> Right on, Tom! I've made this same point myself in earlier posts. > Ned Thanks Ned! Tom > On Jul 2, 2011, at 1:32 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > > Something that has had me perplexed for some time: > > "Historical" sound on recordings. > > It seems to me that most available recordings of lute music, > > historical or not, are very heavy on reverberation. It has been an > > old ploy in the recording industry for decades - take any recording, > > add reverb to it, and viola! It sounds magically better to our > > modern ears. Human hearing is geared to the presence of ambient > > reverberation in space, but I feel that on most lute recordings - > > indeed in most "early music" recordings, it tends to be overdone. > > Some time ago on this very list I remember reading an email that > > said something like "Use this kind of microphone, add 'church', and > > you're there." Yes, lutes were certainly played in churches, but I > > think the majority of lute music, at least in the Renaissance, would > > have been played in small warm spaces in the average middle-class > > home. Nevertheless, the majority of lute recordings that I have > > listened to have the "cavernous stone church" reverberation setting. > > Totally "dry" (i.e. NO reverb) would be just as bad. But I'd like > > to hear some recordings of good HIP lute playing without all that > > echo, but with a reverb that would conjure up a small, intimate > > listening environment. > > Tom > > Tom Draughon > > Heartistry Music > > http://www.heartistry.com/artists/tom.html > > 714 9th Avenue West > > Ashland, WI 54806 > > 715-682-9362 > > > >>>>> Art is a personal expression of universal value, > >>>> > >>>> That concept of the arts has developed in Western Europe in the > >>>> wake of political emancipation during the 18th-19th centuries. > >>>> Before that era, artists would usually not consider themselves > >>>> autonomous so as to make use of their art in order to express > >>>> themselves. Most lute music dates from times older than that. > >>> > >>> Point taken. But without the high-blown words I think it's fair to > >>> say > >> that much > >>> lute music is still very personal. Perhaps in older times more > >>> expressions > >> of > >>> craftsmanship than art, but still, personall expressions. > >> > >> Sorry to blow high, but, hm . there is such a thing like personal > >> style to compositions by, say, Handel, Emond or Vieux Gallot, to > >> name a few. I'd like to consider them their distinguishing marks. > >> You will recognize some of Handel's music by his pet final formula, > >> some of Emond's allemandes by his particular shifted rhythms, and > >> some of Vieux Gallot's pieces by his use of upper positions on the > >> fret board. You could call that their unique selling propositions, > >> if you will. But I'd have difficulties in taking these features as > >> personal. > >> > >> Music as a way of personal expression is a notion that didn't > >> develop until the 19th century. Music to _raise_ fear, joy, anger, > >> sadness, tranquility etc. has been composed since the invention of > >> monody. But not music that expresses fear, joy, anger, sadness, > >> tranquility etc. of its composer (like e. g. van Beethoven's > >> Pleasant Emotions at the Arrival in the Woods, 6th Symphony, 2nd > >> movement). > >> > >> Everybody must choose their ways of performing for an audience > >> present (even if it's no more than yourself). But taking pieces of > >> lute music as expressing personal emotions of their composers IMO > >> is a case of intentional fallacy, more often than not. -- I for one > >> would base the interpretation on settings that the music probably > >> was performed in (like royal festivities with dances, civic parties > >> etc.) rather than on possible personal expressions of the > >> composers. > >> > >>>>> I believe that for a player it helps to understand the coding to > >>>>> play the music more convincingly. > >>>> > >>>> A pivotal point IMO: Convincingly for whom? > >>> > >>> For me, remember: lute playing is just for me, that was the whole > >>> point of > >> doing > >>> pointless things. > >> > >> Sorry I misunderstood. So, if it's only myself I have to convince > >> ... -- what's the difference? Finding something convincing or > >> plausible, presupposes other people's opinions in my mind > >> (teachers, writers, performers). If I don't have a clue, how can I > >> be convincing even to myself? I even imagine that if I were a prof > >> performer, I'd have in mind a generic audience as well. > >> > >>> I do know. But I might not be what they expect a real minstrel to > >>> be > >> anyway. I > >>> don't (usually) sing to my lute playing either, nor do I wear a > >>> feather in > >> my cap. ;) > >> > >> Oh, yes, the feather, an important accessory. Well, you and me and > >> some others know that it isn't really important in itself, do we. > >> But we also know that we're sometimes expected to wear it. And if > >> we don't, it's still there as a minus on the list. Coloured feather > >> standing for artistic expression, rubato, some dynamics etc. > >> > >> Mathias > >> > >> > >> > >> To get on or off this list see list information at > >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > Tom Draughon > > Heartistry Music > > http://www.heartistry.com/artists/tom.html > > 714 9th Avenue West > > Ashland, WI 54806 > > 715-682-9362 > > > > > > >
Tom Draughon Heartistry Music http://www.heartistry.com/artists/tom.html 714 9th Avenue West Ashland, WI 54806 715-682-9362
