Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello: Partite E Sinfonie Per Gallichone Solo (ca. 1740)

Davide Rebuffa

Among the entertainments with which the Bavarian nobles of the 18th century occupied their monotonous and idle daily life, in addition to gambling, tobacco smoking and reading, the mandora and calichon are often mentioned. The latter were lutes, with only 6- (or even 5-) courses of strings, which – being much less demanding than the contemporary German 13-course lute – became among the favourite instruments of the German, Austrian and Bohemian aristocracy, including women, who were generally excluded from professional instrumental music. The larger 8-course calichon, due to its versatility was widely used as a continuo-playing instrument in chamber ensembles and orchestras, especially in monasteries and among the clergy. It is precisely an original gallichone of 1754 the instrument used by the specialist Davide Rebuffa for the performance of the pieces attributed to Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello, probably composed in Stuttgart after 1737 for a member of the family of the Dukes of Württemberg, at the service of which he spent much of his existence.