nedma...@aol.com wrote:
I guess we were pretty good sight readers, Stuart. I had studed
percussion since Jr. High and was playing drums professionally at the
time. The other 'lutenists' were very good players - conservatory
trained - on their respective modern instruments. So we all did well
with the rhythmic complexities. Also, required at the workshop were
daily classes in doing exercises from Hindemith's Elementary Training
for Musicians. By the time you get into the third or fourth chapter
of that, you're having fun with rhythms! As a drummer, it was
actually the rhythmic 'interest' characteristic of much early
music that initially attracted me. Another memorable evening was
spent listening to recorder players trying to read through "Christe
Crosse" from T. Morley's "A Plain and Easy Introduction to Music" (if
I remember the title correctly). One would have to look to
contemporary - or at least modern - musical works to find similar
rhythmic complexity, I think.
Ned
We had a classically-trained violinist stay with us for a while (Bartok
no problem etc) - and I put some fifteenth century music in front of her
(I chose something quite tricky!) and she was really quite flummoxed -
for a couple of minutes anyway, but then sorted it out. What I find most
shocking/surprising in this kind of music (as it is realised in modern
editions) is seeing what looks like a simple melodic line which, if it
were in 4/4 would be a simple as could be. But it's not on the the beat
at all! But there is a beat and some of the other parts may be playing
it - or not. (I can put up some juicy examples if anyone is interested)
Jon Banks has been championing a repertoire (some textless chansons and
other things) from around 1500 which he argues is for lute trio (or a
trio of plucked instruments, probably of different sizes). He has
written a book about it and the Lute Society (UK) has published some of
the pieces. I have worked on some of the pieces (as an amateur) and I
still don't feel at all confident at trying to play them with others.
I'd be interested to know who is playing them.
Stuart
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