On Sep 25, 2009, at 11:47 AM, Mark Probert wrote:
It seems, to my naif ear, that the composers don't really
understand the
lute and how it works. Given the intervals and the tonality, why not
just play this stuff on a guitar?
Why not indeed! Speaking for myself, I expect a certain type of
sound from the lute, that I want to consider "historical", and when I
don't hear that sound the lute can seem out of place. Your ear may
not be as "naif" as you think. I can easily hear guitar in those
pieces.
Please don't take me for a Luddite that is lost in the 16thC: it just
ain't so.
I don't think one needs to be a Luddite in order to place the lute in
a historical context. Not that it has to be imprisoned there, but we
choose our battles: for some it's New Music On The Lute, for others
it's Weiss, or Dowland, or whatever. Me, I'm lost in the 17th-
century lute at this point (but that can change...).
Best,
DavidR
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