I find Stewart McCoy's discussion fascinating. His distinction between primary sources and the sometimes crucial value of secondary sources when they preserve evidence of notations recently lost is important. As an art conservator specializing paintings in the museum field I deal with these matters and issues quite regularly. The challenge of understanding original artistic intent, especially when compromised by damage or change, must be understood not only in the original work of art, but also through critical and direct comparison with early copies of works of art. Sometimes these copies provide important clues on color intensities, compositional completeness, and context which are lost in the autograph version of a painting. When involved in a restoration treatment, I must consider all the surviving evidence to understand artistic intent, aesthetic appearance, and interpretation of a work of art.
With the lute, for example, think of where we would be without the sole extant copies of the Chilesotti lutebook or the Straloch lutebook... Kenneth Be Cleveland, Ohio --
