Pls. correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Gallant also imply "mood" related
to keys, i.e. direct influence on the listeners mood with the music, like f.
ex. indian music claims to do? (The correct term eludes me, I really should
read Farstads book! :)
G.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Wilke" <chriswi...@yahoo.com>
To: <baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>; "G. Crona" <kalei...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 4:16 PM
Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Galant definition
Farstad's book is the best source for this music in reference to the lute.
It includes exhaustive lists of composers, pieces and sources. More
generally, there is Gjerdingen's book:
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Galant-Style-Robert-Gjerdingen/dp/0195313712
I've read this book, but it is not particularly clarifying in terms of
defining what gallant actually is. He describes a lot of processes, but
there is little feeling that they add up in the end to a style.
This is still a grey area. I don't particularly like "gallant" as a
musical term because it is so general. In contemporary usage, it clearly
had more to do with one's general habits and lifestyle than musical
characteristics. Thus, Baron calls Weiss the best, most gallant composer.
I think most of us would agree that Hagen is also a gallant composer.
Would we really say Weiss and Hagen are writing in the same style? Would
we even say that Straube's two lute sonatas and his English guittar pieces
are in the same style?
There is a real mixture of approaches going on from around c.1740's (and
earlier) up to the classical period: high, contrapuntal baroque a la Papa
Bach, a sort of "easy baroque" a la Scarlatti, a more overtly operatic
form a la Hasse, and empfindsamer stil a la C.P.E Bach. All of these
things were claimed to be "gallant" and one finds all of these styles
happening simultaneously. I suspect that when people say "gallant"
nowadays, they really mean the Hasse incarnation, with a florid,
vocal-like line over an accompaniment that is of secondary importance,
usually comprised of slow-moving harmonies and stock figurations. Lot's
of triplets and Lombard rhythms!
This is a tough nut to crack which has gotten too little scholarly
attention. I think more people are becoming interesting in the era, but
there is still a lot to be done.
Chris
Christopher Wilke
Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer
www.christopherwilke.com
--- On Fri, 10/22/10, G. Crona <kalei...@gmail.com> wrote:
From: G. Crona <kalei...@gmail.com>
Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Galant definition
To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 9:31 AM
I believe the standard work to be:
http://openlibrary.org/works/OL7827880W/German_galant_lute_music_in_the_18th_century
haven't read it myself unfortunately...
G.
----- Original Message -----
From: <theoj89...@aol.com>
To: <baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 3:23 PM
Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Galant definition
>
>
> Could anyone help me understand the definition of
'Galant' music?
> Does it refer only to lute music, or to the
period/style.
> What are its characteristics - if they can be summed
up?
> Which composers would be considered most typical of
Galant style?
> Thanks for helping a enthusiastic beginner further
appreciate such a great
> literature.
> trj
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