There are several cases of untexted chansons in
the musicological literarure described as "must
be instrumental", but usually the text turns up.
Not to mention the fact that they sang these
pieces on hexachord syllables, oddly enough.
You are correct that the lastest round of
historical dulcimers have a few "improvements" added :)
dt
At 03:25 PM 10/21/2009, you wrote:
http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03
Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are
three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec
mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this
Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived
and composed for three plucked instruments but
here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the
three instruments are: ? at least one plucked
thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a
hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create
a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I
was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer
(if it is one) in this context (of quite
sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be
heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command.
The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is
described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault
de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But
Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers
and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers
and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate
keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century
hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin
instruments with a limited range but Margit's
instrument looks a monster by contrast.
Stuart
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