Dear Arto
The question might be what the characteristics are that you are
looking
for
in an 11-course baroque lute, and for what part of the 11c repertoire, and what
type of stringing you are hoping to use (particularly for the basses), low
tension:high tension, pure gut or loaded basses, or synthetics? All this might
determine the best makers for you to consider.
Model and bass string type:
The model (and maker) you may want to choose could be determined partly by the
type of stringing you use. Although, for the French repertory it is sometimes
felt that a 67cm Bologna style lute (or less) might be a typical choice (Vienna
Frei)
if you wish to use gut, this may mean you need to use loaded or gimped basses
(at around 415) to avoid over thick basses.
If you want to use pure gut, you may prefer to adopt a slightly longer string
length, and possibly a larger bowl (Rauwolf, multi-ribbed Tieffenbrucher,
Burkholzer etc); these may be felt less French by some, who base this mainly
on
Burwell,
possibly, ignoring evidence of models represented on the Rhétorique de Dieux
manuscript.
Sustain and clarity:
Personally, I feel that Jakob Lindberg is right in considering that the ideal
lute (for this and possibly other repertories) would be those having the two
almost contradictory characteristics he claims for his Rauwolf: <<this
has exactly what I want. It has that clarity but also sustain, which is
amazing
>> Lute Quaterly Mai 2007 P.8.
Anthony Bailes suggests that "sustain" was so essential to the French musicians
that this was what brought them to search out old Italian Bologna lutes.
"The last, and most important point is that notes on such instruments have more
sustain coupled with a more gradual and even decay to the sound. This is
particularly important as it can give the impression that a note sounds on
longer than it actually does." (Lute News 85, Avril 2008)
In his Gaultier recordings, AB considers this so necessary to his
interpretation
of this music that he is willing to sacrifice ideal string length, adopting a
76cm historic Wenger lute, just for the greater sustain this vintage lute
affords.
However, vintage lutes not being readilly available ... how can we approach
that
French ideal of sustain and clarity?
I feel a slightly longer string length than the Vienna Frei (69 to 71), such
as
that of the Warwick, or perhaps certain Mahler models, along with the use of
loaded bass strings might give us a little more depth of sound and sustain,
while maintaining a good balance between registers.
A larger bodied lute with loaded basses might have a little too much bass for
the French repertory, but be excellent (if not quite historically accurate) for
later styles. they may work quite well with pure gut basses (Satoh, etc) giving
good depth, but perhaps be somewhat lacking in sustain.
I am very happy with my 69.5 cm 11c Warwick lute from Stephen Gottlieb with
loaded basses; it does have good sustain and singing quality, even if it might
not be quite so transparent in the top register, as some lutes (Martin
Haycock's
for example). Thus again your preference of lute maker may be determined by the
qualities you find essential in a Baroque lute.
It is difficult to unite all these qualities in the same lute, but presumably a
lute by Paul Thomson might near this.
The best maker for your chosen model:
You may perhaps look for a maker according to the model, string length and
string type, you want to adopt. Certain makers may be particularly renowned for
certain models (and associated with certain playing styles), although they may
be quite open to making other lute models.
Just to quote one, Richard Berg seems to be a maker frequently chosen by those
proning low tension pure gut basses and who prefer the multi-ribbed Burkholzer
or Greiss lutes (Satoh etc).
String tweaking:
Indeed, as I am sure you are aware, choice of stringing is almost as important
as choice of lute, and I have spent the last two years trying to maximise my
lute's singing quality by small shifts in the stringing.
Please do not consider that there is only one way to go, it is more a question
of finding the right pitch, string type, and tension at which a particular lute
really begins to sing.
My 69.5cm lute seems to work better at 392 than previously used 415 or 407; and
Aquila low impedance Venice strings on basses (loaded), most octaves, and
Meanes
does maximise sustain (through sympathetic resonances and low impedance to the
soundboard) but while maintaining good clarity.
Nevertheless, I recently raised the tension on bass courses (while keeping a
higher relative tension on the octaves) which further increased sustain, thus
further improving this singing quality.
I would not claim this is the only way to string a lute, just that a good lute
can become an excellent one with the choice of the right stringing, both for
the
lute and for the player.
This Sunday, I attended Benjamin Narvey's Baroque lute concert here in
Paris, and can report the excellent sustain projection and clarity that
Benjamin
achieved with three different lutes all strung with gut, and with loaded
basses:
a 67cm Frei by Martin Haycock, a 71cm Tieffenbrucher by Stephen Gottlieb, and a
13 course 70cm Frei by Martin Haycock,
Bravo, Benjamin!
Please do not consider that I am suggesting the lute makers I have
mentioned are
the best, or that others are somehow lesser.
Indeed, I think the best Baroque lute maker for one lutenist, may not be at all
the choice of another. It does depend on your priorities and playing choices,
but I am sure you are aware of all this.
Finally, some lute makers do fine tune the setting of a lute better than
others,
so that it may become easier to play for the same string length and model.
Some lute makers also spend many hours on the woodwork crafting, which may or
may not effect the sound, and may or may not be important to you, but all this
does effect the price.
You may also want to find a lute maker with whom you can readilly discuss your
needs, and who is open to listening to you.
Two very good lute makers who I have found particularly open to discussion are
Martin Shepherd, here on this list (who of course is also a lutenist) and
Malcolm Prior.
Best wishes
Anthony
________________________________
De : wikla <wi...@cs.helsinki.fi>
À : baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Envoyé le : Mer 25 mai 2011, 22h 46min 32s
Objet : [BAROQUE-LUTE] Top luthiers of 11-courser?
Dear baroque lutenists,
as some of you perhaps have noticed, I've become heavily addicted to the 11
course French baroque lute after some decades of of playing the lutes in
the "vieil accord", in the so called "renaissance tuning".
And I actually now have a quite nice 11-courser by Lars Jönsson (Joensson,
Jonsson), see
http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/wikla/mus/11_courseLute/EkatKuvat.html
And my possible(?) progress with that instrument in one and half year can
be checked in my page
http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/wikla/mus/11_courseLute/
But my eagerness to that strange and most wonderful instrument has become
so irresistible that I would like to order an instrument of highest
quality.
So, who do you think is today the best maker of 11-course baroque lutes?
And a waiting list of too many years excludes even the best of bests...
Any recommendations?
All the best,
Arto
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