[EMAIL PROTECTED] at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Does anyone know if the theorbo music of John > Wilson is available anywhere? I'm particularly > interested in the series of pieces in each key. Also, > can this music be played on a big Italian theorbo > (chittarone)? Thanks in advance,
All the solo Wilson pieces I know of are in the Oxford Bodleian Library Ms. Mus b.1, which is reproduced in Volume VII of the Garland "English Song 1600-1675" series. If you're asking whether they're meant for Italian theorbo tuning with the top two courses down, the answer is clearly no. There is some difference of opinion on how they actually do work. I think some are meant to be in lute tuning, with all courses at lute pitch, and some in English theorbo tuning, with only the first course down an octave. I know other people think that they're all meant for English theorbo tuning. Some of the Wilson songs in the manuscript have accompaniments in tablature, which might throw some light on the question as well; I haven't looked at many of them. If you're asking whether it's physically practical to play the music on a big instrument, I can't be much help, I'm afraid. Howard
