Look it up: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=moso-biwa
While you're at it, you might take a look at: http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm -----Original Message----- From: Michael Thames [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 12:04 PM To: [email protected]; Stuart LeBlanc Subject: Re: Blind players and memory >In Japan there is a genre called moso-biwa which consists >of lute-accompanied >recitation of Buddhist sutras by blind priests. >(Interestingly, these priests >were also itinerant and eventually formed second careers >as spies Buddhist priest's and lutes? Michael Thames www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stuart LeBlanc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 10:24 AM Subject: RE: Blind players and memory > > In Japan there is a genre called moso-biwa which consists of lute-accompanied > recitation of Buddhist sutras by blind priests. (Interestingly, these priests > were also itinerant and eventually formed second careers as spies.) > > This brings to mind another point in the debate about performing from memory or > score. Ever notice how most guitarists stare at their hands while playing, > while a few look into the rafters or close their eyes (drawing divine > inspiration, perhaps)? I wonder which exhibit greater professionalism. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Thomas Schall [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 7:07 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Blind players and memory > > > The playing of the harp required to have long nails which was not possible > when working on the field. So the playing of the harp was (apart from > mystical reasons) often the only possibility for a blindman to earn his > living. > Could well be that this also apply to lute players (except the nail part). But > one needs also to observe that the great lute players of the period could see > and I'm sure it helps in the act of composing complex works if you can come > back to something written. > I'm not sure about it but would think it's easier to reproduce music without > the sheet (considering the learning by imitation as flamenco players still do > today or the old master model of learning) than composing which back then > also had a lot to do with the study of old masterpieces. > > Thomas > > Am Sonntag, 10. April 2005 08:14 schrieb Jon Murphy: > > I can't speak of the old lutenists, but there were many harpers of medieval > > and renaissance times who were blind. Although it is well past the > > renaissance era the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792 listed 10 harpers (nine > > men and one woman). Six of them are listed as blind. The prolific composer > > for the Celtic harp, Turlogh O'Carolan (1670-1738) was blind, but most of > > his pieces have been written down. > > > > Consider the position of the musician, before the complexities of our more > > modern orchestral compositions (and the specific composed pieces of those > > such as Weiss). Or consider the position of the blind son of a decent > > family - and what proper occupation he could choose. O'Carolan was such - > > he couldn't work the farm, nor could he work in business - but he was > > supported in an apprenticeship on the harp, and he had the talent to > > succeed. Could there not have been lutenists of the period who learned the > > basic tunes, and the harmonic structures, and who could play the instrument > > in combination with others - adding divisions and variations that fit the > > piece? Is the instrument limited only to the specific composers that we > > seem to worship (because their works are written down), or could there have > > been a great deal more? > > > > I speak with no knowledge (as I'm sure some of you may point out), but > > given the general history of music I think a lot of it was unwritten, and > > often improvised for the ocassion - somewhat like a modern jam session (or > > Irish "session"). When one takes any history entirely from the written > > record one can miss some nuance, and will miss the ambience of much of the > > era. > > > > Try it, play a random set of notes (within a framework of a scale), then > > embellish it. You may come up with a fine piece (now try to remember how > > you did it). > > > > Best, Jon > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > Thomas Schall > Niederhofheimer Weg 3 > D-65843 Sulzbach > 06196/74519 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
