>-Two: lute music relies mostly on first positions, whereas >the guitar
>not only allows for high position fingerings but often >sounds best in
>the higher positions.
>Because of those two points, I personally tend to think >that the best
>arrangements of Weiss's music on the guitar would >involve transposing
>upward, maybe as much as a fifth sometimes.
Alain, you may see this as an advantage, however this puts the
guitarist in a very uncomfortable situation.
For me anyway, it comes down to how the music was written on the lute.
In most all Weiss's music, the use of un fretted open strings were used, as
much as possible. Paul Odette said to me, on the baroque lute, one never
plucks the same string more than twice in a row.
In transposing this music up, the open strings of the guitar can't be
utilized. Resulting in very strained phrasing, very un lute like.
>The 8-string guitar which has both an extra bass and an >extra treble
>could work very well in that model. But in this day of >revival of the
>lute, there is little point in transcribing for the sake of it, >without
>paying attention to what the guitar could actually bring in >terms of
>its own qualities. At least at the professional level
Michael Thames
In the world of the lute, it seems some increase of awareness towards
the baroque lute is taking place, But within the mainstream guitar world it
think you would find very little interest, sadly!
>I have two remarks on the Baroque lute to guitar >transcriptions:
>-One big problem is the sound of the basses on the guitar >that are
>relatively dull when compared to the lute. This is >aggravated by the
>fact that lute music naturally makes of the richness of its >bass
>register. So is it a good idea to take the best of one >instrument to
>replace it by the worst of another?
I think this problem can be reminded, by using the same idea as a
swanneck lute. Most of the 11 string guitars I've seen all have the strings
stop at the first nut. This setup requires thick un responsive bass's. The
swanneck guitar would have longer basses so the diameters could be smaller
resulting in a better bass register.
BTW, I've come up with a name for the design I'm working on. "The Dresden
Model"
www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alain Veylit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "G.R. Crona" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 11:30 AM
Subject: Re: Weiss on guitar (was: Willams Concert)
> I have two remarks on the Baroque lute to guitar transcriptions:
> -One big problem is the sound of the basses on the guitar that are
> relatively dull when compared to the lute. This is aggravated by the
> fact that lute music naturally makes of the richness of its bass
> register. So is it a good idea to take the best of one instrument to
> replace it by the worst of another?
> -Two: lute music relies mostly on first positions, whereas the guitar
> not only allows for high position fingerings but often sounds best in
> the higher positions.
> Because of those two points, I personally tend to think that the best
> arrangements of Weiss's music on the guitar would involve transposing
> upward, maybe as much as a fifth sometimes.
> The 8-string guitar which has both an extra bass and an extra treble
> could work very well in that model. But in this day of revival of the
> lute, there is little point in transcribing for the sake of it, without
> paying attention to what the guitar could actually bring in terms of
> its own qualities. At least at the professional level.
> Alain
>
>
>
> G.R. Crona wrote:
>
> >I've always been a heretic in lute-matters, but am quite happy playing
Weiss
> >on a guitar tuned to D-minor while octavating the basses. Perfectly
viable.
> >
> >Also, the 11 string guitar is by no means a new invention. The swedish
> >guitarbuilder Bolin was making his "Altguitars" already in the 60's.
Listen
> >to G�ran S�llscher being a fair exponent.
> >
> >BTW wasn't this a lute list?
> >
> >B.R.
> >G.
> >
> >
> >On Apr 7, 2005 8:03 AM, Markus Lutz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Thank you, Ed, for giving this recording.
> >>Of course it is much easier to play Weiss (or baroque lute music in
general) if you have a guitar with additional basses.
> >>A "normal" guitar has it restrictions, but anyway Weiss stays beautiful
music even on such an instrument.
> >>I've begun to play Weiss and to estimate him through playing his music
on a concert guitar.
> >>Also I'm not a virtuoso on it, many of the Weiss suites worked very well
on it.
> >>In my eyes the main problem is how musically these adaptions are played
and if they have the baroque spirit that Weiss has.
> >>
> >>Regarding Schneeweiss I can only add, that his paraphrases of Weissian
music had been one of the main causes I have turned to the (baroque) lute.
> >>I feeled that his recordings doesn't fit at all the spirit of this music
and I wanted to learn how it sounded and how it should be played.
> >>
> >>Best
> >>Markus
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >To get on or off this list see list information at
> >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
