[VIHUELA] Re: Sanz and the High G

[Martyn Hodgson]

   Point taken about argument starting points.

   However, I'm not trying to establish a high 3rd

   on the guitar as a tuning definitely used by the

   Old Ones (or not): like the chimera of octave

   stringing on a theorbo's second course

    (a subject of an earlier thread and about

   which we disagree - I think),  it may be possible

   but improbable  (see Monica Hall's paper on

   guitar stringing which, I believe, summarises

    available evidence). In fact, a bit like Russell's

    celebrated conception of a flying saucer in

   orbit between the Earth and moon.


   MH


   PS Dear Howard,  I'm having problems with emails through the list (=
   appearance of rogue =3D signs) - could you kindly let me know if your
   own c= opy suffers from similar problems. Ta.



   --- On Fri, 25/4/08, howard posner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]&= gt; wrote:

     From: howard posner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
     Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Sanz and the High G
     To: "Vihuela" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] .dartmouth.edu>
     Date: Friday, 25 April, 2008, 7:49 PM
On =
Apr 25, 2008, at 7:16 AM, Martyn Hodgson wrote:

> cannot we assume that, like with lutes, the first course of guitars =
=20
> were pitched as high (or at least not too far off) as they  co=3D =20
> uld  reasonably bear.

You can only assume this if you also assume the lack of a high octave =20
on the third course.  Since the presence or lack of the high G is =20
what you're trying to establish, you have to assume your conclusion =20
in order to assume your premise.

Someone in this thread (I saw it second-hand in Monica's post) =20
mentioned Roman pitch:

> Some argue that Roman pitch was around
> 392, others say it was nearer 460.


I don't know anyone who argues that Roman pitch was ever higher than =20
A 415.  Surviving 17th-century Roman organs are slightly lower than =20
392.  Doni wrote in 1640 that the pitch of Roman organs had been =20
lowered a semitone in about (or since) 1600.  Robert Smith wrote in =20
1749 that Roman organs in "about 1720" were pitched around 392.  In =20
the early 18th century, Handel, Alessandro Scarlatti and Caldara =20
wrote the oboe parts for Roman performances that are written a whole-=20
tone below the other parts, which Bruce Haynes takes to mean the =20
oboes were at A 435 and everyone else was at A 384.  See Haynes' A =20
History of Performing Pitch: the Story of "A" at pages 69-72,
167-168.
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