On Feb 16, 2006, at 3:13 PM, Andrew Stiller wrote:
The Baroque ensemble Tempesta di Mare has made a name for itself in part through its performances and recordings of reconstructed lute concertos by Sylvius Leopold Weiss--concertos for which only the lute part actually survives. The entire orchestral part had to be recreated. The resulting pieces sound very convincing and realistic, and are credited to Weiss, but I can't help but thinking, each time I hear one of them, that if Handel had done the exact same thing--taken a Weiss lute part and added new orchestral accompaniments--that we would not hesitate a moment to ascribe the resulting work to Handel, not Weiss. Your thoughts?
You are right in pointing out an important modern distinction. If Bach had written his "Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring" today, he would have been credited as "arranged by..." and been eligible for no royalties at all unless the tune (the part with the words) was in the public domain. Everything he wrote - all the most interesting parts that make the piece good - are just the arrangement, by modern standards.
I can only shrug and suggest that the world is not the same place any more. Women can vote, slavery is frowned upon, we have freedom of religion (such as it is), and citizens are not routinely imprisoned or killed for criticising the government - at least not as much as before. And of course, a fine musician can make an unforgettable contribution to music and get no proper credit or compensation beyond journeyman's fees.
Oh well. Christopher _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
