James Tyler wrote:
Hi Stuart,
Highly interesting info about Bland, Marella and Ritter. I looked out my photocopy of the Ritter
"Lessons" which was taken from the late Bob Spencer's Collection. It is a later edition
published by Longman & Broderip (ca. 1770). No mention on the title page of Ritter's tuning
instructions, but it does have an interesting Longman & Broderip catalogue of musical
publications which lists several publications I've not heard of before. Does anyone know if any
of these items still exist:
"Assuni's Ladies Favorite", Carter's Lessons & Duets", Citeraeni's Divertiments", Clark's Hymns",
"Gerlin's Tunes & Songs" or "Menezier Divertiments"? There are several other unknowns but the list will get
to be too long.
James
I've seen references to Carter's Lessons, and, I think, Clark's Hymns on
the title pages of publications but I don't know if they survive. I was
looking at Ghillini di Asuni's 'Lady's Amusement - "being an intire new
Collection of Favourite French and Italian Songs, Airs, Minuets &
Marches", yesterday in the BL .Also Asuni's "Collection of Duets, Songs
and Airs for the Guittar" (both printed by Welcker) - fairly typical
fare but the latter has four quite interesting-looking Duetti. Asuni
published other music, not for guittar.
Stuart
----- Original Message -----
From: Stuart Walsh <s.wa...@ntlworld.com>
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009 3:17 pm
Subject: [CITTERN] D. Ritter and other English guitar things
To: cittern list <cittern@cs.dartmouth.edu>
I went to the British Library today - the first time in years. You
can
order books online these days!
In Bland's "First Collection of Twenty Four Airs etc" (London)
there are
duets for "6 string guittar and 7-string guittar or a violin". I
don't
recall references to 7-string guittars. The lowest note in the
music is
G below C. So the tuning would be like a French cistre in C. I'm
not
sure, but I don't think I ever remember coming across a 7-string
guittar, nor a reference to one.
I looked at Marella's "66 Lessons" (for a guittar in A) - with
the
major and minor in every key. ...but not the sharp or flat keys
other
than Bb. And about 40 are in A. But they all look very interesting
and
I'll get a microfilm. There's a bizarre piece called 'Pantomime'.
And
there are some interesting-looking duos and pieces with
thoroughbass
(all in A).
I looked at D. Ritter's "Lessons for the Guittar" (Rutherfords,
London).
Years ago I noted this on the title page: "the GUITTAR may be
played in
an easier & more compleat manner when the second string in the
BASS is
Tuned in D instead of E.". In France, Joseph Carpentier gives the
tuning
of the guitharre angloise several times as C,D, E, C,E,G. He also
mentions a Mr Reithre (+Ritter?) at some points.
Some of Ritter's pieces do exploit the D in the bass. Here's one I
wrote
out today - a Rondeau in G major (acknowledgements to current
thread on
lute list) first without reverb and second with a bit of reverb
which I
think gives it a bit more flavour. A bit more practice might help
too...!
(no reverb)
http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Ritterstaight.mp3
bit of reverb)
http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Ritter-reverb.mp3
But other pieces by Ritter - just simple little things - seem to
be
more difficult with the C-D-E-C-E-G tuning. I doubt that Ritter's
tuning
was widely used.
Stuart
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