Dear Stewart:
I agree wholeheartedly. I recently bought a recording of a lutenist playing
some of the most demanding repertory from an important published source of lute
music. Donna and I listened to the recording in the car while on a road trip
and we really could not believe our ears. I found a review when we returned
home and, sure enough, Ian Harwood stressed the very same point in his review.
Playing in time is important to me, having played dance music of all sorts for
many years, but a regular pulse in music has a significant subliminal effect on
the listener. I say if a piece was written in a dance form, play in time, and
leave the expressive time changes for preludes and fantasias.
Ron Andrico
http://www.mignarda.com > Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:17:41 +0000> To:
[email protected]> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [LUTE] Playing in time
(olim Polish, anyone?)> > Dear Rob,> > Thanks for directing us towards this
Polish website. I don't understand> Polish, but I listened to the background
music - a piece by Dlugoraj. It's a> lovely piece of music, exciting, with lots
of drive, yet on this website it> is played arhythmically - totally out of
time. Why do so many lutenists play> like that? Playing out of time is not
necessary, not expressive, not> skillful, and I find it thoroughly irritating.
Do they ever consider what> the rhythm signs above the tablature staves mean?
What evidence is there> that lutenists in the past ignored rhythm signs, and
interpreted music in> this dreamy, self-satisfying way? In attempting to find
evidence, I came> across the following at the end of Mary Burwell's Lute
Tutor:> > "In Conclusion the greatest Errour that is in playing upon !
the Lute is to> play too fast, and not to keepe the tyme, and not to use the
right fingers,> without that play never soe well you are but a Bungler and fitt
onely to> amaze the ignorant Sorte of people and make a foole of yourselfe."> >
Not wishing to rely on one source, I turned to Thomas Mace's _Musick's>
Monument_ (London, 1676). On page 124 he writes:> > " ... you cannot fail to
know my Mistress's Humour, provided you keep True> Time, which you must be
extreamly careful to do, in All Lessons: For Time is> the One half of Musick.">
> This comes where he is describing how to play a piece called "my Mistress's>
Humour", which, you might think, he would want to be played with the utmost>
expression. He wants louds and softs, he wants ornaments, and he wants his>
piece to be played in time. He even says that you should play in time not> just
in this piece, but in all pieces (lessons).> > In the last few years, Julian
Bream has given master classes at Lute Society> meetings i!
n London. He stressed two things: the need to play notes toget!
her,> (i
.e. not to roll and spread chords); and to play in time. He said, "I may> be
old-fashioned, but I like music to be played in time."> > There are very many
eminent players today, much admired, playing in> concerts, on CDs, and on
YouTube, who consistently play out of time. May> they meet the ghost of Lully
banging his stick.> > Stewart McCoy.> > ----- Original Message ----- > From:
"Rob" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> To: "'LuteNet list'" <[email protected]>> Sent:
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 11:02 AM> Subject: [LUTE] Polish, anyone?> > > >
Nice picture of a 'mandora' on this site:> >
http://www.innow.com.pl/muzykadawna/contrabellum.htm> >> >> >> > What's it all
about?> >> >> >> > Rob> > > > > To get on or off this list see list information
at> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
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