> We would need to go > back to school to learn this baroque language. So too, I believe, with the lute. > If one simply wants to play the renaissance or baroque literature, fine.
How so? When you just like to play the renaissance or baroque literature, you'll always do it within the scope of what you've learned before. If you had no teacher to show you renaissance or baroque literature, you'll play along the lines of what today is sold as classical music, probably. There is no such thing like playing the music "as is". > But if one wants to play it convincingly, knowledge of the language is essential. Convincing to whom? I'd rather say, if you want to play something comprehendible to yourself or to the audience, you'd better know your own musical language or the musical notions of your audience. Acceptance belongs to the listening ear. If you want to just do the right thing, which is an honourable goal, play for an appropriate entrance fee and give the money to those who need it. If you want to play according to the historical circumstances of the music that you are planning to play, be aware that your next audience may or may not like it, depending on if and how they have been trained to appreciate what you are going to perform. If you want to make money by playing early music right and record it, you will face market constraints that will force you to compromise. Hence those remarkable sounds of many lute CDs and those innumerable cuts in those recordings. Mathias To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
