Greetings all, I can't but help to jump into this conversation since my dissertation topic addresses this exact issue. Though I'm still in the beginning stages of my research on the context of Protestant lute music performance, I can add that a small tidbit. Paul Nettle's book "Luther and Music" provides a tantalizing reference, if not problematic. (Paul was the father of the famous ethnomusicologist, Bruno Nettle). He relates an anecdote regarding Luther himself (pre-1517, if memory serves). According to Nettle, Luther was saying Mass and was expecting an organ to provide the accompaniment for the Kyrie. Unfortunately, the organ was not working at the time. Luther, looking around for assistance, promptly relates that a deacon picked up a lute and played the Kyrie - solo.
Of course, this seems like a fine reference approaching the "Holy Grail" status for someone interested in the topic, but Nettle neglected to provide a footnote and I can't for the life of me find where he got that information. (The original German version of the monograph is *very* hard to find). At this point it seems like a nice story, but problematic for us budding musicologists trying to negotiate the intricacies of dissertation committees. Alas. This whole discussion of performance context is quite interesting. I've noticed that scholarship tends to have "bucket" called "domestic" or "house" music when performance context for a body of small scale musical works cannot be determined. I get the impression that this repertoire falls into that slot. Fortunately, I think this may have been correct in some instances - especially as we look at the sacred Protestant repertoire of the 17th. century in the context of Orthodox Lutheranism and the burgeoning Pietist movement in the northern realms of the German speaking world. Context, context...it's all context. Or so I've been told. ;-) A request. I have seen a few references to lute print by Daniel Laelius "Testudo spiritualis" (1617), which apparently is a an intabulation of all 150 psalms. Would anyone have a copy they could photocopy? I'll be glad to reimburse for costs. Best to all Gary Beckman Doctoral Candidate: Musicology University of Texas at Austin Lute and Sacred Music concentration On Feb 25, 2005, at 11:29 AM, AJN (boston) wrote: > The lute books seem to have been for personal use, Pater (later Abbot) > Herman Kniebandl, for example. But there are sacred pieces in two of > the > books from Gruessau (Mss 2009?? and 2011 now in Warsaw). I imagine > the use > of secular music in the monasteries may have been "local option." > > The magnificent mountainside Monastery at Melk maintained an orchestra > in > the 18th cen. which played for visitors from a hidden room. (e.g., the > emperor stayed at Melk while travelling). (The sounds issued through a > circle-shaped window above the banquet hall. Otherwise secular music > was > apparently prohibited the monks, with one exception. Every year the > monks > were bleed, and for a few days thereafter the orchestra was permitted > to > play minuets while the monks recuperated.. > > But the question is an interesting one. That is, secular music in > sacred > places. As well as sacred music in secular places. Now about Johann > Michael Sciurius aka? Eich�rnchen? Is that a valid German family name? > > AJN. > <><> > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
