At 06:14 PM 12/4/2003 +0100, Jerzy ZAK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Dear Matanya,
>
>I feel a little uncomfortable sending my question to the List - and
>that way obviously to you as well - again. Some time ago, when I joined
>the List, I was mainly expecting fresh news and knowledge in small bits
>shared by people dealing with all aspects of lute and it's music. But
>time showed that some people prefer wasting time - ours, mine, on
>personal quarrels.

This last quarrel was not personal. I avoided the thread until Albert 
Reyerman had a chance to defend himself. I think he did a marvelously clear 
job, and it was then that he was attacked personally. I intervened on his 
behalf, not because he is a friend of mine, but because he is a colleague, 
and even though his edition of the John Johnson competes directly with 
mine, I know exactly from my own experience how difficult it is to publish 
lute music and how unfair the charge of greed is. My intervention was mild 
by all accounts, but it still generated an ad hominem attack on me, 
starting with a distortion of my name, and referring to my _reputation_ as 
a justification for classifying my current statement as vile. The rest of 
this ugly affair is in no need of being mentioned.


>  Lets to the point, then. May I ask you again (you
>could just overlooked my small posting, but you were present on the
>list in the meantime):
>
>What are the discoveries of Francesco Castelfranco, and other recent
>discoveries?

I know very little about it directly. I heard that 2 new pieces by 
Francesco da Milano were discovered in Castelfranco something or other in 
Italy. Paul O'Dette is said to have recorded them, and  there are copies 
circulating in the lute grape vine. Ron Andrico once told me he had them. I 
have not seen one myself. The subject has been mentioned here before, 
mostly by Arthur Ness who will be better informed about this than I am.

As for other discoveries, it is only a simple postulate that argues that we 
have no way of knowing what it is we do not know. New things come up for 
air all the time.

For example, many years ago, I photographed in Leningrad., when it was 
still Leningrad, a lute manuscript in one library. In a more recent attempt 
to get an official copy of it, I was told the manuscript does not exist 
there anymore, and they would not tell me where it is now. For all I know, 
my photographic copy of this manuscript may be the only existing copy of 
it. I really do not know anything about this manuscript, and I have not 
looked at the film in many years. It may be something that is very well 
known, or that was known to people like Kosak and Neeman, or it may be an 
entirely new discovery. One of these days, when I am in a better mood and 
when I can deal with lute music and lutenists directly, without regard to 
my so-called reputation, I may investigate this further.


Matanya Ophee
Editions Orphe'e, Inc.,
1240 Clubview Blvd. N.
Columbus, OH 43235-1226
Phone: 614-846-9517
Fax:     614-846-9794
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.orphee.com 



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