Au contraire,
When this matter was first mooted in this forum several years ago
(originally in 2001 I think! - the archives will no doubt exist), I
then thought the use of the callichon/mandors (often, incidentally,
used as synonyms and here referred to as c/m) unlikely - and, sadly,
I remain of this view.
In particular:
- there was no evidence that Bach employed such instruments;
- the work doesn't fit at all well on the c/m - in particular the
ominous and distinctive repeated low basses are not always possible on
this instrument without many being transposed the octave higher - and
thereby loosing much of their affect (just one example: the second half
of bar 15). The part fits a bitbetter on the extremely rare c/m with
two or three extra free basses filling the gap between the fifth and
sixth course tuned a fourth below, but these only to appear by
mid-century and significantly after the composition of BWV 245. Granted
it doesn't fit on the Dm lute perfectly but, in my view, it fits much
better than on the c/m (especially if nominally tuned to a relative Eb
- see below).
- the c/m was well known in these parts of German speaking lands and
would have naturally been referred to by its proper name rather than
some generic title.
Here is the original - see f.35v. note that it is headed ' Viola
d'Amour e Liuto accomp.'
[1]https://imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/3/32/IMSLP508761-PMLP03317-Partitur_D
-B_Mus._ms._Bach_P_28.pdf
Finally, when I perform this work (most recently with Leeds Baroque
under Peter Holman's insightful direction), I employ a 13 course Dm
lute tuned a whole tone down from whatever nominal pitch the rest were
using. In short the top course to Eb and so on.... Thus the part
appears as if in the very comfortable key, for 13 course lute, of F.
In the case of Betrache, this greatly helps - the Eb basses can even be
fingered as Enat...... Moreover this transcriptional practice also
reflects Bach's occasional usage of transposing organ parts which
didn't fit with the general band pitch and also, perhaps, with the
particularly low pitch necessary on the contemporary large 13 course
lute.
I only wish it did well fit on the callichon/mandora,
but.................
rgds
MH
PS Similarly, I can't recall ever suggesting that Kunau's request to
the Thomaschule authorities for two callichons (probably referring to
the players necessary as well as to their instruments) was ever
granted....... Indeed, as far as I'm aware the request was refused.
MH
__________________________________________________________________
From: Ron Andrico <praelu...@hotmail.com>
To: Eloy Cruz <eloyc...@gmail.com>; "Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu"
<Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Monday, 19 March 2018, 18:17
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Betrachte meine Seel
Playing the bass along with Bach's figuration is a minor challenge
but
it's entirely possible with a fingered F-sharp and E-natural. As I
am
sure Martyn Hodgson will point out, the part was not conceived for
archlute but rather the mandora or one of its namesakes. I
understand
that the Italian archlute as we know it was not likely to be present
in
Bach's Germany.
RA
__________________________________________________________________
From: [2]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu <[3]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu> on
behalf
of Eloy Cruz <[4]eloyc...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2018 2:02 PM
To: [5]Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Subject: [LUTE] Betrachte meine Seel
Dear list
Whenever you play this arioso from Johannes Passion, do you play the
bass line along with the obligato part? It's a little awkward as long
as it includes both f and f # and e and e flat.
Best regards
eloy
To get on or off this list see list information at
[1][6]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[2]Lute Mail list technical information
www.cs.dartmouth.edu
How do I get on the lute mail list? To get on the mail list, send
email
with a Subject: of "subscribe" to [7]lute-requ...@cs.dartmouth.edu
and
your name will be added to ...
--
References
1. [8]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
2. [9]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
--
References
1.
https://imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/3/32/IMSLP508761-PMLP03317-Partitur_D-B_Mus._ms._Bach_P_28.pdf
2. mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu
3. mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu
4. mailto:eloyc...@gmail.com
5. mailto:Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
6. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
7. mailto:lute-requ...@cs.dartmouth.edu
8. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
9. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
