Dear Gary, I'm afraid I can't help you with the Laelius, but I may be able to help you with that Luther story. Have you checked the following?
G. Rietschel, "Die Aufgabe der Orgel im Gottesdienste" (Leipzig, 1893) Brenet quotes this as a source detailing the use of lutes in place of organs in Germany during this period. Since Brenet's classic book is one of the few pre-war (indeed, pre-Great War, pub. 1899) musicological researches dedicated expressly to the lute, doubtless Nettle would have been familiar with it when he undertook his researches. Of course, even if this is where Nettle got the story from, it is by no means certain that Rietschel gives his source (perhaps Nettle didn't quote for lack of original documentation?)- and on we go ad infinitum! At any rate, hope this may prove useful! Best, Benjamin In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gary Beckman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Greetings all, > > I can't but help to jump into this conversation since my dissertation > topic addresses this exact issue. Though I'm still in the beginning > stages of my research on the context of Protestant lute music > performance, I can add that a small tidbit. Paul Nettle's book "Luther > and Music" provides a tantalizing reference, if not problematic. (Paul > was the father of the famous ethnomusicologist, Bruno Nettle). He > relates an anecdote regarding Luther himself (pre-1517, if memory > serves). According to Nettle, Luther was saying Mass and was expecting > an organ to provide the accompaniment for the Kyrie. Unfortunately, the > organ was not working at the time. Luther, looking around for > assistance, promptly relates that a deacon picked up a lute and played > the Kyrie - solo. > > Of course, this seems like a fine reference approaching the "Holy > Grail" status for someone interested in the topic, but Nettle neglected > to provide a footnote and I can't for the life of me find where he got > that information. (The original German version of the monograph is > *very* hard to find). At this point it seems like a nice story, but > problematic for us budding musicologists trying to negotiate the > intricacies of dissertation committees. Alas. > > This whole discussion of performance context is quite interesting. I've > noticed that scholarship tends to have "bucket" called "domestic" or > "house" music when performance context for a body of small scale > musical works cannot be determined. I get the impression that this > repertoire falls into that slot. Fortunately, I think this may have > been correct in some instances - especially as we look at the sacred > Protestant repertoire of the 17th. century in the context of Orthodox > Lutheranism and the burgeoning Pietist movement in the northern realms > of the German speaking world. > > Context, context...it's all context. Or so I've been told. ;-) > > A request. I have seen a few references to lute print by Daniel Laelius > "Testudo spiritualis" (1617), which apparently is a an intabulation of > all 150 psalms. Would anyone have a copy they could photocopy? I'll be > glad to reimburse for costs. > > Best to all > > Gary Beckman > Doctoral Candidate: Musicology > University of Texas at Austin > Lute and Sacred Music concentration > > On Feb 25, 2005, at 11:29 AM, AJN (boston) wrote: > > > The lute books seem to have been for personal use, Pater (later Abbot) > > Herman Kniebandl, for example. But there are sacred pieces in two of > > the > > books from Gruessau (Mss 2009?? and 2011 now in Warsaw). I imagine > > the use > > of secular music in the monasteries may have been "local option." > > > > The magnificent mountainside Monastery at Melk maintained an orchestra > > in > > the 18th cen. which played for visitors from a hidden room. (e.g., the > > emperor stayed at Melk while travelling). (The sounds issued through a > > circle-shaped window above the banquet hall. Otherwise secular music > > was > > apparently prohibited the monks, with one exception. Every year the > > monks > > were bleed, and for a few days thereafter the orchestra was permitted > > to > > play minuets while the monks recuperated.. > > > > But the question is an interesting one. That is, secular music in > > sacred > > places. As well as sacred music in secular places. Now about Johann > > Michael Sciurius aka? Eichörnchen? Is that a valid German family name? > > > > AJN. > > <><> > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > >
