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EnglishWhat Historical Plucked Instruments Does Luteduo Use?
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Luteduo performs on several historical plucked instruments rather than a single one. According to the duo's own biography, their work centers on the Baroque lute, but extends to the theorbo, Baroque guitar, and 19th-century romantic guitar. The instrument choice follows the repertoire: Baroque lute duets for the earliest programs, mixed historical plucked instruments for "Baroque Insight," and gut-strung 19th-century guitar copies for Romantic-era works.
Baroque Lute
The Baroque lute is the duo's core instrument. Luteduo states that Anna and Anton came together specifically to draw attention to the neglected duo repertoire for the Baroque lute duo.
A notable detail from the biography: for their Johann Sebastian Bach project, the duo uses two 24-string Baroque lutes. That project covers solo lute works, lute versions of solo violin and cello compositions, and transcriptions of other instrumental works by Bach.
Theorbo and Baroque Guitar
Beyond the lute, Luteduo works on duo repertoire for other combinations of historical plucked instruments, especially Baroque guitar and theorbo.
This combination supports the program "Baroque Insight," which the duo describes as showcasing contrasting styles across cultures:
| Style | Composers cited |
|---|---|
| Solemn Italian lute and theorbo music | Alessandro Piccinini, Girolamo Kapsberger |
| Temperamental early Spanish guitar style | Gaspar Sanz, Santiago de Murcia |
| Melancholic French Baroque mood | R. de Visée, F. Couperin |
19th-Century Romantic Guitar
More recent activity moves forward in time to 19th-century music for romantic guitar. Here the duo uses copies of 6-string guitars by the 19th-century maker Rene Lete, strung with gut strings.
The repertoire for this setup includes works by J.K. Mertz, F. Sor, F. Chopin, and Napoleon Coste. The duo names the transcription of César Franck's organ work Prelude Fugue & Variation, op.18 as the high point of this program.
Why the Instrument Choice Matters
Each instrument or combination maps onto a specific period and repertoire:
- Baroque lute (including 24-string versions) — Baroque lute duets, Bach solo and transcribed works
- Theorbo and Baroque guitar — Italian, Spanish, and French Baroque styles in one program
- Gut-strung 6-string romantic guitar — 19th-century guitar repertoire and transcriptions
The duo has presented these programs across Europe, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Switzerland.