Re: Vivaldi Lute Concerto

[James A Stimson]

Dear Stewart and All:
 In the most recent issue of the Lute Society of America Quarterly, Eric
Liefield make a convincing argument for the gallichon, with the part played
an octave lower than written.
Yours,
Jim



                                                                                       
                                            
                      "Stewart McCoy"                                                  
                                            
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                                                   Subject:  Vivaldi Lute Concerto     
                                            
                      12/20/2003 11:02 AM                                              
                                            
                                                                                       
                                            
                                                                                       
                                            




Dear All,

I have just had a phone call from someone who has been asked to play
the Vivaldi lute concerto, but they don't know what instrument it is
for. It goes up to c''', i.e. two octaves above middle c'.

In his book _The Early Mandolin_, Early Music Series 9 (Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1989) James Tyler argues that the music should be
played an octave lower than written, presumably on a bog standard
lute in g', and not, as some musicians do, on a mandolino. This is
what he writes on page 31:

"Many modern performers have been confused as to the lute intended
by Vivaldi for his music, and because the music is mostly written in
the treble clef, have assumed it is to be played in the same
register as the violin. They have ignored the fact that Vivaldi has
the lute play from the bass clef as a continuo instrument (see RV540
and RV556) when it is not playing its solo passages from the treble
clef. This confusion has led some eminent performers to play
Vivaldi's lute pieces on a mandolino which, for their purposes, they
call a soprano lute."

Please could anyone tell me more about this piece, and the sort of
instrument required to play it.

Many thanks,

Stewart McCoy.