Martin, Very interesting! I had no idea that Torelli advocated the rest stroke technique, but I've been experimenting with it myself the past couple of months. My main reason for doing so is to try to get the arpeggio so fast as to seem like a strum.
Clearly this is what Kapsperger intended in many places. He often uses the arpeggio sign over incredibly quick chords. In Aira di Firenza he even uses it over a 16th note chord in a piece that has a half-note pulse! Often, arpeggio signs are in places where I'd like to hear staccato chords. (Piccinini says to play these types of chords "in one stroke, as on the lute," but HK allows for no shortcuts.) Chris --- On Sun, 2/28/10, Martin Eastwell <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Martin Eastwell <[email protected]> > Subject: [LUTE] Theorbo arpeggiation > To: "Lute Net" <[email protected]> > Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010, 4:38 PM > 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 > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
