Thank's for this.
I can't actually see that inverted 7 6 sequences dictate a non
re-entrant tuning - the low tessitura one sometimes has is just part
and parcel of the instrument. And I agree with the anonymous author of
the Facebook article you mention who wote:
' ........in the second section of the example bars 3 and 4 show
this. The 7 6 chain shown gets very low and dark, the 7 6 from 2nd to
4th course would be v odd with a higher octave 2nd course.
I personally accept harmony below the bass with 2 reentrant strings as
a pleasant sonority. the bass played with the thumb stretched out and
the fingers v close to the bridge ameliorates the effect to me.
Further, when realising accompaniments I do think there's a modern
tendency to be overly concerned about considerations of part writing
and of ensuring a particular line doesn't jump the octave. A concern
not always shared by early players: some of the few intabulated
realisations we have don't often seem too bothered about jumping
around or being focused on maintaining the integrity of an upper
line. For example passages in Kapsberger's 1612 'Libro Primo di
Arie.....' As I see it, the theorbo is principally an instrument for
producing a bass with, where possible, straightforward harmony to
accompany others. A good example of this is Corradi's 1616 'Le
Stravagaze....' which generally exhibits simple block chords played
with the bass with little or no independent contrapuntal lines.
'Going up the neck' is necessary if one has a re-entrant tuning (single
or double) and a high bass note which you wish to play at the notated
octave together with some harmony (altho of course there's no
prohibition on taking notes/sequences of notes an octave down). For
example, with a double re-entrant instrument in nominal A tuning: a d
just above the bass clef must be taken on the fourth course (rather
than the third) if one wishes to play some harmony above it (say a f#
on the third or on the first course). With non re-entrant one could
simply play the bass on the third course and the 3rd and, indeed, a 5th
on the second and first respectively. Hence why 'going up the neck'
suggests a re-entrant tuning.
MH
__________________________________________________________________
From: R. Mattes <[email protected]>
To: Martyn Hodgson <[email protected]>; Monica Hall
<[email protected]>; Lutelist <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, 24 February 2014, 17:23
Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: Bartolotti's continuo treatise
On Mon, 24 Feb 2014 08:29:00 +0000 (GMT), Martyn Hodgson wrote
> I don't have this work either - I think.......
@Monica: are you by any chance refering to
[1]https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.441553512620558.1073741827
.253474818095096&type=1
(Bartolotti continuo and solo similarities - from
[2]https://www.facebook.com/Tiorba)?
BTW, there's an image of page 52. or me this example works _much_
better in a non-reentrant tuning (N.B: Ms. one has an error: the
second chor should read dfbflat). Why would Bartolotti start thist
example with horribly wrong conterpoint? In reentrant tuning the 7-6
would transmogrify into a perfect fifth (f c) "resolving" to a forth
(f bflat) [1]. To be followed by a chain of 2nd chords ... Yes, we all
know that a 7-6 chain can be inverted (double counterpoint) into a 2-3
chain but we also know this doesn't work with a third voice running a
third above the bass (since the fith between this voice and the 7th
would invert into a (false/wrong) forth. We know our counterpoint -
Bartolotti didn't? This all does not happen with a non-reentrant
tuning. The one problematic spot for a non-reentrant tuning is Ms.13 -
here the 7th (e natural, second string) would resolve into a 6th (d,
fifth string), a problem easily solveable by playing the resolution on
the third string. That spot makes much more sense in an reentrant
tuning (moving from an open string g in ms. 10 to same note fretted on
the second string, third fret ms. 11).
> And I'm not quite sure what you mean in the page 6-7 example. But
> doesn't the use of higher positions suggest a re-entrant (single
> or double) tuning rather than the reverse, since it still allows
> for some harmony to be played above the bass line?
No. Once you are an the highest string (string 3 for an reentrant
tuning) the strings "above" will actually be below. That's exactly
what would happen on page 52. Going up the neck is as common on a
archlute as it is on a theorbo.
Cheers, RalfD
[1] Yeah, that's why the called him " ... without doubt the most
skillful upon the theorbo".
--
References
1.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.441553512620558.1073741827.253474818095096&type=1
2. https://www.facebook.com/Tiorba
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