Thanks for the responses, all. The lute-specific sources are few, but
unambiguous as to advice on tempi, it seems. It's a big help. I'll
have to investigate Ron's recommended source, too. The question of
"dance-able tempi" is a perennial one. The various lute galliards, by
Piccinini or Dowland, for instance, not only are almost impossible to
play at dance tempo, but often work musically better at something more
moderate...which is not to say, slow. Just slower...
Best,
tom
__________________________________________________________________
From: jmpoiri...@wanadoo.fr
To: hodgsonmar...@yahoo.co.uk; praelu...@hotmail.com;
twlute...@hotmail.com; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: those sarabands
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:23:40 +0000
I think Thomas was questioning the existing contemporary sources to
choose a correct tempo for the saraband in the 1630s.
To my knowledge Mersenne is the only one to address this question when
he recapitulates all the dance movements of his time (1636) and his
indications point towards a brisk tempo, exactly like English sarabands
at the same time; Locke always indicate "brisk" for his sarabands for
instance.
Best wishes to all
Jean-Marie
------ Original Message ------
From: Martyn Hodgson
Date: 17/12/2014 9:53
To: Ron Andrico;Thomas Walker;lute@cs.dartmouth.edu;
Subject: [LUTE] Re: those sarabands
Do you really mean to say that the tempo of a dance played on, say, the
lute has no relationship whatsoever to the tempo at which
contemporaries actually danced it?
MH
__________________________________________________________________
From: Ron Andrico
To: Thomas Walker ; "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu"
Sent: Tuesday, 16 December 2014, 20:55
Subject: [LUTE] Re: those sarabands
Hello Thomas:
A good modernish source of information can be found in D. J. Buch,
"The
Influence of the Ballet de cour in the Genesis of the French Baroque
Suite," Acta Musicologica, Vol. 57, Fasc. 1 (Jan. - Jun., 1985), pp.
94-109. The saraband is discussed on page 102.
Since so much 17th-century lute music consisted of boiled-down
versions
of popular dance tunes, it important to know how a particular dance
worked in it's original context. Then one has to realize that, since
lutes are and were inaudible when dancer's feet scrape the floor, the
music is adapted and performed in whatever manner the player wishes.
RA
> Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:03:13 -0600
> To: [1]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
> From: [2]twlute...@hotmail.com
> Subject: [LUTE] those sarabands
>
> Greetings all--
> I know the sarabande was originally a lively ditty which morphed
pretty
> thoroughly by the late 17th century. I have a question about the
> middle ground, in particular the sarabandes found in Ballard's
prints
> from the 1630s, though. Many seem to "work" whether played lively
or
> stately, and I know of an old Bailes recording where he positively
> burns through a sarabande by Mesangeau. I also have played
sarabands
> in ensemble works by Jenkins et al that demanded a lively reading.
> The question is, what textual evidence do we have for expected
tempi
of
> sarabandes of the French school 1610-1640?
> Thank you kindly,
> Thomas Walker, Jr.
>
> --
>
>
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