I've never met Arthur Ness, as I'm not really a member of the "good old boys
club". I'm relatively new to the lute, 4 years or so. I did play it a bit in
the mid 70's.
I've seen his name next to Da Milano's pieces, and that's about all I
know, other than he is..... I've been assuming, some kind of musicologist.
I'm sure he's a nice guy, however, like most humans, if you get on their
bad side, they can be not so nice! Myself included.
So, niceties aside. What I'm seeing, is basically, all the people who
know, and like Arthur, are turning a blind ear, to what he's saying. Not having
been in the loop, maybe I'm supposed to just humor him?
Nancy, etc. do you really believe that Tablature, is for the novice
lute player?........ when both the London and Dresden MS and all of Weiss's
music is written in Tablature? No attempt was ever made by Weiss to put it into
pitch notation, and Bach's music transcribed into tab from grand staff ? by
his lute students. If I follow your rational..... if Arthur says it, it must be
true. However, you don't have to be a musicologist, to see through this
ridiculous claim.
Can anyone find in one of my emails, any comment where I said lutenists
were "Musically illiterate "? and "lutenists can't read pitch notation".
I really don't mind an interesting debate, and I've admitted I've been
wrong at times, I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with people
putting words in my mouth, and bending the truth, so they can try and make me
into a "village Idiot". and make them look good..... and man! Arthur is doing
one hell of a song and dance!
Arthur is able to twist me saying......
> Transcriptions of original keyboard compositions to the >lute, are NOT
>original lute pieces, and transcriptions of original lute >pieces to the
>keyboard, are not keyboard pieces, they are what we >"village idiots" refer
>to as ARRANGEMENTS, or transcriptions, or neither, >just popular tunes of the
>time, played on what ever instrument was hanging around.
Into lecturing me on the difference between transcriptions, and
arrangements...... If you notice I didn't use the term "equate...... I used
the word "or", big difference, but not to Ness I guess. He sees what he wants
to see, problem is, it hasn't allot to do with reality.
I guess dialogue, and reason, have no place when one is dealing with the
one and only authority, in the upper realms of the lute cosmology. It's really
a pretty small fraction in the musical universe.
Nancy, you called me to ask what the lute society could do to promote
itself when Barto plays this year at the GFA. Well maybe you could start by
not supporting Nessy's derogatory comments about guitarists, and start putting
lute music along side guitar music, in treble clef, for starters.
Michael Thames
www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com
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