Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/117

Rh (p. 52) seems to prefer the Roman theorbo or, which, although according to his measurement about 6 ft. 1 in. in height, is not so broad in the body or so awkward to hold and grasp as the Paduan. Baron praises especially the Roman theorbos of Buchenberg or Buckenberg, a German lute-maker, who was living at Rome about 1606. His instruments had 'ovalround' bodies of symmetrical form and a delicate and penetrating metallic timbre; a criterion of good tone in a stringed instrument.

Mace regards the lute as a solo instrument, and the theorbo as a concert or accompanying instrument: the name theorbo, however it originated, certainly became fixed to the double-necked lute; which first appeared with the introduction of opera and oratorio, when real part-playing was exchanged for the chords of the figured bass. Mersenne ('Harmonicorum,' lib. xii. Paris, 1636) calls it 'Cithara bijuga.' One account credits the invention of the double neck to a Signor Tiorba about 1600. Athanasius Kircher ('Musurgia,' Rome 1650, cap. ii. p. 476) attributes the introduction of the theorbo to a Neapolitan market follower, who gave it the name in a joke. His idea, says the same authority, was brought to perfection by a noble German, Hieronymus Capsberger. M. Victor Mahillon, in his catalogue of the Brussels Museum (1880, p. 249), names as the inventor, a Roman called Bardella (properly Antonio Naldi) who was in the service of the Medicis, and was much praised by Caccini in the preface to 'Nuove Musiche' ( 1601). These attributions all centre in the same epoch, that of the rise of accompaniment. The theorbo was last written for by Handel, as late as 1732, in the oratorio of 'Esther,' in combination with a harp, to accompany the song 'Breathe soft, ye winds,' a fact which would seem to support Mace's view of its being an orchestral instrument. The Archiliuto also appears in 'Deborah,' 1733, in 'Gentle Airs.' It remained in occasional use until the end of the 18th century. Breitkopf's Thematic Catalogue for 1769 contains eight pages of 'Partite per il Liuto solo.'

The drawing to and  should be referred to. [ A. J. H. ]

THEORY. A term often used in England to express the knowledge of Harmony, Counter-point, Thorough-bass, etc., as distinguished from the art of playing, which is in the same way called 'Practice.' 'The theory and practice of music' is an expression often heard, and to be interpreted as above. [ G. ]

THESIS (from, a putting down), an ancient musical term, the opposite of. [See vol. i. p. 95b It is now only occasionally employed for the downbeat of the bar in conducting. [ G. ]

THESPIS, OR THE GODS GROWN OLD. Comic opera in 2 acts; words by W. S. Gilbert, music by Arthur Sullivan. Produced at the Gaiety Theatre, Dec. 23 [App. p.799 "Dec. 26"], 1871, the tenor part being taken by Mr. Toole. It ran 80 nights consecutively, but has not been revived. Thespis was the first of the series of Gilbert-Sullivan pieces which have proved so popular. [ G. ]

THIBAUT,, born Jan. 4, 1772, at Hameln on the Weser, studied law at Göttingen, became tutor at Königsberg, and law-professor at the University of Kiel, then at Jena, and in 1805 at Heidelberg, where he remained till his death, March 25, 1840. The Archduke of Baden made him Geheimrath. He was an ardent admirer of the old Italian church-composers, especially of Palestrina, and founded a society for the practice of such music at his own house. The performances took place before a select circle of invited guests, and were distinguished for their variety, Thibaut placing at their disposal the whole of his valuable and scarce collection of music. After his death Heidelberg no longer took the same interest in the Palestrina school, but in the meantime a large proportion of the professors and amateurs of Germany had become familiarised with one of the noblest and most elevating branches of the art. Mendelssohn for instance writes with the greatest enthusiasm about Thibaut, 'There is but one Thibaut,' he says, 'but he is as good as half a dozen. He is a man.' Again, in a letter to his mother from Heidelberg, dated Sept. 20, 1827, is the following characteristic passage. 'It is very singular, the man knows little of music, not much even of the history of it, he goes almost entirely by instinct; I know more about it than he does, and yet I have learned a great deal from him, and feel I owe him much. He has thrown quite a new light on the old Italian church music, and has fired me with his lava-stream. He talks of it all with such glow and enthusiasm that one might say his speech blossoms. I have just come from taking leave of him, and as I was saying that he did not yet know the highest and best of all, for that in John Sebastian Bach the best of everything was to be found, he said Good-bye, we will knit our friendship in Luis da Vittoria (Palestrina's favourite pupil, and the best exponent of his traditions) and then we shall be like two lovers, each looking at the full moon, and in that act no longer feeling their separation.'

One of Thibaut's greatest services to the cause of art was his collection of music, which included a very valuable series of Volkslieder of all nations. The catalogue was published in 1847 (Heidelberg) and Thibaut's widow endeavoured to sell it to one of the public libraries of Germany, but was unable to do so till 1850, when it was acquired for the court library of Munich. Of still greater value is his book 'Ueber Reinheit der Tonkünst' (Heidelberg 1825, with portrait of Palestrina; 2nd edition 1826). The title does not indicate (as his friend Bähr observes in the preface to the 3rd edition, 1853) purity either of construction or execution, but purity of the art