Dear All: Wouldn't any competent theorbo player be able to pick up a guitar to accompany a comical or "Spanish" scene? I would expect that to be the case. And wasn't it common for a player to play both instruments? So the absence of a "guitar player" doesn't necessarily mean no guitar was used. And whether or not he scrawled some alfabeto chords on his part, such parts are unlikely to have survived. Cheers, Jim
From: Lex Eisenhardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 2008/01/19 Sat AM 04:41:57 CST To: Martyn Hodgson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [email protected] Subject: [LUTE] Re: tablature, alfabeto and BC As you probably know there are a few references to guitars and early stage performances (Cavalieri, Landi, Rossi). Even if the guitar is mentioned there is never any alfabeto printed in the scores, although it seems that in a few occasions it is written in by hand. Most likely the guitar was only put on the stage in comical, exotic or pastoral scenes. Played by dancers and singers, as an emblem of another world. I doubt if there will be many names of guitarists (specificly mentioned as such, not the theorbo player) on the payrolls. It would be very useful knowledge indeed. Lex A good point - but it would, of course, be useful to see at least one reference to a guitarist in the lists. Much work has been done on English theatre lists but I'm ignorant of the state of research into Italian opera house lists (assuming they exist other than a few freak survivals). Martyn -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
