As I clearly explained, Thames is not using the terminology properly. Nor are
you.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol. 9, page 117:
<quote>TRANSCRIPTION. (1) A copy of a musical work with some change in
notation (e.g. from tablature to staff notation, from staff notation
to Tonic Sol-fa) ...<unquote>
Vol. 1, page 623
<quote>ARRANGEMENT ... The reworking of a musical composition, usually
for a different medium from that of the original.<unquote>
I would suggest that if you and Thames disagree, you take it up with Stanley
Sadie, the editor. Not with me. When (and if) you find Stanley, give him my
regards. For your sake(s), I hope it is not too soon.
ajn
----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Murphy
To: arthurjness ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: lute
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 2:07 AM
Subject: Re: Byrd
In defense of Michael Thames, and in defense of logic.
Arrangement is a particular interference with the piece of music. I spent
the weekend at the Somerset Harp Festival and was able to buy the "Bunting"
book (of 1840) in facsimile. Bunting arranged the old Irish harp music, that
he had collected by going from county to county after being the scribe for
the 1792 Belfast Festival. He arranged the pieces for "piano forte" as he
felt the old Celtic harp was disappearing, and the music had to be
preserved. I will soon be "transcribing" much of that music back into harp
friendly arrangements (the piano is quite chromatic, the harp is diatonic
with the lever changes possible - but the old harp that Bunting described
had no levers).
Transcription means just that, a change of a form into another. But if I
take an old tune, medieval Europe or medieval Scotland, that it written in
French tab for the lute, and then turn it into stave notation for the harp,
and then make some modifications (fitting the song) that make it better for
the harp - Am I Trascribing or am I Arranging? Or if I do it in reverse, and
take the staves to the tab? Am I transcribing or arranging.
I bought a book today, at the harp festival. I have a 26x2 double strung
harp. The book I bought is for 26 string single course harps (the writer is
an old friend, and a fine cross strung harpist, and I've corrected his
original book). Am I arranging when I play off his arrangments, or would I
be transcribing if I were to set his piecec to the double strung harp (which
I play and he doesn't).
This thread was too detailed for me, but at a fast scan I think Michael is
correct, with all due reverence to Arthur's opinion.
It comes back to "original intent", a great canard that will soon be bandied
about in the recent nomination to the US Supreme Court. I've always felt
that J.S. Bach was a covert jazz player, and that he would have loved the
Swingle Singer's skat version of the Brandenburgs. Too much detail from
Arthur for me to read, the individual composers an their instruments.
Be it transcription or arrangement (the latter requiring a bit of
modification to the instrument) the music is there. There is nothing sacred
about a tune as played on a particular instrument, it was probably played on
another in a different form before, but just not printed. The lute is a
relatively late entrant into medieval music, although quite dominant in the
renaissance.
And having said this I can't see the correction of Michael T, as it all fits
what Arthur has said. Fit the music to the instrument, play the song as it
can be played. play the whistle or the hautboy, the psaltery or the harp, or
the lute. I see no argument here. Other than a silly one between
Transcription and Arrangement. Not mutually exclusive. Michael had it right.
Transcribe from notation to notation. Transpose when using fixed key
notition (as with classic staves). (Then one could also transcribe, but that
is piling on). Or arrange, when one wants to make the best simulation of the
original sound on another instrument. But don't be too damned sure that your
instrument is the original. Yesterday I discussed a 1625 Straloch lute book
piece with a harpist, who knew the same piece for the harp. The harp is far
older in Scotland than the lute (and older than the lute, as a lute, in
Europe). Which song/arrangement is older. Which is the
transcription/rearrangement? I have no idea. And nor does anyone else unless
they have specifics, which are available but rare.
Best, Jon
--
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
