Curiosities about instruments, The Mandolin and Rising Star Fan Art.

Greetings to all my dear friends from Rising Star, today I am very happy to share with you a new article on my blog. Today we are going to talk about an instrument with a very interesting history and a very distinctive sound, I am referring to the mandolin. By the way, yesterday I talked to you about the oboe, you can read it here. And, as usual, at the end of the post I will present some fan art that I have created inspired by our beloved game, Rising Star. Without further ado, let's begin.

Well, friends, I tell you that the mandolin has a history that goes back centuries. Imagine Italy in the 16th century, a very different place and time than today (obviously)😀. In those days, string instruments were in full development and one called the mandola was born. This was the direct precursor to our mandolin. In fact, the term "mandolino," which refers to a smaller version of the mandola, is first mentioned in 1563.

Then during the 17th century, it was that finally the making of mandolins in Italy became a refined art. As the precursor instruments were evolving, Italian luthiers created mandolins of various shapes and sizes, experimenting with different designs and materials. One of them is Antonio Stradivari, the legendary violin maker, who was also involved in the creation of mandolins.

In the Stradivariano Museum in Cremona, several of his construction plans with personal notes are preserved. Imagine the dedication and skill required to create these instruments more than 300 years ago. Today it is difficult. I am always amazed when I see inventions from ancient times, for example the pyramids of ancient Egypt. How could they have obtained the knowledge? It is simply amazing.

• On the other hand, not only instrument makers were interested in the mandolin, composers too. Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Niccolò Paganini are just some of the great names who wrote works for this instrument. Vivaldi even composed a concerto for mandolin and orchestra.

As for the types, the mandolin has varied in shape and number of strings over the years, today the most common is the Neapolitan mandolin. It has four double courses of strings tuned like a violin: G, D, A, E. These strings are usually played with a pick, although more experienced players also use their fingers.

• The mandolin's design has also influenced other instruments. For example, Gibson guitars have elements of mandolin design courtesy of Orville Gibson, its creator. The F-style and A-style mandolins, which resemble teardrops, are among his masterpieces.

• In the 20th century, Bill Monroe revolutionized bluegrass with his mandolin style. His group, the "Blue Grass Boys," is so influential that Monroe is the only artist inducted into the Bluegrass, Country, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• The term "lute", from which "lutier" (guitar makers) comes, has its roots in the English term "lute". Also, the F resonators on mandolins are so called because of their shape, but also because they were the trademark of the mandolin players from Florence. Did you know?

Well, my dear friends, these were the curiosities I wanted to tell you about the Oboe today. I hope you liked them and above all that you learned something new.

Rising Star Fan Art

Now, changing the subject, I present my post #66 about some of the fan art I've made with the help of DALL-E, inspired by our beloved game, Rising Star. In this post, I've used the card theme again along with several elements of the game. For example, I've added the star, some instruments and singers to give more personality to the images. Some of the images also have futuristic and retro touches, and I've added stages and concerts to give it a special touch.

The images are free to use, so you can use them from this post without any problem. I reiterate that they have been made by me with the help of DALL-E.

I hope you enjoyed this journey through the history and curiosities of the mandolin. And that you liked the fan art. See you in a new post. Until next time friends, greetings to all.