Gilbert; I am in full agreement with David van Ooijen and Joseph Mayes (his response copied & pasted below David's for continuity/clarity. You obviously do not know me- not your fault, of course, because unlike David- a most out-there & publicly active musician I am now pretty much retired & private. For your information, I own 5 lutes, one vihuela, a steel string and a nylon string guitar. In addition to the usual lute music I play the music of Astor Piazzolla, Leo Brouwer, and Heitor Villa-Lobos on my lutes. I've even done Tarrega's famous tremolo piece "Recuerdas de la Alhambra" on my 8 course- STRICTLY for practice/technical studies only. For Karmic Reversal purposes I use my Dean 7-string flat-top acoustic steel-string guitar exclusively as a fake "Orpharion" -only lute and vihuela music on that- it kicks ass! " Why are lots of lutenists looking down at lutenists who are trying to do something else with the instrument, with other techniques, new approaches?" Again, for your info, I am fluent not only in "Thumb Under" in various sub-variations, I also play Thumb Out with no little finger support (late Renn, Baroque, etc. Not the 6 course!). I hear that some guitarists, mainly 20th & 21st century ones, also play this way. I once played the David Van Ronk version of the St. Louis Tickle on Renaissance lute, (Thumb under) at an early LSA lute seminar way back in the late 1970's. I think you can relax now. Much, much worse things to worry about..:-) Dan
On 3/14/2018 2:56 PM, David van Ooijen wrote: Could part of the answer be that you see/hear/know a limited set of lute players, a set that tends to gather in this forum, and don't see/hear the more broadly minded lute players in this world? Or perhaps does this forum tend to talk mostly about hipp lute playing, even though many of its members are more broadly oriented? I meet/see/talk/know many lute players who play a lot of other music besides the canon composed by our beloved and revered Old Ones. I don't think playing one kind of music excludes playing another kind of music, and I see many colleagues, professional and amateur, although perhaps more amongst the first than among the latter, who share my point of view. I think the lute playing world exhibits a wide variety of music styles that happily coexist. I play pop, jazz, contemporary, folk and early music on any of my instruments, lutes included, and I know many of my professional colleagues who do the same in their concerts, CD recordings and privately. It's even a kind of a current fashion, a gimmick or selling point: cross-over programmes. David Hello Mr. Isbin I can only answer your questions from my own perspective - naturally. I have tri ed to do so below: ________________________________________ From: [1][email protected] [2]<[email protected]> on behalf of G ilbert Isbin [3]<[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2018 5:33 PM To: LS LUTELIST Subject: [LUTE] Some questions Why is the lute world ruled by early music ? Because the lute is considered a n "early instrument" most if not all of the players were attracted to the instru ment through its music. Why are 90 or 95% of the lutenists afraid to play new music for the lute ? This is a poorly stated question, as in, "Are you still on parole?" Ra ther than ask why lutenists are "afraid" why not ask why they prefer music other than new music. For me, I like the style of the older music and despise the pre tentiousness of some new music. Why did guitarists, recorder players, cellists, pianists , oud players etc. took the challenge to play today's music and the lute world almost - with a very few exeptions - doesn't ? See above response. Why are luteplayers afraid to play something different ? Have you stopped bea ting your mother? Why do lutenists think the lute must be played with a very specific approach ? Why do contemporary composers think "pretty" is a pejorative? Why are lots of lutenists looking down at lutenists who are trying to do something else with the instrument, with other techniques, new approaches? Again - poorly stated question. You ask why something that may or may not be true is true. Like my asking why all composers insist on writing for de-tuned mandolin? What is the future for the lute music if it stays to be that dogmatic ? Good q uestion. I guess Dowland and all the other wonderful lutes composers would have a good laugh with the today's lute world approach to the instrument. If Dowla nd et al heard new music I believe they would choose another line of work. On Wed, 14 Mar 2018 at 22:34, Gilbert Isbin [4]<[1][email protected]> wrote: Why is the lute world ruled by early music ? Why are 90 or 95% of the lutenists afraid to play new music for the lute ? Why did guitarists, recorder players, cellists, pianists , oud players etc. took the challenge to play today's music and the lute world almost - with a very few exeptions - doesn't ? Why are luteplayers afraid to play something different ? Why do lutenists think the lute must be played with a very specific approach ? Why are lots of lutenists looking down at lutenists who are trying to do something else with the instrument, with other techniques, new approaches? What is the future for the lute music if it stays to be that dogmatic ? I guess Dowland and all the other wonderful lutes composers would have a good laugh with the today's lute world approach to the instrument. With kind regards, Met vriendelijke groeten, Bien cordialement, Gilbert Isbin [1][2]www.gilbertisbin.com [2][[5]3][email protected] -- References 1. [4][6]http://www.gilbertisbin.com/ 2. mailto:[[7]5][email protected] To get on or off this list see list information at [6][8]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- ******************************* David van Ooijen [[9]7][email protected] [8]www.davidvanooijen.nl ******************************* -- References 1. [10]mailto:[email protected] 2. [11]http://www.gilbertisbin.com/ 3. [12]mailto:[email protected] 4. [13]http://www.gilbertisbin.com/ 5. [14]mailto:[email protected] 6. [15]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 7. [16]mailto:[email protected] 8. [17]http://www.davidvanooijen.nl/ -- References 1. mailto:[email protected] 2. mailto:[email protected] 3. mailto:[email protected] 4. mailto:[1][email protected] 5. mailto:3][email protected] 6. http://www.gilbertisbin.com/ 7. mailto:5][email protected] 8. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 9. mailto:7][email protected] 10. mailto:[email protected] 11. http://www.gilbertisbin.com/ 12. mailto:[email protected] 13. http://www.gilbertisbin.com/ 14. mailto:[email protected] 15. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 16. mailto:[email protected] 17. http://www.davidvanooijen.nl/
