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Thread: Mandolin Quartet

  1. #1
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    Default Mandolin Quartet

    Hello,

    I am currently writing compositions for Mandolin and mandolin related instruments. I am curious what would be the most common form of quartet currently available. Below are some combinations I came up with, but I am interested in other common instruments option a mandolin quartet would have.

    Thanks
    SB

    Option A
    Two Mandolin
    Mandola/Tenor Guitar
    Octave Mandolin/Mandocello

    Option B
    Mandolin
    Mandola/Tenor Guitar
    Octave Mandolin
    Piano

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    Of course all kinds of combinations are possible, but if you are writing for groups that exist and are "ready to play," there are mandolin orchestras consisting of 1st and 2nd mandolin, mandola, mandocello and bass, and often classical guitar. In other words, more or less parallel to a string orchestra. Many of the players in these groups get together as quartets. Within that configuration, as in the annual CMSA conventions, you will find octave mandolins on the mandola part and the occasional liuto (10 string) on the mandocello part. Like a few local/regional groups, we do have a mandobass in the Oregon Mandolin Orchestra, but many feel the string bass works better and of course these are much easier to find. I had a composition in the New Music for Mandolin Orchestras session at CMSA, and I was required to provide a variety of versions--different clefs and transpositions, a classical guitar part, etc.

    Now, all that is about orchestra, and you ask about a more chamber-sized group. So I refer you to my colleague Bob Margo, who is much more experienced and knowlegable. From his post in a Cafe discussion of plucked ensembles:
    "There are two types of quartets -- "classical" and "romantic". Classical quartets emulate string quartets -- M1, M2, alto mandola (CGDA), and mandocello (or liuto cantabile). A "romantic quartet" consists of M1, M2, European mandola (GDAE, or what we call octave mandolin in the US), and classical guitar. Assuming one of your mandolin players switches to octave mandolin, then you have a romantic quartet."

    Again, you can put together any variety of instruments, but if you are writing for groups that currently exist, I hope this has been helpful. One further thought, you mention piano; consider a harpsichord if one is available, as the more "plucked" sound will blend with the mandolins.
    Jim

    Dr James S Imhoff
    Boston University
    Oregon Mandolin Orchestra

    1912 Gibson K4 Mandocello; Thomann Mandocello; Stiver F5; American? Bowlback; Martin 00016; Dusepo Cittern/liuto cantabile

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    "I am currently writing compositions for Mandolin and mandolin related instruments. I am curious what would be the most common form of quartet currently available."

    The answer depends on the context in which you are working. For the purposes of discussion, I will assume the context is "classical mandolin", which would cover most of the relevant historical period, starting in the late 19th century (there are a few older works), up to the present.

    Within this context, the most common configurations are the "classic quartet", which is mandolin #1, mandolin #2, mandola in C (tuned CGDA, like the viola), and mandocello; and the "romantic quartet", which is mandolin #1, mandolin #2, mandola in G (octave mandolin), and classical guitar. There are variants of the classic quartet that substitute the mandola in G (octave mandolin) for the mandola in C; and the liuto cantabile (CGDAE, combining the mandocello and the octave mandolin) for the mandocello or guitar. Historically in the US (pre-WW2), the mandola in C was sometimes used as a substitute for the mandola in G in the romantic quartet.

    Of the two configurations, the romantic quartet is older. The original literature for the romantic quartet is also vastly larger in quantity, although much of it is historical. The best known original works are the three quartets by Carlo Munier (early 20th century Italian). There is a small modern literature; also, many works for mandolin orchestra are scored for M1, M2, mandola in G, classical guitar, and bass, and can be readily reduced to a quartet (because the bass part is often doubled somewhere in the guitar part).

    The classic quartet was invented in Italy in the 1890s as the plucked equivalent of the bowed string quartet. It was never that common in Europe, but it was fashionable in the US during the so-called Golden Age (1900-1920). However, there were very few original works for classic quartet; it was much more common for such groups to play from the string quartet literature -- Haydn, Mozart, occasionally Beethoven and a Russian or two. Among original works pre-WW2, the most often performed is by Salvatore Falbo (you can find many performances, typically Japanese, on YouTube). There is a post-war history to the classic quartet leading up to the present; the best known modern group is the Modern Mandolin Quartet, which has made many CDs and for which some original works were written. There are also some current groups in Europe, Israel, and Japan. Victor Kioulaphides, who often posts here, has written six original works for classic quartet that are part of the modern "canon" for this configuration.

    Other than the above configurations, one can find one-off quartets pairing mandolin with bowed string instruments, or wind. Piano was often used as an accompanying instrument in mandolin orchestras in the early 20th century, but that is uncommon today. I've never seen an mandolin-based original quartet using tenor guitar.
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    "One further thought, you mention piano; consider a harpsichord if one is available, as the more "plucked" sound will blend with the mandolins."

    I agree with Prof. Imhoff, if I were writing a modern chamber piece using mandolin and keyboard, harpsichord is a viable alternative to piano. One would have to be careful about the tuning, i.e. you would want the harpsichord to play in A = 440 (as opposed to A = 415) as most modern mandolins sound best at this pitch standard.
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    Thank you both for the very insightful replies. I will definitely be using the knowledge you have provided going forward. I have an additional question that I have been thinking about after reading your replies. I was hoping to write chamber style music for people to play with the most accessible instruments to them with the mandolin filling the leading voice. Music for like coffee shops etc. and making classical music for lack of better wording less formal? Based on your knowledge what would be the most common instruments ameutuers would be playing in such an esembles?

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    A very nice local cafe has music on a regular basis, kind of quiet and off to the side, appreciated but not "staged." A fine mandolin and guitar duo frequently play: that is a very flexible and often available combo. They can play light classical, jazz, Irish, folk, etc. and can trade off leads, as either might play chords while the other plays melody. You ask for "most common," I think this duo would fit; mandolas and mandocellos would be a little harder to find, but we are out there and eager to play new music.
    Jim

    Dr James S Imhoff
    Boston University
    Oregon Mandolin Orchestra

    1912 Gibson K4 Mandocello; Thomann Mandocello; Stiver F5; American? Bowlback; Martin 00016; Dusepo Cittern/liuto cantabile

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    "I was hoping to write chamber style music for people to play with the most accessible instruments to them with the mandolin filling the leading voice. Music for like coffee shops etc. and making classical music for lack of better wording less formal?"

    As Jim Imhoff points out, mandolin + guitar -- by which I mean classical (nylon-strung) guitar -- makes the most sense for the coffee-house, small room world. There is a vast period and contemporary original literature for mandolin and classical guitar; you can find a few previous threads in this space on the topic. Also sensible would be mandolin duets (again, a vast period and contemporary literature) or mandolin + mandola (in G, a small, high quality original literature) or mandolin + mandocello or mandolin + (string) bass, or mandolin + viola da gamba (again, care must be taken with the pitch standard, gamba is often A=415, but mandolin is better at A=440). A trio format -- two mandolins and guitar -- is time honored; mandolin, mandola (octave is better, though mandola in C will work), and classical guitar is also very good. You could also combine mandolin + flute + classical guitar, that is a very flexible ensemble which will work well, for example, in a Brazilian/Latin idiom.
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    Thank you both for the very insightful replies. I will definitely be using the knowledge you have provided going forward. I have an additional question that I have been thinking about after reading your replies. I was hoping to write chamber style music for people to play with the most accessible instruments to them with the mandolin filling the leading voice. Music for like coffee shops etc. and making classical music for lack of better wording less formal? Based on your knowledge what would be the most common instruments ameutuers would be playing in such an esembles?

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    Default Re: Mandolin Quartet

    Sorry about the double post a moderator can delete the second if they would like.

    Again thank you very much for the replies. I will also keep in mind that mandola and mandocello players are interested in new works. I have an octave mandolin and a tenor guitar but I do not have a mandola or a mandocello, any limitation I should know about on these instruments? I would like to make sure what I am writing is playable.

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