As a musicologist, I think Martin has such a lucid description that I'm totally persuaded.. And rereading all the insights I can tell that ppl have really thought this through.
The only thing I would add, purely subjective, is that as a performer, a question: Will the 8 course slow you down in the long run? And my experience is that it does, if that is your main lute. Again, everyone is different. But I think it changes the idea of practicality versus authenticity to practicality versus deveolping skill. I'm not saying that you can't be a great artist on an 8c, I think it just isn't the best tool for the job. Having said that, if you have a really nice 8c, don't trade it in for an Aria. And there are some pieces that it is great on. dt At 03:04 PM 11/28/2007, you wrote: >I agree to a point David, I think a six course instrument strung in >the Continental style will probably be a better choice for F. >DaMilano's music. But; try playing Molinaro's music on that >instrument and you miss a lot of the music played in the base >registers. My point is that in an ideal world we would all have >every Lute configuration possible so that we could do justice to >every piece of music we encounter. > >Knowing that most of us do not have the financial resource with >which to explore such an approach we have to find what is within our >means and go with that until fate or fortune provides us with better >options. For me that option is in making my own instruments---but >not everyone can do that either. By the way I did not say they were >any good they simply suit my needs for now. > >VW >----- Original Message ----- From: "David Rastall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "vance wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Cc: "Lute List" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> >Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 4:46 PM >Subject: [LUTE] Re: Is 8c really the standard? > > >>On Nov 28, 2007, at 3:37 PM, vance wood wrote: >> >>>The "We" we are discussing happen to be a group of Historically >>>Correct Mavens that look at the issues of historical correctness >>>more closely than we look at the practicality of the things at hand >> >>Hi Vance, >> >>Certainly we've all been known to do that at times. But it seems to >>me (the Great Disclaimer) that generally speaking (another Great >>Disclaimer) most HIP afficionados will take historical purism as far >>as it takes to satisfy their intellectual curiosity, and beyond that >>will do exactly what musicians have always done: whatever's >>necessary to make good music. In other words, every musician starts >>with the specifics of his or her chosen instrument, and will sooner >>or later move on to the general considerations of "good music" in >>whatever guise they choose to play it in. That's my belief anyway. >>This whole discussion about 8-c lutes seems to be two-pronged: our >>sense of historical correctness vs. our personal musical >>preferences. I guess my point is that I don't see those two things >>as incompatible. >> >>David Rastall >> >>>; like the number of strings on our respective Lutes. If I could >>>get a decent sound out of a wooden cigar box strung with rubber >>>bands I might be tempted to play the thing, lacking anything more >>>musical to accomplish the task of playing a tune thought not >>>suitable for the instrument at hand. >>>----- Original Message ----- From: "David Rastall" >>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>To: "Stewart McCoy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>Cc: "Lute Net" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> >>>Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 11:37 AM >>>Subject: [LUTE] Re: Is 8c really the standard? >>> >>> >>>>On Nov 26, 2007, at 6:54 PM, Stewart McCoy wrote: >>>> >>>>>Do we have any evidence of a 16th- or 17th-century lutenist >>>>>refusing to play a piece, because his lute had one or two courses >>>>>more than necessary? >>>> >>>>I would say yes, we do. The evidence being that we ourselves do it >>>>today. >> >> >> >> >> >>-- >> >>To get on or off this list see list information at >>http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> >> >>-- >>No virus found in this incoming message. >>Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.9/1157 - Release Date: >>11/28/2007 12:29 PM >
