It's all relative. I just think that the demands made on a professional lute player, and by that I mean someone who only plays concerts, no teaching, no job, etc--just concerts-- are less than a person in the same position on piano, organ, violin, cello, etc.
For example, there are no lute pieces remotely comparable in difficulty to the transcendental etudes. Not to mention extended techniques, which are commonplace on the recorder. Personally, I find renaissance music just as difficult or more difficult than baroque music, and here I am speaking about not only the big pieces that are rarely if ever played, such as the Francecso "Song of the Birds," but also the high level ornaments in renaissance treatises that are routinely played by recorder and viol players--and especially cornetto players--but rarely used on the lute. These ornaments are I think comparable in difficulty to Weiss, though vastly different in style. Obviously the repertory is worlds apart, and in renaissance music the challenge is what is *not* written, just as it is in basso continuo. Another point of comparison is that it would be unacceptable even at the conservatory level to slow down the difficult bits, whereas this is often the case in renaissance and baroque performance--even in recordings. I also feel that lute music is meant to be more accessible, and that in Weiss and in the professional level ornaments of Ganassi, Bassano,etc, we see a degree of separation from that. I'm not saying that there are no lute pieces that are challenging, I'm just saying in all honesty I personally would have to work harder to have the equivalent income and opportunities on the piano. Maybe it shouldn't be that way...maybe I'm lucky it is. dt that's"At 05:26 PM 7/6/2007, you wrote: >Especially late Weiss. A piece of cake. > >ed > >At 07:38 PM 7/6/2007 -0400, Roman Turovsky wrote: > >Especially baroque. > >RT > > > >From: "David Tayler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > >I really don't think the lute is particularly difficult.... :) > > > dt > > > > > > > > > > > > At 07:00 AM 7/6/2007, you wrote: > > >>Lutes and guitars _are_ difficult instruments. Guitar pupil of mine of > > >>about > > >>12, doing well after three years of lessons, enjoying it and studying > > >>regulary at home (!), performed his piece on this year's > pupils' night. He > > >>really did well, no obvious mistakes, played through the whole piece > > >>without > > >>stopping, it was musical, he had some tone and volume. Afterward his > > >>mother > > >>comes up to me: "Is that all?" She just started on piano and was > > >>disappointed with her son's result, as she's already doing much better > > >>after > > >>the few lessons she's had. No wonder, try playing the opening of Fuer > > >>Elise > > >>without piano lessons, my bet is you'll do fine. Try to do the same on a > > >>guitar, my bet is that it'll take several years to come anywhere near the > > >>percieved perfection and easy of your first try on piano. A piano is, in > > >>the > > >>first stages, an on-off instrument, whereas on a guitar you'll find a > > >>miriad > > >>of near hits before the tone is even acceptable. A lute is even harder to > > >>play with its double strings, lower string tension and akward shape. > > >> > > >>Of course, piano music will be much more complicated for the advanced > > >>student, so by that time it's a matter of different areas of difficulty. > > >>And, obviously, the real test of mastering an instrument is being able to > > >>express yourself musically on it, not to play the difficult pieces > > >>technically well, but that's not the argument here. > > >> > > >>David - cannot play beyond the opening phrase of Fuer Elise on piano > > >> > > >> > > >>**************************** > > >>David van Ooijen > > >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >>www.davidvanooijen.nl > > >>**************************** > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>To get on or off this list see list information at > > >>http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >Need personalized email and website? Look no further. It's easy > >with Doteasy $0 Web Hosting! Learn more at www.doteasy.com > > > > > > > > > >-- > >No virus found in this incoming message. > >Checked by AVG Free Edition. > >Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.0/887 - Release Date: 7/5/2007 > >1:55 PM > > > >Edward Martin >2817 East 2nd Street >Duluth, Minnesota 55812 >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >voice: (218) 728-1202
