>>>>Part 2: Continuation<<<< Hans Newsidler's 1544 book gives extended tuning instructions for the Judentanz, resulting in this scordatura tuning, as I explained:
[G-g]_d-d'_d-d'_a-a_d'-d'_f#'. The 6th course is not used. Like a few other pieces in Newsidler's books the Judentanz seems to be intended for a five-course lute. Here is a facsimile from the 1544 print. Those who compare it will see that Willi Apel and Adolf Koczirz have transcribed it accurately (pace G. Crona). [1]https://eee.uci.edu/programs/rgarfias/jtanz/jtanz.html Notice the "t" in the seventh line of the tuning instructions, . . . die Ebrer quint saitten muss man dem t gleich ziehen, . . . In German tablature "t" is the fourth fret on the second (d') course = f#' in G tuning. The top course (Quintsaite) is tuned a half tone lower than usual to the note of the 4th fret of the second course (Kleinsangsaite which HN calls Sangsaite [1536 book, sig. aiiij]). When the piece is played from the German tablature using that scordatura, it produces a bitonal piece with a D_a_d' drone in the lower courses and a florid upper part on a modal scale on c#. (Perhaps it imitates bagpipe music.) ||: c#_b#_c#_d# :|| <r>_c#_b#_bnat_a_D |. In French tablature: ||: (Ist tuned to f#:) h_g_h_k :|| <r>_h_g_f_ (IInd tuned to d:) h_ (IVth tuned to D:) a || (fits nicely under the hand) Apel considered the piece musical satire. In 1529 invading Turks drove Newsidler from his hometown of Bratislava, and surely he was acquainted with Mehter (Turkish military musicians, who led the warriors into battle). The Judentanz might very well represent what to Newsidler's western ears sounded like eastern music. Newsidler's books were compiled from material used to instruct his children, and are filled with evocative dances that would appeal to youngsters. The eldest, Melchior Newsidler (b. 1531), would already have become a 13-year-old lute virtuoso when the Judentanz was published. One can easily imagine that an exuberant young Melchior, or his kid brother Conrad, might have delighted in playing this exotic bitonal music. Perhaps like Mozart, they may have found bitonality to be a back-slappin' musical joke. And would have a good giggle at its end. Newsidler's admonition to "play the piece nimbly, since otherwise it might not sound very well" recalls Alfonso de Mudarra's similar advice with the Ludovico Fantasia. Mudarra warns that the piece has dissonances when played well do not sound poorly ("Algunas falsas taniendose bien no parecen mal"). And again bitonality is used to make a joke: Ludovico plays so fast, he becomes confused and plays cross relations, some simultaneously.. Not until 1960 did anyone question the piece's bitonality. In the LSJ 2 (1960): 9-12 ("Ayre on the F # String"), Michael Morrow offered an alternate reading by suggesting that the tuning instructions contained a convenient typo. Morrow proposed that the "t" was intended to be "et," the German tablature sign for the fifth fret on the 2nd course (=g'). The glyph for "et" looks like a 7 with a line through its middle (NOT a dash above the cipher, as Crona claims). Morrow argued that the typesetter had mistaken the "et" for a "t" since they looked similar. Reading the "t" as an "et" would tune the top course to the usual g' rather than f#', and the D-a-d' drone would have a florid, repetitious modal d melody to match the D_a_d' drone, making it tonally unified on D. The piece becomes rather commonplace, and overly repetitious. Could Newsidler have missed the typo when he proofread the piece? He surely would have carefully read something as important and as complicated as tuning instructions. And notice how the "t" stands out prominently in the middle of the page. The typesetter had set page after page of German lute tablature. By time he got to the Judentanz which closes the book, he would have recognized the difference between "et" and "t," whether he could read tablature or not. Let's take one last look at the prescription for tuning the top string. Did we miss anything? . . . die Ebrer quint saitten muss man dem t gleich ziehen, . . . Oh yes. Almost forgot.<g> Ebrer? Italian: Ebreo. Modern German: Ebraeer, Hebraeer English: Hebrew. The "Erbrer Quintsaite," for which the correct cipher is, therefore, "t" (f#'), as printed. AJN ----- Original Message ----- From: "G. Crona" <[email protected]> To: "Lutelist" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2011 4:05 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: What's the point to 'historical sound' > Many thanks to Nancy and Denys for the interesting Renbourn interview from > LSA Quarterly Sept. 06! > > Especially funny to read about the Newsidler "Judentanz" that had > musicologists baffled in those early days because they couldn't read the > German tablature properly (dash above cipher) and therefore totally > misjudged the piece as an atonal piece centuries ahead of its time. > > Luckily, thanks to David Munrow who was there on recorder, they were able > to put things straight. But they still bowed to contemporary musicologist > knowledge and recorded a faulty atonal version as well. > > Shows you never to put too much trust in your contemporary musicologists! > He-he ;) > > G. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Nancy Carlin" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]>; "Lutelist" <[email protected]>; "G. > Crona" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 1:45 AM > Subject: [LUTE] Re: What's the point to 'historical sound' > > >> I am also a big Renbourn fan and agree that he has great technique. >> Those early records of his were a big inspiration years ago. We >> published a nice interview with him in the LSA Quarterly a while back. >> I anyone does not have it email me and I can send you a copy. >> Nancy > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. file://localhost/net/people/lute-arc/L16725-9381TMP.html
