Patrick wrote <>><<>I was thinking this question of what lute music may have cost in past is somewhat accademic. If I am not mistaken, people could remember a lot more than they care to now. Not that we cannot, it is just that we do not have to. There was a program with James Burke (Connections or one of those), and he explained how architects could remember complex designs for things like cathedrals. They had to; they had no blueprints. There was just a totally different method remembering, that with the availability of cheap paper and printing, we have ceased to use. I guess we are capable of all sorts of things, when we have no other choice, or do not know anything different.
Most professionals probably improvised most of the time. Since most printed lute books often carry elementary information which one would normally get in the very first music lessons, it would seem that the books were intended for amateurs. I have always believed that many were pedagogocal in nature, to "show" how a brilliant lutenist improvised. <><><><>So, is it not possible that many musicians just watched someone play a piece, and could then remember it? There are some remarkable musical minds. One was a colleague from Holland, a Dr. K. He had a photographic memory and perfect pitch, and was somewhat of a whiz at mathematics (he could add up 30 or 40 numbers in a few seconds, and then give the average). He had also been an assitant conductor of the Conertebouwe and had toured as a piano recitalist. He knew 100s of piano and orchestral scores from memory, and could toss them off at the piano. "The same modulation appears in Brahms's Third," he'd say, and then play it at the piano. As a student he had taken the scores of every piece on a recital or concert (this was before recordings were so universal). At the university we had entrance examinarions in music hostoryt for entering graduate students. But sometimes they were ready to graduate and hadn't passed. It was an uncomfortable position for the music hstory department. One instance involved a jazz pianist who came to study serious piano music and was about to do his master's recital (it was excellent). But wuldn't be permitted to do so until he passed the listening examination. He played in the band in a nationally televised variety show out of Hollywood. Well Dr. K asked me to join him and he'd give him a special examination. Dr. K. played this and that, and made lots of hints so the student would pass. After we had finished (he passed), the student asked, if he could play some of _his_ music and see iof Dr. K. could recognoze it. He played some Cole Porter, and things like that, which Dr. K. didn't recognize. And then, in the midst of this he played a Chopin Nocturne. And to my astonishment, Dr. K. didn't recognize it. And I'm certain he must have played it a million times. Afterwards I cornered the student and asked him what had happened. He winked and said, "I played the Chopin nocturne a tone higher." Dr. K. didn't recognize it because it was in the wrong key! Adieu. Arthur. <>
