As we know the division between composition and arranging/making
divisions was a bit blurry in earlier centuries, 2 modern musicians
come to mind. Last June in Cleveland Paul O'Dette played music from his
dall'Aquilla recording and he played a version of one of the recercars
from the CD that was abut 3 times as long as the music that was
written. He has also recording several pieces that he made from the
Fitzwilliam Virginal book - a Byrd galliard and some others that I
can't remember now. On Nigel North's new Robert Johnson CD there is a
piece that he made from a version for some other instruments - details
in the liner notes. Then there is the reconstructions of the Weiss
lute duet by Karl-Ernst Schroeder.
These are not quite the same thing, because they do not purposly
include modern elements, but I think all of them are very successful
modern creations for lute.
Nancy
On 5 May 2011 15:21, Gilbert Isbin <[email protected]> wrote:
> Why should a modern voicing sound ugly on a lute. Play Dm11 for
instance.
> Not bad. Gm13/D . What's wrong with it ? Sounds very beautiful to
me.
>
> Why shouldn't it be possible to integrate lute techniques in
modern lute
> compositions? Try C9sus4 followed by a bass line, or a single note
run on
> the top voice, or in the middle voice. Sounds pretty ok to me.
I think Ron can answer for himself, but as he was merely asking the
questions in his blog-post, I suppose it's all-right to chime in.
I play and see a lot of modern music written for lute, both as
lutenist-for-hire and as editor of the news letter of a lute
society.
But, not all of this uses the specific qualities of the lute to the
full. It's great if new possibilities and techniques are explored,
but
all too often I find guitar parts: full chords with impossible
fingerings and demands on sustain - and ensemble balance! - that are
not lute-like. And, perhaps a private peeve, all too often the music
is clearly written with overspun basses in the ear (or even hands)
of
the composers; for me a lute is an instrument with gut strings.
Anyway, different subject. The point is that it's not always clear
to
me why the music I am playing is given to a lute, instead of a
guitar
or a piano. Too much Villa-Lobos (whose music is fabulous on guitar,
don't get me wrong) where I would like to find Da Milano, Dowland or
Weiss. Not their musical language, but their use of the instrument:
sustain, inner balance, dynamics, playability, effectiveness. Having
said that, and it did sound like a complaint, I'm sorry about that,
I
do find it is wonderful people are actually writing for the lute. So
please, continue, the good pieces will survive and through the
accumulated experience better pieces will be written and composers
will improve. Perhaps the answer is in the nature of the instrument.
In olden times the really great composers for our instrument were
the
really great players. How is it today, who is writing for lutes, are
they the really great players? And the really great composers, do
they
understand our instrument, really? Benjamin Britten's lute song is a
good example where composer and player worked together to make
something that is effective on lute. And, irony, that piece is
usually
played on guitar!
David
--
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David van Ooijen
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References
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2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
3. http://www.nancycarlinassociates.com/
4. http://www.groundsanddivisions.info/
5. http://lutesocietyofamerica.org/
