cittern Urbino ca 1550 at the National Music Museum Decorated Cittern by Joachim Tielke Hamburg ca 1685 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cittern amp oldid 1169666205, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
