Consider a dual purpose instrument.
An archlute, or a 9 course or 10 course can be
dual setup to play in French tuning, either with
double strings (archlute) or single strings (9 or
10 course) as well as the original tuning.
You can also setup the archlute to play in single
and double, old tuning or D minor tuning.
Weiss on the theorbo in D minor tuning sounds amazing, btw.
dt
At 09:39 AM 6/29/2008, you wrote:
As retirement, and subsequent reduction of money
to spend on luxuries, approaches, my wife (or
'wifu', David, but never again 'her indoors')
has informed me that it should be possible for
me to buy one last instrument. Realistically,
though, I couldn't really go much beyond £2000(
plus whatever I can get for my 1979 nine-course
orpharion, which my slightly arthritic wrists,
elbows & shoulders cannot manage to play now)
At present, I have (in addition to the
orpharion) a six-course G lute, a six-course G
viola da mano, and a seven-course G lute that I
built some 30 years ago from the Harwood &
Isaacs lute kit - no prizes for guessing the
repertoire that I have been playing.
But now I find myself totally unsure what to
choose. For many years I have dreamed of one day
owning a baroque lute. Would that be a sensible
choice for a man whose fingers are slowing down
(to say nothing of his brain!). And if it were a
sensible choice, then how many courses? The only
baroque repertoire that I am at all familiar
with is Weiss (thanks to Robert Barto) and Bach
(thanks to Walter Gerwig) - almost certainly too
demanding for me to contemplate trying to learn.
I know nothing of the French 17th century
styles, is there scope there for an aging novice?
Should I stick to the 'Golden Age', simply
moving from mostly pre-1550 to focus more on
1600? And then, once more the question arises,
how many courses? I know this was discussed a
few months ago & I can go and look in the archives...
Or, should I stick with what I am accustomed to
and buy an instrument of different character - a
vihuela in A, for example, of a lower pitched lute in E or F?
Or... should I simply tell my wife, 'No, dear, I
really don't need any more instruments - I think
you should buy yourself a bigger greenhouse'?
I would seriously welcome suggestions and advice.
Alan
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