baroque-lute  

[BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Was Cabinet der Lauten - now French-German transition

Mathias Rösel
Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:37:16 -0700

"Rob" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> schrieb:
> Thanks to those who gave me some info on Lesage. It has made me aware of how
> little I know of the period of transition between French 11c and German 11c
> styles. Much of the early German 11c music seems very French,

One of the recently CDs by Joachim Held is called Lute Music from
Habsburgian countries. IMO that works better than German, Austrian,
Bohemian, Polish, as far as the 17th / 18th centuries are concerned.
As for French, that name refers to styles of particular Parisian
lutenists. However, there is much between, say, the Gaultiers (with
their sometimes goatlikely jumping melodies, breaks and turns) and
Mouton (with his poised melodies and kinda naturally grown fingerings),
or Gallot (with his special use of registers) and de Launay (with his
his emphasis on unexpected turns in harmony). Also, there is much
between Mouton and his pupil Le Sage de Richee.

So, one may ask, what's French? Is it stile brisé (that term was coined
by David Buch, if I'm not mistaken)? I don't think so, as you can find
rhythmically shifted voice leading and sprezzature just as well with
Michelangelo Galilei and Gianoncelli, to name just two.

> and I'm wondering where the break was

If there actually was, it will be safe to say that it is connected with
SLWeiss. There was another shift, though, in France itself. You can find
it with de Visee and Saint Luc (unbroken descant lines).

> - when did German composers start writing 11c German music?

Composers in Habsburgian countries started composing as soon as the 11c
lute had been introduced. That much can be said at least. However, there
is no such thing like German 11c lute music, as far as I can see.
Reusner started, if you will, the French way and so did many others.
Increasing emphasis on national folk tunes and unbroken descant lines,
however, can be seen in early 18th century amateur manuscripts of
Carinthian and Bohemian provenance.
-- 
Mathias



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