THE MANDOLIN
The mandolin is a representative of plucked instruments. It developed from the lute at the beginning of the eighteenth century in Naples and is thus called the
Neapolitan mandolin.
Its back is vaulted and made of number of strips of wood. The number of strings settled at four pairs, the tuning was similar to that of the violin. This was a great advantage and one of the main reasons for its popularity – now violinists were able to play it well enough and composers were able to write for it. It was included in the works of such classical composers as Mozart, Mahler, Verdi, Vivaldi and others. The mandolin also became a favourite folk instrument, especially in Italy and also in Germany, Croatia, Ireland, the USA (bluegrass) and elsewhere.
It was in the USA that it evolved from the round-back shape into a flat-back one.
For the needs of mandolin orchestras, other instruments of the mandolin family developed (mandola, mandoloncello and mandobass). Common to all are four sets of paired strings tuned in unison or octaves and played on with the plectrum, while the shape can vary (round-back, half round-back, flat-back) Mandolin orchestras are structured like the string ones: first and second mandolins, mandolas, mandoloncellos and mandobasses. The mandoloncello and particularly the mandobass are normally replaced by the guitar and the double bass. Thus the standard formation of a mandolin orchestra is: first mandolin, second mandolin, mandola, guitar and double bass.
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