Rob MacKillop
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:23:08 -0700
Here are two versions of Gaspar Sanz's Fuga 1: a) no bourdons and unison third course: http://www.songoftherose.co.uk/mp3/bg/sanz/RobMacKillopSanzFuga1.mp3 b) no bourdons and high octave third course - the highest octave on the thumb side: http://www.rmguitar.info/mp3s/Rfuga.mp3 (on an original instrument, mid-17thC) Now, Sanz stipulates (Cf http://www.monicahall.co.uk/) bourdons for strummed music and no bourdons for plucked music. Nowhere does he say 'use a high octave pairing on the third course'. We've had a few debates on this list about bourdons and high ocatves, and I've always accepted that Sanz should be played with unison third course and no bourdons, but this fuga makes me wonder. In the vast majority of Sanz's music we meet moments where lines leap about in octaves, and it never bothers me - I quite like it, in fact; it seems to be part of the charm of the instrument. However, when it comes to this fuga...almost every line makes musical sense, EVERY line, with the high octave on the third, but not so with unison third: this really stretches the bounds of musicality, not just to our own aestehtics, but to what was around Sanz at the time. Someone like Sanz would have had many different guitars - different stringing arrangements, different construction, even different pitches. Is it not reasonable to suggest that one of these guitars might have had a high g, but the guitar he used most for punteado style had a unison g? This fuga sits perfectly on a guitar with a high octave third course. Cue Monica... Rob PS Monica - I agree with everything you say on the subject of stringing, but this particular piece... -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html