Michael,
Just curious about the harp-like device that Tim
Crawford mentioned to you for raising a diapason up a
1/2 step. Would you mind describing it? I've seen
these sorts of things on various harps and wondered
how it might apply to my situation. Is it something
that one could rig up on their own? I have a
14-course theorbo (only six on the fingerboard) and
I'm getting a little annoyed at having to take the
instrument off, stand up and re-tune if I need an F#
or G# consistently in a piece. This can be especially
distracting to other players in tight quarters.
I wonder if the harp-device would attach down at
the bridge, which would be reasonable as long as it
wasn't too big and wouldn't get in the way when it
wasn't being used. In that case, you could even
engage it while in the course of a piece, given enough
time. Even if the sound would be somewhat
compromised, it would be worth it to avoid some of the
hastle.
I don't know if this would even have been
considered in the historical days. At any rate, I
think that the "oldens" were more practical than we
give them credit sometimes.
Chris Wilke
--- Michael Stitt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi Donatella,
>
> I checked out at a glance so far your tab version of
> BWV 996 and looks nice!
>
> There has been a real flowering of lute tablature of
> Bach's music. Clive Titmuss has been active and
> completed - quite recently, a playable version of
> BWV 1012 - the sixth cello suite. For beginners
> out there - be warned - this is not easy stuff!
>
> As for 996, it used to be my favourite and not too
> difficult on the classical guitar. For some strange
> reason I fnd it very hard on the Baroque lute. I
> worked out that it is not so much the technical
> PLAYING difficulty, but rather the problem of
> realisation on my fourteen course theorbo-lute.
> Since I note - your instrument, Donatella, is also a
> swan neck, you too problem run into the difficulty
> of not having D sharp bass, resulting in an
> unavoidable interruption of the passagio - opening
> prelude. Tim Crawford once gave an interesting
> solution to this, which is to attach a device -
> similar to one used by harpists, which stops the
> string. I haven't quite done this as yet!
>
> My temporary solution is to play the D# an octave
> higher, and although not perfect, is acceptable.
> You encounter this problem also in the Courante.
>
> As for the sxth cello suite, this is beautiful stuff
> on the lute and in the key of D Major makes it a
> warm and beautiful work to play. It has been said
> before that Bach wrote some of his finest and
> brighter sounding music in this key. The Magnificat
> is one such example. The prelude has the same
> intensity and virtuosic feel as that of BWV 1006a
> IMHO.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Michael Stitt
> http://bachplucked.com/lutenist/
>
>
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