Taking the sting out of the lute


‘Jakob Lindberg was born in Djursholm in Sweden and developed his first passionate interest in music through the Beatles’ - programme note from Lindberg’s recital last night at The King of Hearts in Norwich.

The venue - the Tudor music room at the King of Hearts in Norwich. This centre for people and the arts is located in a restored medieval merchant’s house. The music room seats just 80, and its beamed ceiling and oak floor give it superb acoustics.

The instrument – Jakob Lindberg’s lute was made circa 1590 by the prolific luthier Sixtus Rauwolf who lived and worked in Augsburg, southern Germany. Dendrochronology confirms that the soundboard is original and dates it from 1418-1560, making this the oldest playable lute with its original soundboard. Lindberg bought the lute at a Sotheby’s auction in 1991, and it has been painstakingly restored including replacing of the 19th century neck.

The composers – Robert Ballard (c. 1575-1650), Gregory Huwet (c. 1550-c. 16160, Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (1580-1631), Albert Dlugoraj (1557- after 1619), Nicolas Vallet (c.1583- after 16420, Prince Mauritius, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (1572-1632), Robert Johnson (c.1583-1633), and John Dowland (1563-1626), plus of course Anon.

The encore – the Beatles.

Now read about more Dowland with contemporary connections, and it's not what you think.
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