Dear Ron
I thought I had been careful in choosing my words when giving a basic answer
to Bruno's basic question. Perhaps not.
To quote myself:
there is considerable overlap between the two genres
..
differences too. These differences are most obvious in today's approach
..
The generally speaking more expressive continuo song
..
Lute songs tend to be more restrained in expression, focussing more
on complicated word play than on dramatic expression
..
But as I said in the beginning,
there is considerable overlap.
..
Fit your approach to the songs
I didn't say you shouldn't stray from the tablature, just said it is not
much done in today's performance practice. That is another discussion.
Volunteers?
Music is music and a good performer will do with it what he/she sees fit
with the piece in question. Taste and balance were your words. But Never
Weather-beaten Sail by Campion is not Bess of Bedlam by Purcell. I think the
first is a good example of a beautiful lute song, the second a 'true'
continuo song.
That's all.
Happy playing
David
****************************
David van Ooijen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.davidvanooijen.nl
****************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Andrico" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "LGS-Europe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "lute-cs. dartmouth. edu"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 3:45 PM
Subject: RE: [LUTE] Re: More on lute songs
Dear David:
Thanks for your edifying remarks, pointing out the difference between what
we know as lute songs and continuo songs. However, I have to disagree that
there is such a distinction between the two, and that one does not stray
from the written accompaniments found in tablature.
Your mention of Campion is an apt one. After his first book, presumed to be
a collaboration with Rosetter, nearly all of Campion's tablature
accompaniments were nothing more than written out continuo realizations, or
simple harmonies in tablature written over a simple bass line, in tablature.
The same is true for the lute tablature of Ferrabosco II and Coprario.
My point is that the notation should really make no difference in how the
performer approaches the music. A restriction of improvisation while
accompanying from tablature is anachronistic. Yes, one should play what is
written to realize the shape and integrity of a polyphonic accompaniment of
the cantus line. But notation should not limit the musician's freedom and
ability to be musical, adding tasteful divisions and variations when
appropriate. The key word is Tasteful, for the accompaniment of a
polyphonic lute song places the role of the lute as a near-equal with that
of the singer. Taste and balance are of utmost importance.
As you mention and as in the Campion example above, accompaniments became
generally less intricate and polyphonic as time marched on. Tablature
became less important as a reservoir of polyphonic information, and most
continuo lines for 17th century English songs could be banged out by modern
day Nashville guitar-types, who are really quite good at improvising
accompaniments. But idea that lutenists never strayed from the tablature
presumes that improvisation did not occur until tablature disappeared.
Best,
Ron Andrico
www.mignarda.com
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:05:36 +0200> To: [email protected]> From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [LUTE] Re: More on lute songs> > Bruno> >
Campion c.s. wrote lute songs, songs with obligato parts for lute, written
> out in tablature. Lanier c.s. wrote continuo songs, songs with a bass
line > on which you can make your own accompaniment, on any instrument you
like. > Lute songs stop to be written somewhere in the beginning of the
17th > century, around the time continuo songs start to appear in England.
Althoug > there is considerable overlap between the two genres, there are
some > differences too. These differences are most obvious in today's
approach to > the songs. Lute songs tend to be played as is. Any change
you make in the > tablatures, adding introductions, changing chords,
playing interludes, > adding embellishments or divisions, will be noticed
and perhaps even frowned > upon. And it is tacitly understood lute songs
are for lutes, not archlutes. > Hence we notice when Rooley plays an
introduction to Awake Sweet Love, when > I add a tear in the introduction
to Go Crystal Tears (check Dowland's > four-part version, you can add one
of the tears in the middle voices to your > lute part, it's cool!) or
Karamazov uses an archlute. Now continuo songs are > quite another matter.
It will be noticed and perhaps even frowned upon if > you play the same as
someone else did before you, bigger lutes with longer > bass strings are
considered better - bring in the archlutes and theorbos! - > and it is
expected of you to prepare or improvise anything from > introductions,
interludes and postludes, changes in harmonies, added > counterpoint
changes in instrumentation &c. A continuo song gives you a > licence to
chill.> > There might be good reasons for todays' perfomance practice, but
fo course > it's up to you how you handle your own hip-ness.> > I think if
you combine the two genres in one programme, it can be effective > to
emphasize the characteristics of not only each song individually, but >
also of each genre. The generally speaking more expressive continuo song
can > get a more expressive accompaniment, perhaps on your archlute for
added > drama. Lute songs tend to be more restrained in expression,
focussing more > on complicated word play than on dramatic expression, a
gentler approach on > a more modest instrument might be in order. But as I
said in the beginning, > there is considerable overlap. The dramatic late
songs of Dowland, although > labelled lute songs and with written out
tablatures, have a continuo style > accompaniment. Fit your approach to
the songs.> > There's a nice little booklet by Ian Spink on the repertoire
you're > interested in. It's called 'English Song, Dowland to Purcell'
(Batsford, > London 1974). And check out the MB series part XXXIII:
English Songs > 1625-1660 (edited by the same Ian Spink) for a taste of
what happenend > between the lute songs of Dowland and the continuo songs
of Purcell.> > David> > > ****************************> 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
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