I think if there are primary, extant sources for this it would be interesting to make a list of them and post them on the internet. They would still have to be reconciled with pieces which have both a continuo part and a solo cello part that plays a slightly varied version of the bass line.
But if there are sources, I would certainly like to see them. Certainly hundreds of lute songs were published with bowed bass parts. dt At 06:06 AM 10/21/2009, you wrote: > Yes: the practice for most of the 17th century was indeed generally to > eschew a bowed bass both in such secular works (including operas eg > Orfeo) and in sacred music. The bowed mass only became ubiquitous > towards the end of the 17th century. As you say, an organ (chamber > type) and theorbo are generally quite sufficient. > > In any event the more usual 17th century orchestral bowed bass > instrument was not the violoncello (tuned from C up) but the Bass > violin tuned from Bb up. > > MH > > > > - On Wed, 21/10/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Subject: [LUTE] Re: A Tale of Three Vespers > To: "lute-cs.dartmouth.edu" <[email protected]>, "David Tayler" > <[email protected]> > Date: Wednesday, 21 October, 2009, 13:16 > > David, > Thanks for this. Very interesting. You've certainly borrowed a > lot from that last guy. But keep practicing: you'll eventually get the > hang of playing properly left-handed ;-). > I'm curious about the cello, though. My understanding of the > present consensus of scholarly opinion on the performance practice of > this period was that the bass line in arias and recits was typically > not doubled by a bowed bass. Perhaps I'm thinking only of secular > music. Is the practice different in sacred music? > I must say, I hardly found it necessary. The organ + theorbo combo > is quite adequate and you both did an excellent job. The organ > provides the sustained harmony while the theorbo adds shaping as well > as rhythmic and declamatory events. Its funny, I might have thought > that the cello would enhance a vocal-like shaping of the phrases in > order to compliment the singer, but for me it detracted somewhat from > the range of expression in the continuo group. > Just my two cents. All three were very nice performances. > Chris > --- On Tue, 10/20/09, David Tayler <[1][email protected]> wrote: > > From: David Tayler <[2][email protected]> > > Subject: [LUTE] A Tale of Three Vespers > > To: "lute-cs.dartmouth.edu" <[3][email protected]> > > Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 11:50 PM > > I found it really interesting to view > > three versions of the same > > Nigra Sum from the 1610 Vespers. I deliberately did not > > look at any > > before performing it, because it is too tempting to borrow > > the really > > good riffs. > > Even though Monteverdi left no particular instructions for > > the piece, > > it has become some of an urban legend in the Theorbo world, > > a little > > moment in the sun before the darkness of the thundering > > herds of > > Mordor descend. > > Oooops wrong piece. > > But in any case, what is kind of cool, really very cool, is > > that all > > three versions use different orchestrations, different > > ornaments, > > different techniques, different playing styles, > > arpeggiation, > > stringing, frets, tastini, and so on. > > All three theorbos are in a different tuning, so all of the > > chords > > look different. Not to mention two are playing right handed > > instead > > of the proper left handed (joke, joke) > > Even more remarkable is that harmonization of the largely > > unfigured > > bass is different as well. Different chords. Different > > suspensions. > > If I had to do it over again I would borrow mucho! (with > > permission, of course) > > Numbers 1 and 3 are in tastini meantone. > > > > Three Vespers > > [4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94-NIURkU8I > > [5]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRUEFcWJ7Js > > [6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUqdpFYTatI > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > [7]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > -- > >References > > 1. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] > 2. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] > 3. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] > 4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94-NIURkU8I > 5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRUEFcWJ7Js > 6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUqdpFYTatI > 7. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
