The suggestion of arpeggiating the toccata seconda in two different
ways is lifted straight from Nigel North's book (1987). I have tried
playing it the second way ("take care always to arpeggiate in order
from bass to treble") but found it too confusing since the pattern
changes several times during the piece. So I always play it the first
way.
As for the rest stroke, like you I can see that it's possible, but I've
never wanted to do it. Too many digits anchored at the same time....
All best
Peter
On 28 February 2010 22:38, Martin Eastwell <[1]eastwe...@mac.com>
wrote:
Hi!
Looking through Francesca Torelli's excellent theorbo tutor
(published by Ut
Orpheus Edizioni), I was a little surprised by two of her
recommendations
for right hand arpeggiation. She explains (p 23)the technique in
which 4
note arpeggios, for example, are played p i m i, with the index
finger
playing the highest note of the chord last, on the third course. So
the
first bar of Kapsberger's Toccata Seconda Arpeggiata becomes...
----------- |-------------
----------- |-------------
---0------- |-0------------ repeated 4 times
---3------- |----------3---
---3------- |----3---------
---2------- |-------2------
./. p i m i
However, she suggests that once you have played the second note, you
should
rest the index finger on the third course ready to play the final
note of
the 4 note pattern. I don't play this way myself (though I can make
it work)
and wonder if other people do. Also, if there is any mention of this
"rest
stroke" technique in the original sources.
On p 24, she prints the above mentioned Toccata, with the
recommendation
that the student should vary the RH fingering patterns so as to
ensure that
all the notes in each chord are played in ascending order. The
trouble with
this recommendation is that very often in the piece, the notes on
the first
and third courses have a melodic function as well as an harmonic
one. The
pattern in bar 6, for example, is notated as follows;
-------- ----------------
---2---- which could be realised either as ---2------------ or
as
-------- ----------------
---0---- ------------0---
---3---- ------3---------
---3---- ---------3------
./. p i m i
------------------
-----2------------
------------------ if you follow Torelli's suggestion
-----------0------
--------3---------
--------------3--
p m i m
Or perhaps-p i i m ?
The result is that the melodic move Bb-A is reversed.
She admits that "This technique may seem complex and difficult in
the
beginning..." ! To my ear, it also alters the piece significantly,
in this
bar and a number of other places. What do people think? I wonder if
anyone
can think of passages like this in the Italian theorbo repertory
where the
arpeggiation is written out in full, thus giving us a hint?
Best wishes
martin
--
References
1. mailto:eastwe...@mac.com
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