That is weird- maybe. There was a period of transition; it wasn't like everyone went to bed one night, woke the next morning to find all the lutes re-strung & retuned to d-minor but with all other musical/social customs, mores, conventions unchanged. Off the top of my head I can't recall how many different transitional tunings were used and how long it took for the d-minor, which at first (I think) was just one of the bunch, to become dominant. I believe Thomas Mace ca. 1676 was still mostly using the Flat French and related tunings; I think he was aware of the d-minor as a new tuning. Then there were little distractions such as the 30 Years War taking folk's minds and activity choices away from such cultural diversions as music making, composing, and especially publishing; and sending them in other directions. How much of this impacted the French musicians I don't know.
It would be interesting to know more; any historians/musicologists care to connect the dots & fill in the blanks definitively for us? -Dan >I should have been more clear that I was interested more to know why >publication of lute songs in France >suddenly cease when the d minor tuning emerges. > >It's curious don't you think? All those volumes by Ballard and then >nothing, in spite of the fact that there is some publishing of lute >tablature in the 'accord nouveau' > >Damian -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
