If you want to have only scientifically verifiable (falsifiableà)
statements, then most of what is said here, is speculation.
However, it was not so much that Jacob has developed an elegant RH
position, but what Denys Stephens had to say about no one having
really developed an LH strategy specific to the 6c lute (thumb over,
etc). His argument was that general Renaissance lutenists tend to use
wider string spacings than they would if they specialized in the 6c
lute which prohibits such practices (also he said if they were less
influenced by guitar practices, if I remember)
That sounded, convincing to me, but not scientifically verfiable.
I think the whole specialist-dilettante dichotomy is a pointless
exercise. Every musician needs a set of skills, and it doesn't take
every waking hour to develop them.
I did not actually argue against what you say here, but simply added
a nuance.
I think there could be a tendancy when playing a number of
instruments from differnt periods, to adapt one technique rather than
to have several radically distinct techniques.
That was the only point I was making, not saying that playing would
even suffer.
For example,in his Durbrow interview, Jakob Lindberg says more or
less exactly that (but with nuance, the whole passage should be read):
http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
"ED: More on technique – How do you vary the technique from
instrument to instrument? Do you have different techniques for
different instruments, or do you have one basic technique that you
kind of alter?
JL: I suppose perhaps, the latter."
I don't say this idly, I looked at the little finger marks on the
lutes on his site, and measured them in relation to the rose, with
pixel count. It is easy to confirm this gradual difference from 6c
through 8c, to 10c and beyond.
On the other hand, I get the impression that it is only since Robert
Barto has specialized (more), that he seems to have made a more
radical change in his Baroque technique. He seems to be one of the
few lutenists having a hand shape near to the Mouton style:
"I had an immediate affinity for thumb under. As a matter of fact
it's taken me years to get my thumb out more. I'm just getting to the
point now where I really play baroque lute thumb out. I think playing
thumb out is important for having a concept how they really might
have played from the 17th century on."
I may be wrong, here, it is how I interpret the interview.
This is perhaps a tendancy, and we may find players who actually need
to contrast their playing when changing from one period instrument to
another. In fact, I am trying to do that myself.
I am not saying that one is better than another, just possibly
different.
I quite understand that each person tends to read a response as
though it is somehow conflicting with theirs.
Anthony
Le 8 févr. 09 à 17:09, howard posner a écrit :
On Feb 8, 2009, at 1:07 AM, Anthony Hind wrote:
Yes, I have those too, but by looking at a detail, you miss the
general point, I was making. That dilettanteism is relative, and
Jacob is more of a specialist than most. This has probably lead him
to develop his very elegant renaissance RH position.
You're right in the sense that your premise is pretty much idle
speculation, so specifics don't affect it. In fact, it's pretty much
immune to information of any sort. If, for example, you were to
learn that his right hand position on a six-course is different from
his position on theorbo, it could be because his relative
specialization has led him to a different position. If the two
positions turn out to be the same, it's because he's such a
specialist that his six-course position has influenced his theorbo
position.
I think the whole specialist-dilettante dichotomy is a pointless
exercise. Every musician needs a set of skills, and it doesn't take
every waking hour to develop them. If it did, a lute player would be
detracting from his renaissance lute skills by playing theorbo, but
he'd also be detracting from them by riding a bicycle, collecting
stamps or having sex (particular if he did them all at the same time).
Or look at it this way: is it dilettantism for a lute player to play
an instrument where he needs to use a bow? If you're inclined to
answer yes, consider that every violinist needs to learn both
plucking and bowing technique.
Is it dilettantism for a clarinetist to play saxophone? Or for a
horn player to play Wagner tuba? Or for a percussionist to play 30
different instruments? These are required professional skill sets.
Even a pianist needs to learn skills other than just depressing keys,
such as drowning out the other players in a chamber group, being
egotistical, annoying neighbors, and sightreading perfectly without
having the slightest grasp of the music.
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