The empty brackets, just include "...", not some censored explanation, I did not realize that the three dots symbol was specific to MAC. Regards Anthony
Le 28 août 07 à 19:41, Anthony Hind a écrit : > Dear Nany, Mimmo, Martin ED and all, > > Thanks to Nancy Carlin, I have just read the very interesting LSA > interview of Jacob Lindberg, by Ed Durbrow, including questions on > J.L.s Rauwolf, and its stringing. > > Eds Web interviews are so informative that I am not surprised that > this is equally interesting. > > Most of you will have read this LSA interview, but may I remind > some of you, and inform a few others, that on tour, J.L. uses a > combination of Aquila nylgut and Kurshner nylon with Kurschner copper > wire-wound basses. While at the English Lute Society meeting, he used > a mixture of gut and Kurschner basses (which he finds the closest > wire-wound to gut strings). > > However, for the Weiss recording, he had a mixture of Dan Larson' > gimped basses and Mimmo Peruffo's early loaded strings, on the lowest > two (He does not mention the top gut, but I think it was Sofracob). > Interestingly, this is exactly the diapason combination that Paul > Beier used on his Early Weiss recording. > > About research into old gut technique, Jakob says, "Well, Mimmo > Peruffo has done a lot of hard work on that" (finding out how old > strings were made) ( > ) "and he's devoting himself again to trying to > recreate these strings (basses) in the way he thinks they were made > which is cord appesantite, ( > )". > > He remembers using some of these early loaded strings on his > Dowland recording, but feels that they did not always work > consistently. (I think there may have been problems with these > original strings due to them being loaded by a varnish on to an > ordinary fairly brittle high-twist string, durability, for example, > could suffer.) > > However, during the last week or so, I had some insight into > Mimmo's new loading process. > > The background to this, is as follows : > > I had been speculating about the topic of gut strings on our web > pages (in my intuitive, but not very knowledgeable way), and Mimmo > sent me some messages to help me better understand the issues I had > raised. > > I can only speculate from second-hand information I have read on > the web (and elsewhere). My questions do not arise from significant > research into original manuscripts, iconography, old chemical > recipes, and the scrupulous study of historic lutes and remaining old > lute strings. This would be the research framework in which a > significant question can be raised. Furthermore, there is no way I > can test or validate possible answers to my speculation. > Mimmo has done this thorough and detailed theoretical research and > through working every day with fresh and treated gut, can verify the > plausibility of his research-based hypotheses. > > I have been fascinated by this topic, ever since I heard those > early gut strung lutes on the early Astrée recordings, and I read > Hoppy's consideration that using gut was an essential element in > rediscovering Renaissance and Baroque musical aesthetics. Martin > Shepherd has often been kind enough to help me on these questions, in > the past, in particular from within the French lute list. > > I am very grateful that Martin, and now Mimmo, have taken the time to > answer my naive questions, which simply come from a passion for the > topic rather than any sound knowledge. > > In the recent weeks, understanding the degree of my interest, Mimmo > has often taken the trouble to put me right on a number of questions > via mail. > > In particular, he gave me a web page address at http:// > www.aquilacorde.com/catalogo8.ht, where I could see and hear the new > version of his loaded strings that use the extremely flexible Venice > twine, and a new technique for loading themm (if you looked some days > ago, look again, there are some new pictures). > > After a few more mails, Mimmo suggested that I really ought to see > and hear those new loaded Venice; and he asked if I had Skype. I am > fairly computer-challenged, so I had to down-load it; and when > finally we were Skype connected, I had to speak to Mimmo through my > phone, while I had the advantage of being able to see and hear > Mimmo's Baroque lute with loaded strings, on my screen and through, > my M-Audio Transit into my JBL "on-tour" speakers (not hifi then). > > Funny the use of such new (slightly faltering) technology to get a > glimpse of a revived masterpiece > > > Indeed, it was a great privilege, to hear Mimmo talking about his > strings. He is so enthusiastic and so obviously deeply involved in > this project, which might give him little financial gain for the > amount of time and financial outlay, on his part. > > However, I could immediately understand why this was so, when I saw > and heard him play those strings. He clearly lives in this research, > hearing sound qualities in the music reappearing that would otherwise > have beeen lost, but for his work (the need to rediscover, the beauty > of the Baroque aesthetics through using historical strings, as Hoppy, > once said). > > My computer sound system is not so good, but the great warmth and > depth of the strings seemed to come through. Indeed, he showed me > that he has to adopt the old little finger near the bridge position, > because of this, and not the forward position adopted by most, who > use bright wire-wounds. > > These strings and his hand position gave the old paintings of > Baroque lutists more sense to me (I know low tension strings can also > force a player to adopt a bridge position, so this is not the only > proof of the historic validity of these loaded strings). In fact, > Mimmo took me through all the evidence for them, but you can find > most of this on his site. > > I very much enjoyed the short pieces he played that made use of > these new loaded basses, a wonderful experience. > > Mimmo, then took one of those strings and rolled it into a tiny > ball in his hand. Thus showing how flexible it is when compared to > the old high-twist loaded strings about which Jakob Lindberg was > speaking. > > One other little thing, Mimmo did the old trick for me of flicking > the string held between two fingers on both hands. We have all seen > those diagrams for discovering whether a string is true, but I never > managed to do it myself. It was as though a manuscript image had come > to life on my screen. > > The example of Jakob Lindbergs varied stringing quoted above > (Jacob Heringman in Eds web interview, as well), shows that it is > not easy to use gut in all circumstances, particularly difficult in > continuo work, I am sure. There are a few dedicated players (Ed. > Martin and David van Ooijen, and a few others, perhaps more than I > realise) who do. However, there is at least a place for it in > recording, and its use mixed with other strings in certain other > public concerts can be very informative for those listening. > > It is very interesting, I feel, that stringmakers, who must make > most of their profit from synthetic strings, still feel moved to keep > up their research into gut. They also often prefer gut on their own > personal lutes, double basses, etc. > > I have spoken about, Mimmo, but I think much of what I have said > could be said of, Dan Larson, Nick Baldock, and many others. > > I would like to thank Mimmo again for permitting me such an insight > into his thoughts behind his research and creation. > > I apologise about the length of my intervention. I will try to stay > quiet for a week or so (can't promise though). > > regards > Anthony > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
