Martyn's points are very well taken, although there's a lot we don't know about the M/G I see no evidence of any kind for a suitable historical model, making the Gallichon the least likely of the usual suspects (well, someone did mention the renaissance lute).
I also agree that some sort of transposition is a very likely interpretation, and from what we know about the recorder and viol parts in Bach a half step solution is also possible, particularly on archlute. >dt >Martyn Hodgson: > >Much as I would dearly wish that the >mandora/gallichon (M/G for short) was the >instrument Bach intended, unfortunately I doubt >it. The principal reasons outlined below are necessarily brief: > > To play all the bass notes requires an > instrument with at least 8 courses (with the > 6th at Eb). In 1724 the M/G in d was a > relatively new instrument and all contemporary > tablatures, iconography and extant instruments > of which I'm aware around this date are only 6 > course. The earliest original condition 8 > course is the 1748 by Weigert - and the music > (tablature)which requires such instruments is in the later 'galant' style. > > Bach was usually accurate in the naming of > instruments and, from its 18thC introduction, > the instrument was well known as the Mandora > (or Gallichon) in the German States (mostly > Northern German) and in the Bohemian part of > the Hapsburg empire. The named lute part in the > St Matthew Passion is, of course, more > idiomatic for the 13 course lute and I see no > reason to suppose that he called it so in one > source but in another meant a different > instrument. Incidentally, I also see no real > reason to expect Bach to have been able to > compose wonderfully idiomatic music for an instrument which he didn't play. > > The instruments requested by Kuhnau (NB we > don't know if he was actually given permission > to but them .... and to hire players) were most > probably the large continuo M/Gs pitched in a > with a string length 89 to 96cm and 12 frets > tied on the neck; often also single strung as > the best extant examples: Schorn 1688, Edlinger > 1728. Many church ceiling paintings show such > large very long single necked instruments. > There's evidence that the small d' (later also > e') M/G were amateur instruments whereas the > large instruments in a seem to have been > professional continuo instruments. The St John > aria is not playable on the large M/G pitched in a. > > Martyn > > PS One part solution to the St John passion > problem which I don't believe has been > mentioned, is to assume the organ was at high > pitch (as often seems to have been the case) > and the lute was pitched a tone below thus > obliging the piece to be played a tone higher > to keep the key relationships: in short > transpose it to F and play on a Dm lute a tuned > a tone below what the voices are singing at. > > >Stewart McCoy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Mathias, > >As I understand it, there is an overlap in meaning with gallicon, mandora, >and similar words. I'm afraid I can't give chapter and verse for plucked >instruments at Leipzig. I probably read about the Leipzig instruments on >this list, so maybe someone could provide more information. > >Best wishes, > >Stewart. > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: ""Mathias Rösel"" >To: "Lutelist" >Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:38 AM >Subject: [LUTE] Re: St. John Passion > > > > "Stewart McCoy" schrieb: > >> One of the arguments in favour > >> of using the mandora is that they bought a couple for the church at > >> Leipzig > >> when Bach was there. There were over 40 tunings for the mandora, and the > >> number of strings can vary. I think I am right in saying that Lynda Sayce > >> uses a mandora for this piece. > >> > >> I once counted the occurrences of the bass notes in Betrachte Meine > >> Seele: C > >> = 4; D = 14; Eb = 49; E = 8; F = 12; F# = 2; G = 20; Ab = 4; A = 8; Bb = > >> 20. > >> From that it is clear that one of the bass courses must be tuned to Eb. > >> Ideally there would be an open G and an open Bb too. > > > > > > Can't find it in the record, so--was a calichon suggested? With its deep > > tuning C - D - G - B - e - a all the bass notes should be easily > > reachable on the fretboard. > > -- > > Mathias > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > >--------------------------------- > For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint > visit Yahoo! For Good this month. > > >--------------------------------- > For ideas on reducing your carbon footprint > visit Yahoo! For Good this month. >--
