The Mandolino in 18th-Century Italy

The mandolino, or the Baroque mandolin, was the predecessor to the modern mandolin. Unlike its offspring, it had 6 courses of strings (instead of 4) and was mostly played with the fingertips (instead of with a plectrum). Though mostly unknown today, it enjoyed a modest popularity in the 17th- and 18th-centuries and a sizeable repertoire. This recording contains pieces from the Filippo Dalla Casa Manuscript, dated 1759 from Bologna, Italy. Though by mostly unknown composers, the quality of the music is very high and compares with the best lute, keyboard, and chamber music from the period. Mandolino is played by Hideki Yamaya, and continuo on lute is played by John Schneiderman.

Hideki Yamaya

Hideki Yamaya is a guitarist and lutenist who has been active as a performer and teacher in California and Oregon for over 15 years. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, and is actively performing all over the West Coast. He has a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied with Robert Strizich, and an M.F.A. in Guitar and Lute Performance from University of California, Irvine, where he studied with John Schneiderman.

He also studied with James Tyler at University of Southern California and with Paul Beier at Accademia Internazionale della Musica in Milan, Italy. He has had master classes with the foremost guitarists and lutenists of today, including Robert Barto, Victor Coelho, David Dolata, Ronn McFarlane, Richard Savino, Stephen Stubbs, David Tanenbaum, Scott Tennant, and Benjamin Verdery.

In demand both as soloist and continuo player, he has played with and for Portland Opera, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, and Astoria Music Festival. He is an internationally acclaimed musician and has performed in Canada, Japan, Great Britain, and Italy.

John Schneiderman, critically acclaimed virtuoso of plucked instruments since age nine, specializes in the performance practice and repertoire of eighteenth-century lutes and nineteenth-century guitars. Based in California, Mr. Schneiderman is in demand as a soloist and chamber musician collaborating on recordings and performances throughout North America.

Mr. Schneiderman studied with British guitar pedagogue and author Frederick Noad, and continued his studies at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland, with the great modern pioneer of the baroque lute, Eugen Dombois. Mr. Dombois' precise and detailed approach to the repertoire continues notably to influence Schneiderman's interpretations today.

He is a member of the chamber ensembles Galanterie, and The Czar's guitars, and has performed with the Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Musica Angelica, Seattle Baroque, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Chanticleer, Musica Pacifica and the American Bach Soloists.

track samples - 1 min.

Antonio Tinazzoli (ca. 1650-1730) 1. *Sonata in A Minor*
Giuseppe Vaccari (fl. 18th-c.) 2. *Concerto in C Major: I. Allegro*
3. *Concerto in C Major: II. Andante*
4. *Concerto in C Major: III. Allegro*
Ludovico Fontanelli (ca. 1682-1748) 5. *Sonata in C Major: I. Moderato*
6. *Sonata in C Major: II. Aria. Allegro*
7. *Sonata in C Major: III. Minuetto*
Anon. 8. *Sonata in G Major: I. Allegro*
9. *Sonata in G Major: II. Adagioo*
10. *Sonata in G Major: III. Minuetto*
Anon. 11. *Minuetto and Variations*
Fonatnelli 12. *Concerto in D Major: I. Allegro*
13. *Concerto in D Major: II. Andante*
14. *Concerto in D Major: III. Allegro*
Vaccari 15. *Concerto in D Major: I. Allegro*
16. *Concerto in D Major: II. Andante*
17. *Concerto in D Major: III. Giga*

THE MANDOLINO IN 18TH-CENTURY ITALY

Hideki Yamaya

THE MANDOLINO IN
18TH-CENTURY ITALY