The New Vintage Frets is an American mandolin ensemble based in Wisconsin. In 2018 this ensemble produced a CD titled: The Wisconsin/Vega Project CD
This unique CD offers present day recordings of century-old mandolin ensemble arrangements thoughtfully selected from Wisconsin-based mandolin orchestra libraries. Pieces in the collection were published in either the 1890s or early 1900s. The recordings were made in 2017 and 2018 with string parts played on antique, Vega brand mandolin-family instruments.
Mandolin Mountain is a mandolin orchestra founded by Jouni Koskimäki from Finland. This year they were the main act for the Saku Mandolin Festival 2016. It’s fun to watch the group perform, as you can see from the following GIFs that I have created form some of the videos:
Mandolin Mountain has played at the Eurofestivals of the BDZ in Bruchsal, they have played in Spain in 2015 and now this year in Estonia. I have met Jouni Koskimäki several times in Trossingen and in Bruchsal.
The mandolin scene in Estonia is making great efforts to make the mandolin more popular.
MANDOLIN MOUNTAIN, alias MaMo is a Mandolin Orchestra, which was founded in autumn 2007 at the Department of Music at the University of Jyväskylä. Such a large Mandolin Orchestra has previously been seen in Finland way back in the Thirties. MaMo is Finland’s biggest, most dynamic and most beautiful Orchestra concentrating on mandolin music – MaMo captures its audiences with skillful performances and tremendous stage charisma.
The Ensemble Hikari 光 has been invited to the show „Kaffee oder Tee?“ (coffee or tea?) of the German TV Station SWR on January 3rd, 2014. Now three videos have been made available at youtube.
The ensemble has been founded by mandolin players from Germany and Japan and it aims to make music by Japanese composers better known in Germany by their performances. In the TV show they played three pieces by Japanese composers Takashi Yuasa, Goshi Yoshida and Kunisaku Sakai.
The members of the ensemble Hikari are Denise Wambsganß (Germany, mandolin), Yasuyoshi Naito (Japan, mandolin), Hirotaka Nozaki (Japan, mandola), Michael Schwitzke (guitar) and Leo Ruf (percussion). Yasuyoshi Naito is a luthier for mandolins who has been living and working in Germany since the 1980s. He has built the Cremonese mandolin (four single strings) that is played by himself, as well as the mandola.
Ernesto Becucci (1845 – 1905) was a popular and succesful Italian composer during the second half of the 19th century. Especially his composition “Tesoro Mio” has been successful all over the world.
His compositions have also been arranged for mandolin and mandolin orchestra. In the monthly reports about published music (Hofmeisters Monatsberichte) from 1906 I have found a note about the composition “Erhaschte Küsse Op. 294” in a version for mandolin solo or with piano or guitar accompaniment:
The composition “Che Ridere!” played by the mandolin ensemble “Mutinae Plectri” can be seen in the following video:
I have also found a historical recording with Troise and his Mandoliers (Selecta Plectrum Orchestra), a recording of “Che ridere” by the Ensemble Ansamblul “ANIMO” from Moldavia and another version of “Tesoro Mio” with mandolins, mandocello and guitar (sheet music for this arrangement can be found in the Mandolin Cafe forum – see below).
There are many other versions with piano, accordion, carouselorgan or with bigger orchestras.
I have compiled compositions by Ernesto Becucci in the following playlist – enjoy the music by Ernesto Becucci!
This is a well-known Italian waltz, originally written in 1895 for piano and adapted to many other settings over the following century. The original piano score is at IMSLP and there are many recordings, old and new, on Youtube. Pasquale Troise recorded it at one of his very first Decca sessions around 1929/30 (Link) with his Selecta Plectrum Mandoline Orchestra, shortly to be renamed “Troise & His Mandoliers”.
Becucci was a popular composer of the day and this is his best-known tune. He was a contemporary of Carlo Munier in Florence, and Munier dedicated his Duettino I to Becucci.
My recording is based on an arrangement for two mandolins and guitar published around 1910/20 by A. Paolilli’s Music Co., Providence R.I., and uploaded by Sheri in her Dropbox thread. I have recorded the original mandolin parts on vintage Italian bowlback mandolins, and have added a mandocello bass line to the guitar rhythm.
You can also find a number of free sheet music downloads for piano in the French National Library bnf:
mandolin ensemble
