Thank you for this Bernhard,
Yes indeed, Von Radolt has interesting things to say to us.
An earlier FoMRHI joint paper explores his instructions:
Comm 737 Von Radolts instructions to lute players (,,,1701).
[1]https://www.fomrhi.org/uploads/bulletins/Fomrhi-044.pdf
This paper has an English translation of Von Radolt's
instructions and also a commentary on them. As explained
in the paper, the translation aimed to be literal rather literary.
With regard to your observation about playing the concerts
with just one lute, here's what the translation has:
This "Concert" is in four parts and so each lute part
corresponds to a fiddle part, and because of the good high
humour when one has taken a fiddle, a small bass, fiddle
and a bass all tuned from the small lute, in this "Concert" the
soprano part that is the small lute must at all times be set
strongly, and so when the second and third lute are doubled
then the first should be at least tripled, however if the second
and third lutes are single the first must be set doubled, making
a particularly good effect when one part is played, accordingly,
It is still complete when three single lutes are used with the
other parts silent, in a similar way one can nevertheless one
time expel all but the first lute playing alone, or with two lutes,
and it may also be well played with fiddles or oboes without
lutes or also with lutes without fiddles.'
In short, virtually any combination was sanctioned by the composer....
regards
MH
On Monday, 5 August 2019, 19:05:02 BST, Fischer BE (Aon)
<fischer...@aon.at> wrote:
Dear lute friends,
Wenzel Ludwig Edler von Radolt (Vienna, 1667 to 1716), an
Austro-Italian aristrocratic descent, was a lutenist and composer in
Vienna at the Imperial Court. He claims to have be inspired by the
french Dufault. In 1701 he presented his lute concerts to Joseph I
(Holy Roman Emperor since 1705). In total he printed 12 so-called
'Concerti' in the collection "Die Aller Treüeste Freindin" (Die
Aller
Treueste Freundin). In his "Die Aller Treüeste Freindin", the lute
was
used for the first time as an obligato instrument in the string
ensemble. These concerts document the use of Baroque lutes in
different
sizes.
However, in the foreword to "Die Aller Treüeste Freindin" he
announces
that it was his first intension to composed pieces for the solo lute,
and later then he added the other instruments. Accordingly he
encourages other lutenists to play the lute parts of his 'Concerti'
on
the solo instrument with the words "Es betrügen sich auch gar
wirklich
jene, so glauben möchten, daà weillen dieses Werkh zum Concerten
gemacht, man nicht ein jedes Stückh allein zu seiner
Zeit-Vertreibung,
schlagen könnte, in denen einem jeden daà Widerspil & Effect zeigen
wird, denn dieses allein zu schlagen mein erstes absehen gewesen
ist".
(While I am fully capable to understand this old German language and
its meaning, I am NOT capable translating this phrase into propper
English. Sorry. You have to trust me).
According I tried my best in home-recording some of his pieces from
the
lute concerto in d-minor on the solo baroque lute.
In his compositions Radolt makes frequent use of separate playing the
main and the octave strings of the bass courses, as well actively
stopping individual strings.
I play all pieces on my gut strung 11-course Frei lute (392 Hz.
String
length is 67 cm, build by Mr. Renatus Lechner), which is very close
to
Radolt's recommendation to play the lute piece on a small instrument.
Please remember, I am full-time biochemist in Vienna, Austria. The
audios are available in my "Viennalute A" channel
[1][2]https://soundcloud.com/user-95241032/sets/lute-concerto-in-d-mino
r-c
omposed-by-wenzel-ludwig-edler-von-radolt-1701
I appriate your critical comments, and please: the much more capables
and professionals among you/us should take on this inspiration to
play
the baroque lute music composed by Wenzel Ludwig Edler von Radolt
more
than 300 years ago.
Ernst Bernhard, Vienna.
Please also visit my other lute channels "Viennalute 1"
[2][3]https://soundcloud.com/user-32080944 / and "Viennalute 2"
[3][4]https://soundcloud.com/user-731566193
--
References
1.
[5]https://soundcloud.com/user-95241032/sets/lute-concerto-in-d-minor-c
omposed-by-wenzel-ludwig-edler-von-radolt-1701
2. [6]https://soundcloud.com/user-32080944 /
3. [7]https://soundcloud.com/user-731566193
To get on or off this list see list information at
[8]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
--
References
1. https://www.fomrhi.org/uploads/bulletins/Fomrhi-044.pdf
2. https://soundcloud.com/user-95241032/sets/lute-concerto-in-d-minor-c
3. https://soundcloud.com/user-32080944
4. https://soundcloud.com/user-731566193
5.
https://soundcloud.com/user-95241032/sets/lute-concerto-in-d-minor-composed-by-wenzel-ludwig-edler-von-radolt-1701
6. https://soundcloud.com/user-32080944
7. https://soundcloud.com/user-731566193
8. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
