To find out why the theorbo was invented, you'd have to ask the inventor: Rube Goldberg
JM On 11/3/14 11:56 AM, "Roland Hayes" <rha...@legalaidbuffalo.org> wrote: > I suggest its origins were for the solo singer to accompany himself (Peri, > Caccini, others in Italy ca. 1600). Salamone Rossi calls for it in > instrumental dances very early, and it makes sense with one on a part strings > - the chords and the basses plucked really stand out. From there to the trio > sonata and competent continuo players being included along with lutenists and > keyboardists in early productions, and a sort of tradition developed despite > the many drawbacks you list, Chris. > > -----Original Message----- > From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf > Of Christopher Wilke > Sent: Monday, November 03, 2014 11:41 AM > To: Geoff Gaherty; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Martyn Hodgson > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Ren lute as sub for theorbo > > Martyn, > > On Mon, 11/3/14, Martyn Hodgson <hodgsonmar...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > >> If you believe the >> lute 'works well' and is 'quite audible' for >> continuo in ensemble, such as that >> required for a Bach harpsichord >> concerto, why do you think the theorbo was ever invented? > > I've often wondered how the theorbo ever became a "thing" myself. What an > improbably solution it offers for musical issues! And what an awkward, > ungainly thing it is to master and use idiomatically! Strange fingerboard > tuning... Limited melodic range... inability to double most vocal lines for > support, especially when accompanying shaky singers... harmonic register > placed in an undistinguished mid-range that is easily covered by others in > even small groups... Campanellas are neat, but they take a lot of additional > dedicated practice time to master and are virtually useless in ensemble > playing other than in the most exposed passages. The basses, of course, sound > great! They can be used to incredible effect - IF the bass line is diatonic > for the tuning you happen to have during that section of the piece... and > fairly slow moving... sans lots of leaps... without requiring a surplus of > articulation... or too many ascending scalar passages that will ring... > and you've also spent tons of time practicing to securely find your way > through the forest of strings. (Know that the director will invariably want > the theorbo to be the sole accompaniment instrument for the prima donna's > passionate chromatic lament in B-flat minor at the opera's heart-rending > denouement. He will announce this only as you're tuning up immediately before > the opening show.) Volume is an asset. However, aside from the beauty of the > open basses, the overall sound doesn't project especially well and so is more > evident to the player than the listeners. It does look cool, however. > > I speak as someone who has played a lot of theorbo. My very first album was > dedicated to solo theorbo music. I still love the instrument and its > repertoire. However, considering all the time I've had to put into becoming > competent and considering the challenges of the medium versus the > acceptability of then-current alternatives (i.e. Renaissance lute), I've often > pondered why the ancients ever bothered to embrace this cranky beast as > enthusiastically as they did. My guess is it caught on because it looked cool > back then, too. ;-) > > Chris > > > > > Dr. Christopher Wilke D.M.A. > Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer > www.christopherwilke.com > > -------------------------------------------- > On Mon, 11/3/14, Martyn Hodgson <hodgsonmar...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Ren lute as sub for theorbo > To: "Geoff Gaherty" <ge...@gaherty.ca>, "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu" > <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Date: Monday, November 3, 2014, 10:47 AM > > If you believe the > lute 'works well' and is 'quite audible' for > continuo in ensemble, such as that > required for a Bach harpsichord > concerto, why do you think the theorbo was ever invented? > > __________________________________________________________________ > > From: Geoff Gaherty <ge...@gaherty.ca> > To: "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu" > <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Sent: Monday, 3 November 2014, 13:42 > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Ren lute as sub for theorbo > On 2014-11-03, 8:18 AM, Christopher Wilke > wrote: > > Ren lute is absolutely fine. When I played in the Collegium at > Eastman, > > Paul (O'Dette) > occasionally sat in with us continuo players. He > always > > used his 8 course > I played continuo on my 7-course > renaissance lute for many years in a > baroque ensemble class at the Royal > Conservatory of Music in Toronto. > Although I own an archlute, the 7c was much more portable, easier to > play, and sounded just fine. Some > chords were awkward because of the > tuning, but otherwise it worked well, and was quite audible in our > ensemble of 5 or so. Heck, I even > played continuo in a Bach > harpsichord > concerto! > Geoff > -- > Geoff Gaherty > Foxmead Observatory > Coldwater, Ontario, Canada > [1]http://www.gaherty.ca > [2]http://starrynightskyevents.blogspot.com/ > To get on or off this list see list > information at > [3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > > References > > 1. http://www.gaherty.ca/ > 2. http://starrynightskyevents.blogspot.com/ > 3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >
