#torban

In H. Sienkiewicz’s novel „Ogniem i mieczem” Jurko Bohun is said to play teorban/torban (Ukrainian: торбан):

— Bohun! — mówiła stara. — Od pułku przybyłeś, sokole? A z teorbanem? [...] — A to tak gadaj, sokole, teorban weź, zagraj, zaśpiewaj, to ci i na duszy lżej się zrobi. [...] Wtem przez ciężką lamową kotarę doszły do niej płynące z daleka dźwięki teorbanu i jednocześnie jakiś głos począł nucić do wtóru znaną pieśń...

The example of a torban from the late 18th century or the beginning of the 19th century:

Some modern scholars are of the opinion, that H. Sienkiewicz confused musical instruments and torban could appear only in the mid-18th century, so c. 100 years after Bohun’s lifetime. What is more, torban had the opinion of a courtly instrument, played mostly by ladies (for me personally it is a perfect association!). That is why during the work on the film version of “Ogniem i mieczem” has been decided to change Bohun’s instrument from torban to bandura – the instrument, which was not even mentioned by Henryk Sienkiewicz in his novel, but at the same time was very popular in the Ukrainian Cossack environment and recorded in historical sources from the period even earlier than 1648. Banduras from the mid-17th century (Bohun’s time) could look approximately like this:

That is why in the film Kurcewiczowa, while seeing Bohun on the forest road, says: Witaj Bohun, radam ci serdeńko, zagrasz nam dziś na bandurze!

What is more, the actor in the film plays neither torban, neither bandura, but a lute guitar / German lute (German: Gitarrenlaute, Deutsche Laute or Wandervogellaute; Polish: lutnia romantyczna; Ukrainian: лютня-гітара, німецька лютня, лютня Вандерфогель) – the instrument from the mid-19th century:

Hiyori: That's impos-

Torban: [Cups her face, smiling]

Hiyori: I did not ask for this. These are unauthorized snuggles.

Torban: *Moves away*

Bohun’s described as playing the torban in the book and I, not knowing what a torban was, decided to go on a research jaunt because I wanted to know just what his sad, soulful music sounded like.

Here is this “The Stringdom” series again, this one covering an instrument you don’t see very often at all - the torban. This young girl they interview is a pretty amazing person - she knows a huge amount, plays beautifully, and knows English as well. All in all, it’s a pretty thorough demonstration and explanation of the torban.

As usual, I was looking for something and was distracted by something else. What distracted me was this - a torban.   It is very hard to find a decent video with someone actually playing it, so I think it is quite a rarely played instrument (and it seems obvious why as it looks godawful complicated) - but this is sweet.

The history of torban seems quite interesting - and here are some ‘edited highlights’ from Wikipedia’s entry:

The torban (also teorban or Ukrainian theorbo) is a Ukrainian musical instrument that combines the features of the baroque lute with those of the psaltery. The Тorban differs from...the theorbo in that it had additional short treble strings strung along the treble side of the soundboard. It appeared ca. 1700...The Torban was manufactured and used mainly in Ukraine, but also occasionally encountered in neighbouring Poland and Russia...The surviving printed musical literature for torban is extremely limited, notwithstanding the widespread use of the instrument in Eastern Europe. It was an integral part of the urban oral culture in Ukraine, both in Russian and Polish controlled parts of the country (after the split).