I have heard exceptional projection from Jacob Heringman's playing. The auditorium might have been well constructed acoustically, but his playing of pieces from the Sienna lute book rang out clear and loud (60 cm lute, I think). I remember recently hearing a renaissance music performance by POD, and that was also extremely well projected, if perhaps not quite so well as JH (I am not saying one was better than the other). Although, admittedly in this case, a theorbo and not a lute: I was told by a lutenist and theorbist that in a recent rehearsal with a rather large Baroque group accompanied by a relatively large number of singers, the director told my friend to hold back a little as he was projecting too well. The theorbo was gut strung. Anthony
---- Message d'origine ---- >De : [email protected] >A : "Thomas Schall" <[email protected]> >Objet : [LUTE] Re: Lute volume >Date : 18/10/2010 11:29:38 CEST >Copie `a : "Gary Digman" <[email protected]>; > [email protected] > >I second Thomas' comment: I've seen and heard Bream play lute, I've seen > and with some trouble heard something of Hoppy's playing, and I have > only _seen_ Rooley accompanying his song ensemble, not heard the lute > (it was in 70's...) > > Arto > > > On 18/10/10 11:26, Thomas Schall wrote: > > I can follow your comment about Hoppy because he is playing at a > > *very* low volume. I have heard him both in a large church playing as > > well as in a small salon. The first has been disappointing - the > > second has been a nice experience. > > I've heard Julian Bream in a larger room - volume has not been a > > problem at all . > > > > Thomas > > > > Am 18.10.2010 10:06, schrieb Gary Digman: > >> Two of the lute players I was referring to were Julian Bream and > >> Hopkinson Smith. Both playing to audiences of over 250 people and > >> neither could be heard past the seventh row no matter how much focus > >> one brought to the event. Fortunately in the Julian Bream concert I > >> was able to sneak down to an empty seat in the first row. Not so in > >> the Hoppy concert, the first eight rows were reserved for season > >> ticket holders. However, I was able to hear Hoppy play in a library > >> concert later where the conditions were ideal for the lute. The > >> audience was limited to eighty people and the stage was an elevated > >> platform affording everyone in the room the opportunity to both hear > >> and see Hoppy play. > >> > >> Gary > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Wilke" > >> <[email protected]> > >> To: <[email protected]>; "Gary Digman" <[email protected]> > >> Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2010 7:51 AM > >> Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: Lute volume > >> > >> > >>> Gary, > >>> > >>> --- On Sun, 10/17/10, Gary Digman <[email protected]> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> That being said, I have to admit that I have attended lute > >>>> concerts given by some of the leading lights of the lute > >>>> world for audiences numbering in the hundreds where the lute > >>>> literally could not be heard at all past the seventh or > >>>> eighth row. Very frustating to pay $35-$80 for a ticket only > >>>> to find out you will not be able to hear the lute no matter > >>>> how focused you are. I think if we're going to play for > >>>> audiences this large, some sound reinforcement may become > >>>> necessary even though it is a compromise. Other instruments > >>>> have had to deal with this problem. Jazz bassists amplify > >>>> the double bass, even though the best and purest sound of > >>>> the double bass is thereby compromised, in order to be > >>>> heard. > >>>> > >>> > >>> Back when I got my Master's in classical guitar, projection was a > >>> major focus of our training. While the ability to produce a > >>> dynamically nuanced performance was assumed and formed a major part > >>> of our grades, we were also expected to understand the > >>> practicalities of performing in less than ideal circumstances. We > >>> were told repeatedly: get to the hall early; have someone listen to > >>> you as you test the dynamic threshold; be prepared to let go of some > >>> of the precious dynamic or phrasing ideas you worked out alone in > >>> the practice room; you might want to consider moving your right hand > >>> position a little closer to the bridge as a general position for > >>> this concert; descend to really low volume as a special effect only > >>> were dramatically appropriate - maybe once or twice in a program; > >>> above all, HAVE REGARD FOR YOUR LISTENERS. > >>> > >>> I've never encountered this in my lute training, where the emphasis > >>> has been decidedly on working out even more subtle gradations. This > >>> is all well and good - professionals should have total control over > >>> the instrument - but what about the people on the other side of the > >>> lute? There's no reason a lute can't feature in the same size halls > >>> as classical guitar. Although the overall volume is slightly less, > >>> it carries far better than the comparatively bass-heavy, mellow > >>> modern guitar. > >>> > >>> The real problem comes down to two culprits: the myth of the lute as > >>> "mystical window to another era," and the strong-weak articulation. > >>> I'm prepared dismiss the former, a view which embraces the idea of > >>> the lute as some sort of delicate magical device whose spell will be > >>> broken if its voice rises above a hush, because this is a fairly > >>> tale modernism. The latter is more difficult. We all know that > >>> good-bad, strong-weak alternation was part of early music. In > >>> practical terms, however, if you're playing in a large hall and no > >>> one can hear your weak notes, the audience is literally missing half > >>> of what you're playing. A player might have to settle for > >>> strong-less strong or REALLY STRONG-strong or even strong-strong in > >>> some cases. Sorry, you might just have to eschew showing off what > >>> an erudite, HIP musician you are in lieu of showing off the music. > >>> > >>> I once took a large group of my classical guitar students to hear a > >>> big name lutenist who was performing in a not-especially-large > >>> venue. My students all said that the concert was boring because the > >>> performer only played simple little pieces. When I actually showed > >>> them the sheet music to some of the pieces played, they couldn't > >>> believe the degree of musical sophistication involved. They left > >>> with the impression that the lute had some great music written for > >>> you, but its really a weak little instrument. I had to sympathize > >>> with their position because I too felt that many of the subtleties > >>> of the music never got to the audience due to the incredibly > >>> intimate, sensitive touch of the performer. As a lute fan, I could > >>> appreciate the performer's awesome control, but I could not actually > >>> experience it. Ultimately, despite great artistry, this person was > >>> really a poor ambassador for the instrument. > >>> > >>> Chris > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>> Gary > >>>> > >>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Andrico" > >>>> <[email protected]> > >>>> To: <[email protected]>; > >>>> <[email protected]> > >>>> Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2010 11:29 AM > >>>> Subject: [LUTE] Lute volume > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > To All: > >>>> > We have a new post on our blog that > >>>> may be of general lute interest, > >>>> > concerning volume in performance. > >>>> > > >>>> [1]http://mignarda.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/sound-check-is-it-loud-enou gh/ > > >>>> > >>>> > Best wishes, > >>>> > Ron & Donna > >>>> > [2]www.mignarda.com > >>>> > -- > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > To get on or off this list see list information at > >>>> > [3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >>>> > > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - > -------- > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. > >>>> Checked by AVG - [4]www.avg.com > >>>> Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3199 - Release > >>>> Date: 10/15/10 11:34:00 > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > ------ > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> No virus found in this incoming message. > >> Checked by AVG - [5]www.avg.com > >> Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3203 - Release Date: > >> 10/17/10 11:33:00 > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > -- References 1. http://mignarda.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/sound-check-is-it-loud-enough/ 2. http://www.mignarda.com/ 3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html 4. http://www.avg.com/ 5. http://www.avg.com/
