Suzanne
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Yesterday I got out a Francesco Fantasia I hadn't played in awhile. Its
one of the easier ones, since I'm not that advanced a player. But I
thoroughly enjoyed playing it - the counterpoint, the expressiveness of
it. Later in the day I listened to a CD of a big name player doing
Francesco pieces. What struck me most was the utter contrast between
what I had enjoyed about playing the music, and what I heard. Not just
on the same Fantasia, but almost the entire CD was BRIGHT, and very
PERKY sounding. In thinking about it, I felt that this effect was due
almost entirely to the fast tempos chosen. Now this player has
exceptional technique, and can play fast and cleanly. And it is to be
admitted that the CD is rather old, and may no longer represent the
player's point of view on Francesco exactly. But it got me thinking
about tempos. Someone on this list recently commented that folks
generally try to play too fast. Is there some actual musicological
evidence somewhere that says what tempos should be used? Or do moderns
just play fast because we live in a fast paced world, and playing well
fast shows off our skill? A moderate tempo on the Fantasia in question
allows some time and space for expression of the music to bloom, but a
fast, perky tempo just makes it sound like pyrotechnic display, not what
would earn a player the name of "il divino". So, any musicological
evidence for proper tempos in Francesco's music?
- [LUTE] tempos in Francesco Fantasias Suzanne Angevine
- [LUTE] Tempos in Francesco Fantasias Stewart McCoy
