On 4 Mar 2005 at 17:32, John Howell wrote: > At 3:46 PM -0500 3/4/05, David W. Fenton wrote: > > > >Also, keep in mind that Bach's gamba sonatas assumed a 7-string gamba > >with a low A string (because two of the three sonatas require low B), > > Hmm. The only one I'm really familiar with is the G major, and that > one certainly doesn't require the newfangled 7th string. . . .
Well, the first one is a reworking of a flute sonata that is earlier than the other two sonatas. > . . . Also please > note that the gamba obbligato in the St. John Passion (No. 58 in the > old numbering), which he wrote a year after leaving Coethen, was for a > 6-string instrument, as are the Brandenburg parts in No. 6, while the > gamba parts in the St. Matthew Passion do require the 7th string. By > 1729 he was not only aware of the modification introduced by St. > Colombe and Marais, but had someone with an instrument that would play > the parts. That would make a great deal of sense that 2 of the 3 would have the low note, then, since they are later (if I'm remembering correctly -- gotta run to a rehearsal in 10 minutes, or I'd pull out the score and check). -- David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton David Fenton Associates http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
