Two things to keep in mind: 1. I don't really think there's a future-instrument creep going on. Many of us have been lutophiles long enough to remember when we didn't know enough to raise most of the questions you bring up. Players are certainly more conscious of the variety of historical instruments, notwithstanding the occasional generalized remarks about the "Old Ones" or whatever around here. But doing something about it is another thing.
2. It's rare that a lute player has much of a choice about whether to play a Diversi Autori Lutebook Concert. Most of the gigs are for ensembles (as would have been the case three and four centuries ago), and sure, I'm happy to do a solo between the trio sonata and the solo cantata. I'll just put down the theorbo and play a Francesco recercar on my six-course before picking up the archlute for the cantata. I'm sure the audience won't mind waiting while I tune 31 strings. On Aug 23, 2013, at 1:45 PM, Sean Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > Again, the practicality is understood. What I should also mention is that it > influences the concert choice of music: > > "I have an 8c. To make best use of it I will play a concert that spans a 100 > years. ...because I can." vs "I have a 6c. I will play a concert that might > have happened out of the Diversi Autori lutebook. ...because I can." We are > often influenced by our instruments more than the music or the history. > > or (or add the following statement to the above concert choice) > > "I have an 8c and it would be pointless to add an 8ve'd 4th course for all > the music I play so I will play the pre-1560 dances w/out." (valid, no?) > Followed by: "There are things about that 4th course that I don't need to > know and the audience needn't learn about them either." It took me a long > time to appreciate that 4th course and to get past that bothersome jangle but > tho it took years I'm appreciative that I stuck to it. Are players doing > themselves and their audience a disservice by being quickly dismissive of > earlier instruments in the pursuit of pan-appropriate lutes? -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
