At 21:48 22-12-2003 +0100, you wrote: >>>>
<excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Dear Arne, thanks for your email. I don't really understand what you mean. I think if you want a small lute tuned in A at Vivaldi's time it has to be an archlute or liuto attiorbato. Of course the lute works dedicated to Count Wtrby could have been played in the d minor german lute but never with a plectrum. There is no evidence of the use of the plectrum on baroque instruments ( mandoline , never the lute) until around 1770. besides Vivaldi write that the lute player should play the continuo(in the D minor concerto with viola d'amore) when he is not playing the solo part, that also needs harmony, at least in the slow movements. If you do not use an archlute the violins, cello and violone must use a sordina. best wishes davide </smaller></fontfamily></excerpt> All right, I try again, then. I am not too familiar with Vivaldi's instructions, only vaguely remember that at least one of them - the D-major one - was written for a noble amateur friend. What we did on stage back then, was just making the best of a bad job. The play, "Il Campiello", is by Goldoni. Dramatically something of a catastrophe: No story, no plot, a lot of posturing, running around, and saucy dialogue - a 1700s' "sit-com", if you will. Surprisingly, the production went down rather well, due to lavish scenography, good actors, and - Vivaldi. The music was aptly chosen, since Vivaldi was a personal friend of Goldoni. Vivaldi even saved Goldoni from getting arrested by the cops, at some point, as I remember. As for the lutes, there was no way the 13-course could project the melody line as well as the small ren-lute in A, in a theatre with velvet, sound-absorbing seats. Thus the 13-course had to do bass duty - there was no viol, or cello, available - but could only be heard when hit with a good plectrum. Most un-HIP, I confess - but what were we to do? Anyway, our personas were those of 3 drunken Venetian carnival revellers, and as such an unorthodox selection of instruments could surely be accepted in a stage context. I would just like to make the point, that although there were many different lute types in vogue at Vivaldi's time, it should not be ruled out that Vivaldi could have taken it into his head to write for an otherwise obsolete instrument, like a ren. A-lute, if prompted to it by chance. All the best, Arne.
