Isabelle, Thanks, quite informative to see the translations of the time.
May I attempt to summarize the two passages? I think both of your authors are saying that there is an art to music, and there is a craft. And that some players who don't have the art cover that by impressing with their craft. In order to play any instrument one must have some finger skills, but I think they are saying that the music is less those skills than the sense of the song. I repeat a dictum from my choirmaster of 55 years ago. "Any damned fool can shout, it takes a singer to sing softly". Put in the terms of the lute, a mechanic can play at virtuoso speed, a musician plays a piece with feeling. Were that not so then every pianist would be playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" (or Jack Fina's "Bumble Boogie", and when I could play that I quit piano lessons - as I wasn't a musician then). Best, Jon > It is difficult to answer this question because there are very few theoretical documents about the tempo of performance. However, I had a look to Juan Bermudo's Declaraci�n (1555), and I think we can point out 2 passages: 1) Book 4, cap 34: " No consiste la m�sica en correr las teclas, mayormente sin arte, sino en dar a cada modo lo que es suyo. La m�sica apressurada no le contenta a Stapulense, ni menos a Saint Augutin." ( Music does not consist in running the keys( on the keyboard), above all without art, but in giving each mode its character. Running music is not pleasing to Stapulense, and less to Saint Augustin). 2) Book 4, cap 43: " Es tan diminyuda y bolada la m�sica de este tiempo porque ella es texto y glosa: Si algun ta�edor fuese desbocado de manos, y le pareciere que la m�sica es pesada: puede la ta�er tan apriesa ( por su consolaci�ny contentamiento), que el breve haga semibreve, y al semibreve de valor de m�nima. De forma, que en lugar de compas largos haga compasete, y hartarse ha de correr" ( Music of this time is so disminished and quick because it is text and glose. If any player were skilly enough with his hands, and thinks that music is heavy: he can play it so quickly ( for his contentness) that the breve is a semibreve, and the semibreve a minim. So that instead of long measure, he plays "compasete" ( = measure twice faster), and he will be fully happy with his running). So Bermudo notices that some players enjoy paying fast, enjoy their habilety and skilfulness on the instrument, but does not share this point of view for music, and prefers moderate music so that the modes keep their gravity and seriousness. It is still so subjective... But I think it is important to keep in mind this advice for the tempo in music. Cheers Isabelle Villey __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com/
