On 11/04/2011 09:01, Martyn Hodgson wrote:
Regarding the held notes at the conclusion of each half, I think this
suggests that these pieces were in fact conceived primarily for
performance with the outer bowed instruments mentioned in the title -
so that there would be no need to perpetuate the sound over a full (or
large part of) long bar by such devices.
Although bowed instruments seem to be indicated by the title page
("violino e viola"), the bass line is lightly figured. Maybe the violist
would have added some harmonies. Many of the allemandas have these long
empty bars at the end of each half. Even bowed, or on another sustaining
instrument, they could sound as is musical activity has temporarily
ceased! So plucked instrument strums and/or twiddles (as you suggest
Falconieri did) is maybe what is in order.
It's interesting that Granata does some 'octave-hopping' in the guitar
part - but nothing to do with the tuning. For example, in the E minor
Corrente (p.22), bar 4-5. The passage begins with the note b (open
string, second course). In the violin part the the note b goes down to g
and then up a scale, g,a,b,c#, d, e. But the guitar part begins on b,
then jumps up an octave for the g, a, and b then jumps back down to c#,
d and e. In the final two bars of the first section the violin part goes
from a high g (first course, third fret of guitar) down to b, a and g
but the guitar part goes from the high g down to b and back up an octave
for the a and g.
Probably this is to make the instrument project a bit more - especially
if there is a violin playing. But maybe it also shows an attitude of
mind about melodic lines on the Baroque guitar. (As Monica has often
insisted upon!)
Stuart
In short, I suggest they were
indeed expected to be played as a trio for the best effect.
Martyn
On 4/7/2011 3:36 PM, "Stuart Walsh"<[1]s.wa...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>Granata's Novi Capricci Armonici Musicali in vari toni per la chitarra
>spagnola, violino and viola concertati et altra sonate per chitarra
sola
>1674 has pieces for solo guitar and, at the beginning, 12 pieces with
a
>guitar part on the left hand side and then in staff notation (treble
and
>lightly figured bass) on the right.
>
>This publication has been discussed before but , as usual, I can't
>remember the details and don't want to plumb the archives. Gary Boyes
>
>[2]http://www.library.appstate.edu/music/guitar/1674granata.html
>
>says that these pieces are for violin, guitar and continuo. I think
last
>time the work was discussed somebody said that it might be like some
>lute trios where there is a lot of doubling (e.g. Hinterleithner and
>later in the 18th century, Martino and others).
>
>But I think it was Monica who thought that these pieces are(or might
be)
>for violin and continuo, and alternatively playable as guitar solos.
>Anyway, I always thought it would be interesting to hear the guitar
part
>with the bass line. So I've had a shot at one of the pieces, the
>Alemanda in E minor on page 20 which is quite attractive as a solo.
I'm
>not sure how fast this piece is to go and I'm taking it fairly slowly.
>That leaves bar 8, the concluding bar of the first section, with one
>chord for the duration of the whole bar (or almost). That's a lot of
>space/time with nothing happening. Often in Allemandas, there are some
>arpeggio twiddles for the first two beats and then a strummed chord.
>(Most, but not all, of the later solo alemandas in this publication
are
>treated in this way.)
>
>[3]http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Granata.mp3
>
>So this is for guitar and a lute playing the bass line. I didn't try
and
>do continuo because I don't know enough about it and, anyway, the
guitar
>is covering the main harmony. The bass does double the guitar quite a
>bit (but there is often a lot of doubling in the Baroque guitar duets
>I've seen). I think it's quite a strange sound. The second bar of the
>second section sounds weird. The clash in the repeat of the second
>section, towards the end is just my mistake.
>
>Stuart
>
>
>
>
>To get on or off this list see list information at
>[4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
--
References
1. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=s.wa...@ntlworld.com
2. http://www.library.appstate.edu/music/guitar/1674granata.html
3. http://www.pluckedturkeys.co.uk/Granata.mp3
4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
