Joachim Tielke
Encyclopedia
Joachim Tielke was a German
maker of musical instruments. He was born in Königsberg
, Prussia, and died in Hamburg
.
A publication was dedicated to him by Günther Hellwig. Hellwig lists the total number of 139 instruments still existing of Tielke's oeuvre with lute
s, angelica
s, theorbo
es, bell citterns (hamburger cithrinchen), guitar
s, pochettes, violin
s, viole d'amore without sympathetic strings, baryton
s, viole da gamba and bows. More recent research shows that all theorboes were originally either lutes with bent-back pegboxes or are modifications of angelicas. The bows have shown to be non-authentic. On the other hand, nearly thirty instruments not know to Hellwig have come up, among them the fragment of a baryton, a cello, more viols, guitars, lutes. Tielke's existing oeuvre is therefore one of the most comprehensive and by number close to that of Stradivari
and the other great Italian makers. Tielke's instruments are famous not only for their marquetry
and carved heards but also for their tonal qualities.
A much-debated question is that of the contribution Tielke himself made to the instruments signed with his name. The examination of his work leads to the idea that he engaged outside craftsmen and artists for the supply of carvings and marquetry, possibly even complete instruments.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
maker of musical instruments. He was born in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, Prussia, and died in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
A publication was dedicated to him by Günther Hellwig. Hellwig lists the total number of 139 instruments still existing of Tielke's oeuvre with lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
s, angelica
Angélique (instrument)
The angélique is a plucked string instrument of the lute family of the baroque era. It combines features of the lute, the harp, and the theorbo....
s, theorbo
Theorbo
A theorbo is a plucked string instrument. As a name, theorbo signifies a number of long-necked lutes with second pegboxes, such as the liuto attiorbato, the French théorbe des pièces, the English theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angélique or angelica. The etymology of the name...
es, bell citterns (hamburger cithrinchen), guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, pochettes, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, viole d'amore without sympathetic strings, baryton
Baryton
The baryton is a bowed string instrument in the viol family, in regular use in Europe up until the end of the 18th century. In London a performance at Marylebone Gardens was announced in 1744, when Mr Ferrand was to perform on "the Pariton, an instrument never played on in publick before." It most...
s, viole da gamba and bows. More recent research shows that all theorboes were originally either lutes with bent-back pegboxes or are modifications of angelicas. The bows have shown to be non-authentic. On the other hand, nearly thirty instruments not know to Hellwig have come up, among them the fragment of a baryton, a cello, more viols, guitars, lutes. Tielke's existing oeuvre is therefore one of the most comprehensive and by number close to that of Stradivari
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
and the other great Italian makers. Tielke's instruments are famous not only for their marquetry
Marquetry
Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures. The technique may be applied to case furniture or even seat furniture, to decorative small objects with smooth, veneerable surfaces or to freestanding pictorial panels...
and carved heards but also for their tonal qualities.
A much-debated question is that of the contribution Tielke himself made to the instruments signed with his name. The examination of his work leads to the idea that he engaged outside craftsmen and artists for the supply of carvings and marquetry, possibly even complete instruments.
Further reading
- Günther Hellwig, Joachim Tielke (1980). Ein Hamburger Lauten- und Violenmacher der Barockzeit. Frankfurt/Main. (A new edition is in preparation by Friedemann Hellwig.)