Interesting, incidentally, this business of solo versions of
Lachrimae
in two different keys. How often does this happen? I can think off
the top of my head of Danyel's Rosa and Milano's Janequin Bataille.
Why did people bother doing what is in effect a complete rewrite?
It goes back earlier than Milano, Peter. Why did Spinacino choose so
many awkward keys where Newsidler often found an easier one? Were some
of Spin's originally for 5c lute?
Often the low tonic of F was expendable on a G 6c lute. Only one
setting of popular D'amour me plains (in F) uses a scordatura 6th
course to reach it at the price of many difficult fingerings. B.M.
drops that bass note in his setting and fantasia. Belin and deRippe
prefered to set it in G. Interesting that they were both published by
same publisher --one a student of the other?
One of the more popular secular hits, Ancor che col partir, was first
intabulated by Paladin in Gmin in 1553/-60 where it fits very nicely.
Most later settings are set up a tone in A (eg, V.Galilei w/ a long
fantasia on it also in A). One line of inquiry might be: Had lutes
grown two semitones longer/lower and this was needed to keep the pitch
at the original? Or perhaps it's for the meantone G# (if tuning that
fret towards the nut) on the 1st fret if you like that sort of thing --
tho VG says he doesn't-- and there are enough G#s on the 4th course to
back him up. Or maybe he simply wanted to mix things up and redo the
settings as his own genius could play it and others couldn't.
All those Anticos (dozens and dozens!) in the Phalese/Adrianssen books
--are some maybe meant as ensembles? Some of them fit surprisingly
well together.
Then there is Suzanne un jour in d, f, & g (others?).... go figure.
It's a huge can of worms. Changing instruments, personal taste,
leading tones, ensemble work? There are many variables. You pays yer
money, sets yer frets, writes yer theses and takes yer chances.
Sean
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
