Suzanne
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Last night I heard a very nice concert of mostly Baroque guitar. This
is not an instrument I have any experience on, so I have a question.
While the music was played with great style and expressiveness, I
noticed some things that in a lute player I would not think that good.
Things like squeeks, and twangs, and notes that in the contrapuntal
texture were inappropriately loud or soft. Now I know on lute that it
takes a fine degree of excellence, such as Paul O'Dette, to play without
these things, and to bring out the essence of the music clearly. I also
know from my own limited amateur abilities that it is much easier to
hear what you *want* to hear, how you think the music should go, than it
is to hear how you're actually playing. So my question is this: Is it
technically harder for some reason to play contrapuntal style pieces on
Baroque guitar than Ren lute? It seems the real strength of the Baroque
guitar in modern usage is loud strumming as part of a continuo group,
and at this it is clearly excellent. But I've not heard so many people
play serious solo pieces on the instrument.
