[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
I have spent an enjoyable week researching the chekker. At least it was more enjoyable than just sitting around healing. Anyway, I was able to acquire some of the papers associated with the Christopher Page article and the Early Music article itself: The Myth of the Chekker, Christopher Page, EM Vol7, No.4, Keyboard Issue 1 (Oct.,1979) pp 482-489, Oxford University Press (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3126484) Four More 15th-Century Representations of Stringed Keyboard Instruments, Christopher Page and Lewis Jones) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 31 (May 1978), pp 151-155, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841204) Toward an Identification of the Chekker, Edwin M Ripin (op. post.) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 28 (Apr 1975) pp 11-25, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841566) The Canon and Eschaquiel of the Arabs, Henry George Farmer, Journal of the Royal Asiatic ZSociety of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr 1926) pp 239-256 (http://www.jstor.com/stable/255220946) While the background of the last three articles is good to have, it can be summarized fairly succinctly: The chekker, called at various times in history by the terms eschiquier, exaquier, chekker, Schachtbrett, eschaquiel, exquaquiel, exaquir, echiquier, eschequier Virginal, and assumed at various times to be synonymous with or derived from al-shaquira (Farmer), an instrument seeming like organs which sounds like strings (King John I of Aragon), manicordium (Ryet),and therefore an upright harpsichord, clavichord (Ripin), and dulce melos (Arnault de Zwolle), either is or isn't a mysterious instrument of which no existing example can be produced, or is a mere synonym for an instrument that is extent. Much time is spent on the excheqer, a 5' x 10' board covered with a cloth bought in Easter term with rulings a full span or a foot apart. (Ripin's translation of a medieval diologus ascribed to Richard, son of Nigel.) Ripin simultaneously presumes the rulings to be a reminder of parallel stringed instruments, although the lines seem to have been both parallel and perpendicular, ala checker board (or chess board). It is interesting that the chekker is first recognized as being referred to in 1360 (according to the first reference in Rippin's Appendix, which quotes 14th to 16th Century instances) as leschequier, and the excheqer description (with the ruled lines a foot or span apart) is from a 12th C source, while the drawings presented date from 15thC and later sources. Page starts by deconstructing Farmer's association between Al-shaquira and eschiquir, kindly not pressing the comparison between Farmer and Iago... But yet, I say, If imputation and string circumstances Which lead directly to the door of truth Will give you satisfaction, you might have't. ..making the chekker controversy entertaining if not necessarily educating. The final score is chekker 1, musicologists 0, as Page concludes that Gerson's drawings of the chessboard-shaped excheqer, as a potent image for the medieval mind, is the best indicator of the shape of the chekker, at least least at some time. He also figures that the chekker cannot be isolated to a single type of action, even from its close positional association in medieval poetry with clavichords or monochords. His conclusion is that we need more pictorial sources which are well-connected to mechanisms that resemble the excheqer before we can begin to guess whether the Chekker was a specific kind of instrument, or as multi-valued as Instrument might have been in Praetorius' time. Clearly,Marc Lewon has grasped the situation, and has assigned the value chekker to something, secure in the knowledge that no one now stands to dispute with him, and that, if at sometime in the future definitive evidence arises to prove that his instrument is not a chekker, he can still be utterly correct to rename it ex-chekker! ray To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
Not sure whether this is relevant as have not been following the thread closely but apparently the earliest surviving clavier is a clavicytherium in the collection of the Royal College of Music (London). The instrument can have wire or gut strings. Monica - Original Message - From: William Brohinsky tiorbin...@gmail.com To: Stuart Walsh s.wa...@ntlworld.com Cc: lute Net lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2009 4:26 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio I have spent an enjoyable week researching the chekker. At least it was more enjoyable than just sitting around healing. Anyway, I was able to acquire some of the papers associated with the Christopher Page article and the Early Music article itself: The Myth of the Chekker, Christopher Page, EM Vol7, No.4, Keyboard Issue 1 (Oct.,1979) pp 482-489, Oxford University Press (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3126484) Four More 15th-Century Representations of Stringed Keyboard Instruments, Christopher Page and Lewis Jones) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 31 (May 1978), pp 151-155, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841204) Toward an Identification of the Chekker, Edwin M Ripin (op. post.) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 28 (Apr 1975) pp 11-25, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841566) The Canon and Eschaquiel of the Arabs, Henry George Farmer, Journal of the Royal Asiatic ZSociety of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr 1926) pp 239-256 (http://www.jstor.com/stable/255220946) While the background of the last three articles is good to have, it can be summarized fairly succinctly: The chekker, called at various times in history by the terms eschiquier, exaquier, chekker, Schachtbrett, eschaquiel, exquaquiel, exaquir, echiquier, eschequier Virginal, and assumed at various times to be synonymous with or derived from al-shaquira (Farmer), an instrument seeming like organs which sounds like strings (King John I of Aragon), manicordium (Ryet),and therefore an upright harpsichord, clavichord (Ripin), and dulce melos (Arnault de Zwolle), either is or isn't a mysterious instrument of which no existing example can be produced, or is a mere synonym for an instrument that is extent. Much time is spent on the excheqer, a 5' x 10' board covered with a cloth bought in Easter term with rulings a full span or a foot apart. (Ripin's translation of a medieval diologus ascribed to Richard, son of Nigel.) Ripin simultaneously presumes the rulings to be a reminder of parallel stringed instruments, although the lines seem to have been both parallel and perpendicular, ala checker board (or chess board). It is interesting that the chekker is first recognized as being referred to in 1360 (according to the first reference in Rippin's Appendix, which quotes 14th to 16th Century instances) as leschequier, and the excheqer description (with the ruled lines a foot or span apart) is from a 12th C source, while the drawings presented date from 15thC and later sources. Page starts by deconstructing Farmer's association between Al-shaquira and eschiquir, kindly not pressing the comparison between Farmer and Iago... But yet, I say, If imputation and string circumstances Which lead directly to the door of truth Will give you satisfaction, you might have't. ..making the chekker controversy entertaining if not necessarily educating. The final score is chekker 1, musicologists 0, as Page concludes that Gerson's drawings of the chessboard-shaped excheqer, as a potent image for the medieval mind, is the best indicator of the shape of the chekker, at least least at some time. He also figures that the chekker cannot be isolated to a single type of action, even from its close positional association in medieval poetry with clavichords or monochords. His conclusion is that we need more pictorial sources which are well-connected to mechanisms that resemble the excheqer before we can begin to guess whether the Chekker was a specific kind of instrument, or as multi-valued as Instrument might have been in Praetorius' time. Clearly,Marc Lewon has grasped the situation, and has assigned the value chekker to something, secure in the knowledge that no one now stands to dispute with him, and that, if at sometime in the future definitive evidence arises to prove that his instrument is not a chekker, he can still be utterly correct to rename it ex-chekker! ray To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
William Brohinsky wrote: I have spent an enjoyable week researching the chekker. At least it was more enjoyable than just sitting around healing. Anyway, I was able to acquire some of the papers associated with the Christopher Page article and the Early Music article itself: The Myth of the Chekker, Christopher Page, EM Vol7, No.4, Keyboard Issue 1 (Oct.,1979) pp 482-489, Oxford University Press (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3126484) Four More 15th-Century Representations of Stringed Keyboard Instruments, Christopher Page and Lewis Jones) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 31 (May 1978), pp 151-155, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841204) Toward an Identification of the Chekker, Edwin M Ripin (op. post.) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 28 (Apr 1975) pp 11-25, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841566) The Canon and Eschaquiel of the Arabs, Henry George Farmer, Journal of the Royal Asiatic ZSociety of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr 1926) pp 239-256 (http://www.jstor.com/stable/255220946) While the background of the last three articles is good to have, it can be summarized fairly succinctly: The chekker, called at various times in history by the terms eschiquier, exaquier, chekker, Schachtbrett, eschaquiel, exquaquiel, exaquir, echiquier, eschequier Virginal, and assumed at various times to be synonymous with or derived from al-shaquira (Farmer), an instrument seeming like organs which sounds like strings (King John I of Aragon), manicordium (Ryet),and therefore an upright harpsichord, clavichord (Ripin), and dulce melos (Arnault de Zwolle), either is or isn't a mysterious instrument of which no existing example can be produced, or is a mere synonym for an instrument that is extent. Much time is spent on the excheqer, a 5' x 10' board covered with a cloth bought in Easter term with rulings a full span or a foot apart. (Ripin's translation of a medieval diologus ascribed to Richard, son of Nigel.) Ripin simultaneously presumes the rulings to be a reminder of parallel stringed instruments, although the lines seem to have been both parallel and perpendicular, ala checker board (or chess board). It is interesting that the chekker is first recognized as being referred to in 1360 (according to the first reference in Rippin's Appendix, which quotes 14th to 16th Century instances) as leschequier, and the excheqer description (with the ruled lines a foot or span apart) is from a 12th C source, while the drawings presented date from 15thC and later sources. Page starts by deconstructing Farmer's association between Al-shaquira and eschiquir, kindly not pressing the comparison between Farmer and Iago... But yet, I say, If imputation and string circumstances Which lead directly to the door of truth Will give you satisfaction, you might have't. ..making the chekker controversy entertaining if not necessarily educating. The final score is chekker 1, musicologists 0, as Page concludes that Gerson's drawings of the chessboard-shaped excheqer, as a potent image for the medieval mind, is the best indicator of the shape of the chekker, at least least at some time. He also figures that the chekker cannot be isolated to a single type of action, even from its close positional association in medieval poetry with clavichords or monochords. His conclusion is that we need more pictorial sources which are well-connected to mechanisms that resemble the excheqer before we can begin to guess whether the Chekker was a specific kind of instrument, or as multi-valued as Instrument might have been in Praetorius' time. Clearly,Marc Lewon has grasped the situation, and has assigned the value chekker to something, secure in the knowledge that no one now stands to dispute with him, and that, if at sometime in the future definitive evidence arises to prove that his instrument is not a chekker, he can still be utterly correct to rename it ex-chekker! ray Great summary! As I understand it, Marc Lewon is in a number of ensembles and he doesn't appear to be the leader or artistic director: He plays the lute, gittern, vielle and he sings. The members of the groups he is in all seem to be ex-students of the Schola Cantorum of Basel. When I emailed him about the dulce melos, he referred me to the player of that instrument. (I emailed her but she hasn't replied - No she just did this second - really friendly and positive!). I've looked all over Marc's site and links to the ensembles he is in but I can't find a chekker player anywhere! His site is here: http://www.lewon.de/index.php?lg=en and if you dig around (and the links to the ensembles) there are lots (lots) of mp3s and other things. He's a very fast gittern player! The playing is very pert and springy. Corina Marti plays a claviciterium on a CD, 'Von Edler Art' with Michael Gondko on gittern and lute - this is more delicate than springy and Gondko's lute playing is just exquisite. My local library has an old set of complete Dufay by the
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
William Brohinsky wrote: My guess is that the lowest voice is being played on a clavichord. Either that, or some kind of bizarre hurdy-gurdy which plucks the notes instead of bowing them? ray I emailed Marc Lewon. He says it's a chekker (a kind of claviciterium with metal strings). Somebody (Page?) once wrote an article for Early Music called 'the myth of the chekker' so maybe this instrument has been de-mythed. Anyway hammered strings, plectrum-plucked lute and the chekker (doing whatever it does) makes a great sound. Stuart On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 6:25 PM, Stuart Walsh s.wa...@ntlworld.com wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 ... the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.26/2451 - Release Date: 10/22/09 08:51:00 To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
Some nice photos from the LSA Lute Festival concert are here http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~lsa/old/Cleveland2006/CYoungConcert.html http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~lsa/old/Cleveland2006/CYoungConcertPhotos.ht ml Unfortunately I have been unable to get Crawford to choose some of the audio clips so I can post them. Margit was very nice about granting permission. She can also be heard very prominently (and seen in the background -- only person standing other than Philippe) in this amusing video of Christine Pluhar's organization: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ-VsKB_tNw Regards, Daniel On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:52:41 -0700 Sean Smith lutesm...@mac.com writes: Hi Stuart, Margit actually flew out to the LSA seminar in Ohio a few years ago to play duos with Crawford. Yes, it's in the hammered dulcimer family, yep, sure sounds great and believable in that context and, oh yeah, is she ever in control! It looks like a pretty versatile instrument and very overlooked. I'd think most of the lute rep would be available: certainly tenors with whomever, formal ensemble music and I'm sure they made solo arrangements of popular vocal or ensemble music. The latter could range from tenor-contrapunto settings, to (mostly) strict 3-part settings of their own --just like the lute rep. Furthermore, if its metal strings and good simple solid body was as portable as the lute and twice as durable I'm sure there were those that took advantage and specialized in it. There's a guy here in Berkeley who's been playing one on street corners for 30 years. I'm pretty sure that for some of it it was keeping him fed. A tradition that goes back centuries, if not millenia, in hammered dulcimer circles. Sean On Oct 21, 2009, at 3:25 PM, Stuart Walsh wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived and composed for three plucked instruments but here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer (if it is one) in this context (of quite sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command. The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin instruments with a limited range but Margit's instrument looks a monster by contrast. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
David Tayler wrote: There are some people who play the plucky version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9APMU2jXJE But that is a later style. Still, it is an original :) d http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9APMU2jXJE Thanks. I've never seen that before. That psalterio looks like a dulcimer, not a psaltery - I've never seen a psaltery with chessman bridges, nor any bridges other than the two...err bridges. Even the quanun, a sophisticated-looking beast, just has the strings, harp-like but in a different plane (as it were). I wonder if the music says to pluck it rather than plonk it? Stuart At 05:52 PM 10/21/2009, you wrote: Hi Stuart, Margit actually flew out to the LSA seminar in Ohio a few years ago to play duos with Crawford. Yes, it's in the hammered dulcimer family, yep, sure sounds great and believable in that context and, oh yeah, is she ever in control! It looks like a pretty versatile instrument and very overlooked. I'd think most of the lute rep would be available: certainly tenors with whomever, formal ensemble music and I'm sure they made solo arrangements of popular vocal or ensemble music. The latter could range from tenor-contrapunto settings, to (mostly) strict 3-part settings of their own --just like the lute rep. Furthermore, if its metal strings and good simple solid body was as portable as the lute and twice as durable I'm sure there were those that took advantage and specialized in it. There's a guy here in Berkeley who's been playing one on street corners for 30 years. I'm pretty sure that for some of it it was keeping him fed. A tradition that goes back centuries, if not millenia, in hammered dulcimer circles. Sean On Oct 21, 2009, at 3:25 PM, Stuart Walsh wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived and composed for three plucked instruments but here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer (if it is one) in this context (of quite sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command. The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin instruments with a limited range but Margit's instrument looks a monster by contrast. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.26/2451 - Release Date: 10/22/09 08:51:00
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
Daniel F Heiman wrote: Some nice photos from the LSA Lute Festival concert are here http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~lsa/old/Cleveland2006/CYoungConcert.html http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~lsa/old/Cleveland2006/CYoungConcertPhotos.ht ml Unfortunately I have been unable to get Crawford to choose some of the audio clips so I can post them. Margit was very nice about granting permission. She can also be heard very prominently (and seen in the background -- only person standing other than Philippe) in this amusing video of Christine Pluhar's organization: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ-VsKB_tNw Regards, Daniel Those photos are really interesting. Crawford has single strings on the fourth and fifth courses of his gittern? Is this just a practical way of getting five courses from 8 pegs, I wonder? Or based on iconography? Or do they yield a clearer bass or something? I'm alsovery interested in the pictures of the dulce melos (if that is what it is) - the long rectangular instrument with (12?) single strings. So there are two bridges, but no under-and-over stuff (as on later dulcimers). And a ration of 2:3? So 12 notes on the left hand side of the instrument and twelve notes, a fifth higher on the right side? Did the dulce melos do long tenors and the lute/gittern twitter away on top? Stuart On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:52:41 -0700 Sean Smith lutesm...@mac.com writes: Hi Stuart, Margit actually flew out to the LSA seminar in Ohio a few years ago to play duos with Crawford. Yes, it's in the hammered dulcimer family, yep, sure sounds great and believable in that context and, oh yeah, is she ever in control! It looks like a pretty versatile instrument and very overlooked. I'd think most of the lute rep would be available: certainly tenors with whomever, formal ensemble music and I'm sure they made solo arrangements of popular vocal or ensemble music. The latter could range from tenor-contrapunto settings, to (mostly) strict 3-part settings of their own --just like the lute rep. Furthermore, if its metal strings and good simple solid body was as portable as the lute and twice as durable I'm sure there were those that took advantage and specialized in it. There's a guy here in Berkeley who's been playing one on street corners for 30 years. I'm pretty sure that for some of it it was keeping him fed. A tradition that goes back centuries, if not millenia, in hammered dulcimer circles. Sean On Oct 21, 2009, at 3:25 PM, Stuart Walsh wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived and composed for three plucked instruments but here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer (if it is one) in this context (of quite sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command. The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin instruments with a limited range but Margit's instrument looks a monster by contrast. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.26/2451 - Release Date: 10/22/09 08:51:00
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
So there are two bridges, but no under-and-over stuff (as on later dulcimers). if one bridge each side, then each set of strings are likely to be sloped relative to the other, so they look like an X viewed from the side; this allows the player a choice, play left, or play right. Some players will tune both sides diatonically, but with different accidentals on each side, extending the compass. Pretty sure praetorius illustrates a hammer dulcimer. Yes, a very bright sound that goes well with harp and does dance music nicely. -- Dana Emery To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
There are several cases of untexted chansons in the musicological literarure described as must be instrumental, but usually the text turns up. Not to mention the fact that they sang these pieces on hexachord syllables, oddly enough. You are correct that the lastest round of historical dulcimers have a few improvements added :) dt At 03:25 PM 10/21/2009, you wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived and composed for three plucked instruments but here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer (if it is one) in this context (of quite sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command. The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin instruments with a limited range but Margit's instrument looks a monster by contrast. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
Hi Stuart, Margit actually flew out to the LSA seminar in Ohio a few years ago to play duos with Crawford. Yes, it's in the hammered dulcimer family, yep, sure sounds great and believable in that context and, oh yeah, is she ever in control! It looks like a pretty versatile instrument and very overlooked. I'd think most of the lute rep would be available: certainly tenors with whomever, formal ensemble music and I'm sure they made solo arrangements of popular vocal or ensemble music. The latter could range from tenor-contrapunto settings, to (mostly) strict 3-part settings of their own --just like the lute rep. Furthermore, if its metal strings and good simple solid body was as portable as the lute and twice as durable I'm sure there were those that took advantage and specialized in it. There's a guy here in Berkeley who's been playing one on street corners for 30 years. I'm pretty sure that for some of it it was keeping him fed. A tradition that goes back centuries, if not millenia, in hammered dulcimer circles. Sean On Oct 21, 2009, at 3:25 PM, Stuart Walsh wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived and composed for three plucked instruments but here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer (if it is one) in this context (of quite sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command. The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin instruments with a limited range but Margit's instrument looks a monster by contrast. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
There are some people who play the plucky version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9APMU2jXJE But that is a later style. Still, it is an original :) d At 05:52 PM 10/21/2009, you wrote: Hi Stuart, Margit actually flew out to the LSA seminar in Ohio a few years ago to play duos with Crawford. Yes, it's in the hammered dulcimer family, yep, sure sounds great and believable in that context and, oh yeah, is she ever in control! It looks like a pretty versatile instrument and very overlooked. I'd think most of the lute rep would be available: certainly tenors with whomever, formal ensemble music and I'm sure they made solo arrangements of popular vocal or ensemble music. The latter could range from tenor-contrapunto settings, to (mostly) strict 3-part settings of their own --just like the lute rep. Furthermore, if its metal strings and good simple solid body was as portable as the lute and twice as durable I'm sure there were those that took advantage and specialized in it. There's a guy here in Berkeley who's been playing one on street corners for 30 years. I'm pretty sure that for some of it it was keeping him fed. A tradition that goes back centuries, if not millenia, in hammered dulcimer circles. Sean On Oct 21, 2009, at 3:25 PM, Stuart Walsh wrote: http://www.lewon.de/inhalt/projekte/ensembles_dulce.php?navbat=03 Ont this page, under 'Tonbeispiele' there are three pieces, including one by Obrecht, 'Nec mihi nec tibi'. Jon Banks claims that this Obrecht untexted chanson was actually conceived and composed for three plucked instruments but here in this Ensemble Dulce Melos version the three instruments are: ? at least one plucked thing and, surprisingly what seems to be a hammered dulcimer. The three instruments create a strange sound; very nice, very beguiling. I was really surprised to hear a hammered dulcimer (if it is one) in this context (of quite sophisticated polyphony) and the as can be heard, the player (Margit Übellacker) is in complete command. The instrument Margit Übellacker is playing is described as a dulce melos, after Henri Arnault de Zwolle: fully chromatic over 3 octaves. But Margit sounds like she is playing with hammers and Henri is definitely sniffy about hammers and his dulce melos proper has an elaborate keyboard mechanism. Iconography of 15th century hammered dulcimers suggests long, thin instruments with a limited range but Margit's instrument looks a monster by contrast. Stuart To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
