If it's not your whim and you are under duress from ill informed conductors
then I owe you an apology!
But briefly I don't think that the guitar would have been used in 17th
century Italian (or other) religious music intended to be performed in a
liturgical context. I can't see why it should be necessary.
As far as the Vespers are concerned I wouldn't compare the opening with an
overture to an opera. This is an invocation to God to hear our prayers
and accept our praises. It is not intended to be a dramatic performance
but a spiritually uplifting or inspiring experience. I am not a theorbo
player but I can't really see the point in strumming that in the context
although it seems very fashionable at the moment.
Part of the problem seems to me to be that today the music is just regarding
as another form of entertainment without taking into account the purpose for
which it was intended.
Beyond that there are obviously a whole range of problems about how the
Vespers should be performed - starting with the idea that it isn't entirely
clear what purpose Monteverdi did actually have in mind when composing it.
Anyway at least I have sparked off a lively debate (again). It always
surprises me that everyone takes what I say so seriously!
God probably isn't worried one way or another. My brother has this nice
idea that he just sits on a cloud switching channels until he finds
something he wants to listen to.
Monica
----- Original Message -----
From: "David van Ooijen" <davidvanooi...@gmail.com>
To: "Lutelist" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 12:20 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: another day at the office
On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 12:43 PM, Monica Hall <mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk>
wrote:
to which I would respond - is there any authority for David's proposition
other than his own whim?
O dear, now it's suddenly my whim against the lack of evidence ( ...
is no evidence of lack &c.). I'll pass your opinion on to the next
conductor (tonight and tomorrow, as it happens, and this particular
man might be happy, as he thought us pluckers to be _much_ too loud
for his choir anyway).
Seriously though, within Italian early 17th century repertoire you are
saying no baroque guitar in church, not in music intended for a
service or just not in Monteverdi's Vespers? I have no axe to grind
here, so I am reading your comments with interest.
Back to the Vespers. The festive music Monteverdi chose for his
opening, worthy of an ouverture to an opera, is to me inviting to
festive strumming. If there's just a theorbo, I'd do the strumming on
the theorbo (Lex just made a point about that), though I do like the
theorbo more for it's real forte: low and full sound. Playing the
Nigra Sum on b-guitar would obviously be another matter, but, if
there's no big lute, gentle plucking added to an organ would not
offend me. A festive production like the Vespers is an opportunity to
make the best of the orchestra available. I think it was Howard who
made a valid points about the use of recorders. And there are the
recurring questions about the number of cornetti needed, and what to
do with the middle voices and basses in the orchestra. Yes or no bowed
bass in the Nigra Sum &c. Just organ or add a cembalo? Make do with
the available ensemble is what it's all about. And, yes, there is
currently a fashion in early music to have lots of strumming and
percussion, and more and more pluckers, and noise, and confusion, and
poppy performances, and fun, and showing off, and being frivolous, and
all that. It'll pass to be replaced by the next fad.
David
--
*******************************
David van Ooijen
davidvanooi...@gmail.com
www.davidvanooijen.nl
*******************************
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