> actual song. As far as I know / remember this piece is quite modern > forgery, but now when I heard the piece, I must say, it is not very well > made forgery! It has nothing to do with the style of early baroque, still
Dear Arto It's an absolute fake. I recorded it last years with counter-tenor Sytse Buwalda on our charts-topping cd entitled ... 'Sacred Arias'. I didn't know we stole the title of another cd. I was not involved, but sorry about that anyway. I tried to find out what I was doing before I recorded it, but I seem to have lost my notes. What I remember is that some composer wrote an opera around 1600, one of the very early ones. At least one of the instrumental pieces in the opera was written by Caccini (why we know I don't know). 20th Century composer/arranger Mercurio took the Caccini-theme, repeated it several times and attached the words Ave Maria Ave Maria &c. to it and supplied it with a series of unresolved seventh chords. Very beautiful, very kitch. In my own defence, all I can say is that I made my own arrangement and played it on an all-gut lute. (No need to mention that, of course.) In concerts I often play it on a 19c guitar, though, even sweeter. Very effective piece, I have an instrumental introduction and Sytse sings his first notes off stage (church balcony, room next-door, whatever). During my long instrumental interlude he comes walking on stage. I can send a score, if you're interested, I once made something in tablature for a friend and I have the guitar version written out. My usual continuo version is a bit messy though, although I could quickly clean it up in Finale
