Thanks for the tip, Wolfgang. I'll confess, I'm relatively new at the German repertory and I haven't read the instructions. Are they available on-line or maybe at the library ...in English?
Greetings from damp California, Sean On Feb 12, 2007, at 11:52 PM, Wolfgang Wiehe wrote: > dear sean, > in their instructions "how to intabulate vocal pieces for lute" the > german lute-teachers - judenkunig, newsidler, gerle - give very > precice tips for repeating longlasting vocal notes on plucked > instruments. its very useful to read this detailed instructions! > greetings > w. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean Smith" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Lute Net" <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 10:20 PM > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Petrucci > > >> > >>> But take for example: Isaac's Benedictus which Jon Banks has used >>> in >>> several places as an example (and number one, in the Lute Society >>> publication) - bar 34 in the lowest voice. The Bb lasts four bars. >>> Even >>> at a brisk pace, a very brisk pace or an outright gallop, a single >>> plucked note isn't going to last four bars. So why write it? Banks is >>> claiming that this music is actually, specifically written for >>> plucked >>> instruments. Why didn't Isaac put in a rest for a couple of bars or >>> why >>> didn't he repeat the note - rather than let it hang there inaudibly. >>> >>> Maybe musicians of the time both vocalised the notes and played them >>> instrumentally (so both contestants in the modern debate: all-vocal >>> versus instrumental performance would be satisfied!). After all, Jon >>> Banks insists that this music is for a learned bunch of >>> singer-players. >>> >> >> Dear Stuart, >> >> Singer-players would probably understand that the note, written in its >> first generation for singers, only gets one syllable and understand >> the >> intent. Those that chose to play it on the lute would understand that >> the composition needs that note to support the harmony and would >> restrike it if necessary or maybe choose the viol for that part (or >> section?). It's not that obtrusive to repeat a slow moving note while >> the action is elsewhere. Spinacino often restrikes notes (such as does >> Capirola and Newsidler). It was troublesome sometimes but wasn't seen >> as a sin. Or some may have felt it was and didn't. And certainly no >> more than jumping the octave or confusing voice-leading in the score. >> They were flaws that could be got around often by loosening the >> tolerances. And I'm just as sure there were folks who said it wasn't >> suitable for lute then, too. >> >> Lute ensembles are interesting palletts. With all the parts decaying >> more ore less similarly one's ear is more forgiving to this problem. >> Differences of string/instrument/timbre all become more pronounced and >> I, for one, am drawn into the overall sound and listening for the >> individual flavors working up to a whole. When I heard the Venere Q >> play Palestrina it was more like a vocal performance than I had >> expected. The beauty of each person playing their one line is that >> they >> can treat it like the vocal performance they might usually sing and >> not >> get hung up on the technical aspects. >> >> By the way, the Benedictus was originally 4-voiced in Isaac's mass, >> Quant j'ay au cueur; itself based on a chanson by Busnois. If they >> could toss out a voice like that (Isaac was one of the early >> populizers >> of the "4-voice" trend) I'm sure they knew how to deal with a >> troublesome long note. >> >> Sean >> >> >> >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > >
