I'm sending this again since the 'etc...............' buggered up the tab spacing MH
Martyn Hodgson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 09:20:40 +0100 (BST) From: Martyn Hodgson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: John Wilson Preludes To: Howard Posner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Lute Net <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Thanks for this Howard, Yes, but I'm not saying he never uses the first course but generally steers clear of it: all those frets f, h etc on the second course and whole pieces with nothing or just the odd note on the first course eg bar 3 of the same piece - this is typical small theorbo (ie with just first course down the octave) writing. Also his substantial tables of chords avoids the first course except in the very occassional instance where he plays the middle notes of his usual three note chords on the first course - where this occurs you'll note he leaves off playing the middle note on the lower course, as in the extract below 1st course a a a a 2 a 3 d d d d c d e e e e e 4 b c d e b c d e 5 d d d d d d d d d d d d 6 Regarding the extract you highlighted below: you could as well say the notes of fret c and a on the first course sound an octave lower and are thus a continuation of the middle line which previously was fret c on the 4th course and afterwards fret a on the third - the previous c on the 2nd course would be held on over the bar to complete the strict part writing A similar style of harmonic and rythically complex polyphonic writing is found in the few extant works by Cuthbert Hely (in Lord H's LB) from the immediate earlier generation. Hely writes for the lute proper (10 course) and it's interesting that he does not studiously seek to avoid the first course as Wilson. Having said all this, I'm quite willing to accept the music is for a 12 course lute but simply don't think that the case is proved - in my view the weight of evidence favours the small theorbo (English I presume). Finally, I'm as readily willing to accept that voice leading in this repertoire can jump the octave (as on the guitar; also see earlier discussions on Pittoni and the chimera of a 2nd course at both the upper and lower octave put forward by some to explain P's 'disjointed' part writing). rgds Martyn Howard Posner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Martyn Hodgson wrote: > I'm interested that you refer to the instrument as a lute (as does > Spring) whereas I had always supposed it was written for the theorbo > with only the first course an octave down from normal. This from > internal evidence of the tablatures (including the song > accompaniements) which show a marked aversion to using the first > course. It's more complicated than that. Look at the eighth measure in #9, Ms page 5. HP To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html --------------------------------- To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. --------------------------------- How much free photo storage do you get? Store your holiday snaps for FREE with Yahoo! Photos. Get Yahoo! Photos --