[BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no?
Blablablabla. the're all dead! We know nothing! We make it all up as we go. What sounds good? Octave 6th is as annoying as short appogiaturas in galant musik.. and Roman agrees with ME. so there! ( the cheque's in the mail) nudgenudgewinkwink, say no more! C/B/d - Original Message - From: Daniel Shoskes dshos...@mac.com To: chriswi...@yahoo.com Cc: BAROQUE-LUTE baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 12:24 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? FWIW, I've brought this question up in lessons before, suggesting that a unison 6 th course would be a good idea. VERY strong opposition, I think primarily on historical grounds, from Pat O'Brien, Bob Barto and Richard Stone. DS On Oct 24, 2009, at 12:03 PM, chriswi...@yahoo.com wrote: I believe I'll third that. I went from an octave to a unison on my old lute but now have an octave 6th on the new lute. I'm finding it very, very difficult to make sense of melodies on the sixth course that must be played with the fingers when the thumb is playing a diapason at the same time. This happens very often in the late Weiss years and beyond. I don't know of any historical sources mentioning the unison 6th, though. Chris --- On Sat, 10/24/09, Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net wrote: From: Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? To: BAROQUE-LUTE baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 9:19 AM I'm with Dale on this issue. RT - Original Message - From: Dale Young dyoung5...@wowway.com To: wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi; baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Edward Martin e...@gamutstrings.com Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 9:31 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? I still think that the 6th course is used too often as a melody string for that to be octave strung. When I hear the octave jump at the 6th in a recording, I find it annoying for anything after 1730. Just let the basses start at the 7th...unless you're playing that old music...then who cares...not much melody to interfere with anyway. cranky boy d. - Original Message - From: Edward Martin e...@gamutstrings.com To: wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi; baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 8:21 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? Hi, Arto.. Congratulations in finally entering the realm of baroque lute. i hope you find it rewarding. I think you can string it however you like, using materials which are your favorites. You are correct, in starting octaves at the 6th course. One thing I find the best is to have the tension of the octaves at least as strong as the fundamentals. There was a practice about 20 years ago, in which people used the octave only about 80% of the tension of the fundamentals, but this yielded unsatisfactory result, in my opinion. This was with Pyramid wound strings and nylon octaves. I usually use around 2.9 Kg of tension for the 4th course to the 13th course. One thing to keep in mind is that if you use wound - overspun basses starting at the 9th course, where the swan extension starts, you may not like it (I do not), as the sustain is too great. The very reason for the added length for the lower basses is to get a smaller diameter string, so gut works beautifully for those courses. For 13 course lutes with a rider on 12 13, the length is considerably shorter, so a wound string may work better in that application; but for the swan necks, gut rules. Good luck! ed At 05:22 PM 10/23/2009, wikla wrote: And of course I forgot to tell the string lenghts: 8 courses (2 single, 6 double) 69 cm on the fingerboard and 5 (+1) courses 96 cm on the swan extension Arto On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:28:53 +0300, wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi wrote: Hi b-lutenists, I happened to get a Martin Hoffmann lute (with bad stringing) to my hands. Single strings, old everlasting, and also rosted, Pyramid single basses etc. There are anyhow enough of pegs to double string everything below the two top strings... I suppose the octave doubles should start on the 6th course, the A (and of course below). Am I right? Any other stringing advice? What string tensions do you use? What string materials? Arto To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com voice: (218) 728-1202 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871ref=name http://www.myspace.com/edslute To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no?
h'aint we just something precious then?! Life is too short. - Original Message - From: sterling price spiffys84...@yahoo.com To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 12:32 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? I still maintain that with a little practice it is quite possible to isolate the fundamental with the index finger. I do it all the time in Weiss and later music. Sterling - Original Message From: Daniel Shoskes dshos...@mac.com To: chriswi...@yahoo.com Cc: BAROQUE-LUTE baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net Sent: Sat, October 24, 2009 12:24:37 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? FWIW, I've brought this question up in lessons before, suggesting that a unison 6 th course would be a good idea. VERY strong opposition, I think primarily on historical grounds, from Pat O'Brien, Bob Barto and Richard Stone. DS On Oct 24, 2009, at 12:03 PM, chriswi...@yahoo.com wrote: I believe I'll third that. I went from an octave to a unison on my old lute but now have an octave 6th on the new lute. I'm finding it very, very difficult to make sense of melodies on the sixth course that must be played with the fingers when the thumb is playing a diapason at the same time. This happens very often in the late Weiss years and beyond. I don't know of any historical sources mentioning the unison 6th, though. Chris --- On Sat, 10/24/09, Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net wrote: From: Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? To: BAROQUE-LUTE baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 9:19 AM I'm with Dale on this issue. RT - Original Message - From: Dale Young dyoung5...@wowway.com To: wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi; baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Edward Martin e...@gamutstrings.com Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 9:31 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? I still think that the 6th course is used too often as a melody string for that to be octave strung. When I hear the octave jump at the 6th in a recording, I find it annoying for anything after 1730. Just let the basses start at the 7th...unless you're playing that old music...then who cares...not much melody to interfere with anyway. cranky boy d. - Original Message - From: Edward Martin e...@gamutstrings.com To: wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi; baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 8:21 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? Hi, Arto.. Congratulations in finally entering the realm of baroque lute. i hope you find it rewarding. I think you can string it however you like, using materials which are your favorites. You are correct, in starting octaves at the 6th course. One thing I find the best is to have the tension of the octaves at least as strong as the fundamentals. There was a practice about 20 years ago, in which people used the octave only about 80% of the tension of the fundamentals, but this yielded unsatisfactory result, in my opinion. This was with Pyramid wound strings and nylon octaves. I usually use around 2.9 Kg of tension for the 4th course to the 13th course. One thing to keep in mind is that if you use wound - overspun basses starting at the 9th course, where the swan extension starts, you may not like it (I do not), as the sustain is too great. The very reason for the added length for the lower basses is to get a smaller diameter string, so gut works beautifully for those courses. For 13 course lutes with a rider on 12 13, the length is considerably shorter, so a wound string may work better in that application; but for the swan necks, gut rules. Good luck! ed At 05:22 PM 10/23/2009, wikla wrote: And of course I forgot to tell the string lenghts: 8 courses (2 single, 6 double) 69 cm on the fingerboard and 5 (+1) courses 96 cm on the swan extension Arto On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:28:53 +0300, wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi wrote: Hi b-lutenists, I happened to get a Martin Hoffmann lute (with bad stringing) to my hands. Single strings, old everlasting, and also rosted, Pyramid single basses etc. There are anyhow enough of pegs to double string everything below the two top strings... I suppose the octave doubles should start on the 6th course, the A (and of course below). Am I right? Any other stringing advice? What string tensions do you use? What string materials? Arto To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com voice: (218) 728-1202 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871ref=name http://www.myspace.com/edslute To get on or off this list see list
[BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no?
I am with Dale. IMO it is easier to isolate radioactive isotopes than the octaves in a lute-course. Healthier too. RT - Original Message - From: Dale Young dyoung5...@wowway.com To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; sterling price spiffys84...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2009 6:38 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? h'aint we just something precious then?! Life is too short. - Original Message - From: sterling price spiffys84...@yahoo.com To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 12:32 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? I still maintain that with a little practice it is quite possible to isolate the fundamental with the index finger. I do it all the time in Weiss and later music. Sterling - Original Message From: Daniel Shoskes dshos...@mac.com To: chriswi...@yahoo.com Cc: BAROQUE-LUTE baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net Sent: Sat, October 24, 2009 12:24:37 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? FWIW, I've brought this question up in lessons before, suggesting that a unison 6 th course would be a good idea. VERY strong opposition, I think primarily on historical grounds, from Pat O'Brien, Bob Barto and Richard Stone. DS On Oct 24, 2009, at 12:03 PM, chriswi...@yahoo.com wrote: I believe I'll third that. I went from an octave to a unison on my old lute but now have an octave 6th on the new lute. I'm finding it very, very difficult to make sense of melodies on the sixth course that must be played with the fingers when the thumb is playing a diapason at the same time. This happens very often in the late Weiss years and beyond. I don't know of any historical sources mentioning the unison 6th, though. Chris --- On Sat, 10/24/09, Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net wrote: From: Roman Turovsky r.turov...@verizon.net Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? To: BAROQUE-LUTE baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 9:19 AM I'm with Dale on this issue. RT - Original Message - From: Dale Young dyoung5...@wowway.com To: wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi; baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Edward Martin e...@gamutstrings.com Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 9:31 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? I still think that the 6th course is used too often as a melody string for that to be octave strung. When I hear the octave jump at the 6th in a recording, I find it annoying for anything after 1730. Just let the basses start at the 7th...unless you're playing that old music...then who cares...not much melody to interfere with anyway. cranky boy d. - Original Message - From: Edward Martin e...@gamutstrings.com To: wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi; baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 8:21 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: B-lute 6th course, with octave or no? Hi, Arto.. Congratulations in finally entering the realm of baroque lute. i hope you find it rewarding. I think you can string it however you like, using materials which are your favorites. You are correct, in starting octaves at the 6th course. One thing I find the best is to have the tension of the octaves at least as strong as the fundamentals. There was a practice about 20 years ago, in which people used the octave only about 80% of the tension of the fundamentals, but this yielded unsatisfactory result, in my opinion. This was with Pyramid wound strings and nylon octaves. I usually use around 2.9 Kg of tension for the 4th course to the 13th course. One thing to keep in mind is that if you use wound - overspun basses starting at the 9th course, where the swan extension starts, you may not like it (I do not), as the sustain is too great. The very reason for the added length for the lower basses is to get a smaller diameter string, so gut works beautifully for those courses. For 13 course lutes with a rider on 12 13, the length is considerably shorter, so a wound string may work better in that application; but for the swan necks, gut rules. Good luck! ed At 05:22 PM 10/23/2009, wikla wrote: And of course I forgot to tell the string lenghts: 8 courses (2 single, 6 double) 69 cm on the fingerboard and 5 (+1) courses 96 cm on the swan extension Arto On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:28:53 +0300, wikla wi...@cs.helsinki.fi wrote: Hi b-lutenists, I happened to get a Martin Hoffmann lute (with bad stringing) to my hands. Single strings, old everlasting, and also rosted, Pyramid single basses etc. There are anyhow enough of pegs to double string everything below the two top strings... I suppose the octave doubles should start on the 6th course, the A (and of course below). Am I right? Any other stringing advice? What string tensions do you use? What string materials?
[LUTE] Re: Bream and Stravinsky
Wel, it wasn't me. He could have heard the previous half generation of players, but since he asked for Deller's Music for A While on his death bed, I would guess it was Desmond Dupre, who was an excellent player. Stravinsky was arrested for using a 7th chord in the Star Spangled Banner, BTW. dt At 06:03 PM 10/24/2009, you wrote: On Oct 24, 2009, at 5:27 PM, Ed Durbrow wrote: What I want to know is who had Stravinsky heard play the lute before that. ??? Bream said I read that you find the lute very beautiful and an expressive instrument. He'd probably heard Bream. -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Bream and Stravinsky
Stravinsky was arrested for using a 7th chord in the Star Spangled Banner, BTW. Oh? - So it wasn't homicide, of the bra-strangled stunner? Sorry for the divergence Back to topic Ron (UK) To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Fabulous Concert Last Night
Hi Luters, I had the great pleasure of hearing Emma Kirkby and Jakob Lindberg in concert last evening. Even now, at 11:00 the next morning, I'm still feeling awestruck from it. This was the best early-music concert I have ever attended. Just something about their performance seemed to set it apart from, and above, the rest. Awesome!! Actually, let me correct myself on one point: there were three performers. Jakob referred to his lute as the most senior member of our trio. It was the 1590 Rauwolf. After the concert, if that alone wasn't enough to send me home smiling, I got to meet Emma for the first time, which was really cool as I've been a long-time fan of hers, and say hello to Jakob of course, but I also had the opportunity to hold and examine this Rauwolf lute, and actually to play on it! Wow! Best, David Rastall dlu...@verizon.net www.rastallmusic.com -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
I have spent an enjoyable week researching the chekker. At least it was more enjoyable than just sitting around healing. Anyway, I was able to acquire some of the papers associated with the Christopher Page article and the Early Music article itself: The Myth of the Chekker, Christopher Page, EM Vol7, No.4, Keyboard Issue 1 (Oct.,1979) pp 482-489, Oxford University Press (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3126484) Four More 15th-Century Representations of Stringed Keyboard Instruments, Christopher Page and Lewis Jones) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 31 (May 1978), pp 151-155, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841204) Toward an Identification of the Chekker, Edwin M Ripin (op. post.) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 28 (Apr 1975) pp 11-25, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841566) The Canon and Eschaquiel of the Arabs, Henry George Farmer, Journal of the Royal Asiatic ZSociety of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr 1926) pp 239-256 (http://www.jstor.com/stable/255220946) While the background of the last three articles is good to have, it can be summarized fairly succinctly: The chekker, called at various times in history by the terms eschiquier, exaquier, chekker, Schachtbrett, eschaquiel, exquaquiel, exaquir, echiquier, eschequier Virginal, and assumed at various times to be synonymous with or derived from al-shaquira (Farmer), an instrument seeming like organs which sounds like strings (King John I of Aragon), manicordium (Ryet),and therefore an upright harpsichord, clavichord (Ripin), and dulce melos (Arnault de Zwolle), either is or isn't a mysterious instrument of which no existing example can be produced, or is a mere synonym for an instrument that is extent. Much time is spent on the excheqer, a 5' x 10' board covered with a cloth bought in Easter term with rulings a full span or a foot apart. (Ripin's translation of a medieval diologus ascribed to Richard, son of Nigel.) Ripin simultaneously presumes the rulings to be a reminder of parallel stringed instruments, although the lines seem to have been both parallel and perpendicular, ala checker board (or chess board). It is interesting that the chekker is first recognized as being referred to in 1360 (according to the first reference in Rippin's Appendix, which quotes 14th to 16th Century instances) as leschequier, and the excheqer description (with the ruled lines a foot or span apart) is from a 12th C source, while the drawings presented date from 15thC and later sources. Page starts by deconstructing Farmer's association between Al-shaquira and eschiquir, kindly not pressing the comparison between Farmer and Iago... But yet, I say, If imputation and string circumstances Which lead directly to the door of truth Will give you satisfaction, you might have't. ..making the chekker controversy entertaining if not necessarily educating. The final score is chekker 1, musicologists 0, as Page concludes that Gerson's drawings of the chessboard-shaped excheqer, as a potent image for the medieval mind, is the best indicator of the shape of the chekker, at least least at some time. He also figures that the chekker cannot be isolated to a single type of action, even from its close positional association in medieval poetry with clavichords or monochords. His conclusion is that we need more pictorial sources which are well-connected to mechanisms that resemble the excheqer before we can begin to guess whether the Chekker was a specific kind of instrument, or as multi-valued as Instrument might have been in Praetorius' time. Clearly,Marc Lewon has grasped the situation, and has assigned the value chekker to something, secure in the knowledge that no one now stands to dispute with him, and that, if at sometime in the future definitive evidence arises to prove that his instrument is not a chekker, he can still be utterly correct to rename it ex-chekker! ray To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Fabulous Concert Last Night
Thanks for the information about the wonderful concert, David. A rare opportunity, I suspect. I've little hope that they'll get down to my part of the country. I would love to hear Jakob's Rauwold instrument in person but will have to settle for a CD. I wonder how the modification of 7 or 8 course lutes into 10 or 11 courses was done. Assuming the original top was kept, did the interiour barring have to be modified to withstand the added tension? I also wonder, having heard and even played the instrument, in what ways you found the sound and response different from a modern instrument. Ned -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
Not sure whether this is relevant as have not been following the thread closely but apparently the earliest surviving clavier is a clavicytherium in the collection of the Royal College of Music (London). The instrument can have wire or gut strings. Monica - Original Message - From: William Brohinsky tiorbin...@gmail.com To: Stuart Walsh s.wa...@ntlworld.com Cc: lute Net lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2009 4:26 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio I have spent an enjoyable week researching the chekker. At least it was more enjoyable than just sitting around healing. Anyway, I was able to acquire some of the papers associated with the Christopher Page article and the Early Music article itself: The Myth of the Chekker, Christopher Page, EM Vol7, No.4, Keyboard Issue 1 (Oct.,1979) pp 482-489, Oxford University Press (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3126484) Four More 15th-Century Representations of Stringed Keyboard Instruments, Christopher Page and Lewis Jones) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 31 (May 1978), pp 151-155, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841204) Toward an Identification of the Chekker, Edwin M Ripin (op. post.) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 28 (Apr 1975) pp 11-25, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841566) The Canon and Eschaquiel of the Arabs, Henry George Farmer, Journal of the Royal Asiatic ZSociety of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr 1926) pp 239-256 (http://www.jstor.com/stable/255220946) While the background of the last three articles is good to have, it can be summarized fairly succinctly: The chekker, called at various times in history by the terms eschiquier, exaquier, chekker, Schachtbrett, eschaquiel, exquaquiel, exaquir, echiquier, eschequier Virginal, and assumed at various times to be synonymous with or derived from al-shaquira (Farmer), an instrument seeming like organs which sounds like strings (King John I of Aragon), manicordium (Ryet),and therefore an upright harpsichord, clavichord (Ripin), and dulce melos (Arnault de Zwolle), either is or isn't a mysterious instrument of which no existing example can be produced, or is a mere synonym for an instrument that is extent. Much time is spent on the excheqer, a 5' x 10' board covered with a cloth bought in Easter term with rulings a full span or a foot apart. (Ripin's translation of a medieval diologus ascribed to Richard, son of Nigel.) Ripin simultaneously presumes the rulings to be a reminder of parallel stringed instruments, although the lines seem to have been both parallel and perpendicular, ala checker board (or chess board). It is interesting that the chekker is first recognized as being referred to in 1360 (according to the first reference in Rippin's Appendix, which quotes 14th to 16th Century instances) as leschequier, and the excheqer description (with the ruled lines a foot or span apart) is from a 12th C source, while the drawings presented date from 15thC and later sources. Page starts by deconstructing Farmer's association between Al-shaquira and eschiquir, kindly not pressing the comparison between Farmer and Iago... But yet, I say, If imputation and string circumstances Which lead directly to the door of truth Will give you satisfaction, you might have't. ..making the chekker controversy entertaining if not necessarily educating. The final score is chekker 1, musicologists 0, as Page concludes that Gerson's drawings of the chessboard-shaped excheqer, as a potent image for the medieval mind, is the best indicator of the shape of the chekker, at least least at some time. He also figures that the chekker cannot be isolated to a single type of action, even from its close positional association in medieval poetry with clavichords or monochords. His conclusion is that we need more pictorial sources which are well-connected to mechanisms that resemble the excheqer before we can begin to guess whether the Chekker was a specific kind of instrument, or as multi-valued as Instrument might have been in Praetorius' time. Clearly,Marc Lewon has grasped the situation, and has assigned the value chekker to something, secure in the knowledge that no one now stands to dispute with him, and that, if at sometime in the future definitive evidence arises to prove that his instrument is not a chekker, he can still be utterly correct to rename it ex-chekker! ray To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: plucked (and plonked) trio
William Brohinsky wrote: I have spent an enjoyable week researching the chekker. At least it was more enjoyable than just sitting around healing. Anyway, I was able to acquire some of the papers associated with the Christopher Page article and the Early Music article itself: The Myth of the Chekker, Christopher Page, EM Vol7, No.4, Keyboard Issue 1 (Oct.,1979) pp 482-489, Oxford University Press (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3126484) Four More 15th-Century Representations of Stringed Keyboard Instruments, Christopher Page and Lewis Jones) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 31 (May 1978), pp 151-155, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841204) Toward an Identification of the Chekker, Edwin M Ripin (op. post.) Galpin Society Journal, Vol 28 (Apr 1975) pp 11-25, Galpin Society (http://www.jstor.org/stable/841566) The Canon and Eschaquiel of the Arabs, Henry George Farmer, Journal of the Royal Asiatic ZSociety of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr 1926) pp 239-256 (http://www.jstor.com/stable/255220946) While the background of the last three articles is good to have, it can be summarized fairly succinctly: The chekker, called at various times in history by the terms eschiquier, exaquier, chekker, Schachtbrett, eschaquiel, exquaquiel, exaquir, echiquier, eschequier Virginal, and assumed at various times to be synonymous with or derived from al-shaquira (Farmer), an instrument seeming like organs which sounds like strings (King John I of Aragon), manicordium (Ryet),and therefore an upright harpsichord, clavichord (Ripin), and dulce melos (Arnault de Zwolle), either is or isn't a mysterious instrument of which no existing example can be produced, or is a mere synonym for an instrument that is extent. Much time is spent on the excheqer, a 5' x 10' board covered with a cloth bought in Easter term with rulings a full span or a foot apart. (Ripin's translation of a medieval diologus ascribed to Richard, son of Nigel.) Ripin simultaneously presumes the rulings to be a reminder of parallel stringed instruments, although the lines seem to have been both parallel and perpendicular, ala checker board (or chess board). It is interesting that the chekker is first recognized as being referred to in 1360 (according to the first reference in Rippin's Appendix, which quotes 14th to 16th Century instances) as leschequier, and the excheqer description (with the ruled lines a foot or span apart) is from a 12th C source, while the drawings presented date from 15thC and later sources. Page starts by deconstructing Farmer's association between Al-shaquira and eschiquir, kindly not pressing the comparison between Farmer and Iago... But yet, I say, If imputation and string circumstances Which lead directly to the door of truth Will give you satisfaction, you might have't. ..making the chekker controversy entertaining if not necessarily educating. The final score is chekker 1, musicologists 0, as Page concludes that Gerson's drawings of the chessboard-shaped excheqer, as a potent image for the medieval mind, is the best indicator of the shape of the chekker, at least least at some time. He also figures that the chekker cannot be isolated to a single type of action, even from its close positional association in medieval poetry with clavichords or monochords. His conclusion is that we need more pictorial sources which are well-connected to mechanisms that resemble the excheqer before we can begin to guess whether the Chekker was a specific kind of instrument, or as multi-valued as Instrument might have been in Praetorius' time. Clearly,Marc Lewon has grasped the situation, and has assigned the value chekker to something, secure in the knowledge that no one now stands to dispute with him, and that, if at sometime in the future definitive evidence arises to prove that his instrument is not a chekker, he can still be utterly correct to rename it ex-chekker! ray Great summary! As I understand it, Marc Lewon is in a number of ensembles and he doesn't appear to be the leader or artistic director: He plays the lute, gittern, vielle and he sings. The members of the groups he is in all seem to be ex-students of the Schola Cantorum of Basel. When I emailed him about the dulce melos, he referred me to the player of that instrument. (I emailed her but she hasn't replied - No she just did this second - really friendly and positive!). I've looked all over Marc's site and links to the ensembles he is in but I can't find a chekker player anywhere! His site is here: http://www.lewon.de/index.php?lg=en and if you dig around (and the links to the ensembles) there are lots (lots) of mp3s and other things. He's a very fast gittern player! The playing is very pert and springy. Corina Marti plays a claviciterium on a CD, 'Von Edler Art' with Michael Gondko on gittern and lute - this is more delicate than springy and Gondko's lute playing is just exquisite. My local library has an old set of complete Dufay by the
[LUTE] lute joke request
[1]Forward this message to a friend Sopranos 100 : Lute 1 - HELP! October 25, 2009 Tom Strini (now of Third Coast Digest) insists that there is only [2]ONE lute joke (scroll down), while sopranos appear to have HUNDREDS! Surely you can help even things out a bit. If you have a really good lute joke, email it to i...@earlymusicnow.org TODAY. FROM EARLY MUSIC NOW The winning joke (if there is one) will be read at the October 27 concert, and the winning jokester will receive a copy of Kirkby Lindberg's latest CD, autographed by both artists.. One joke per email, please, and duplicates will be eliminated based on the time-stamp of the email. Jakob Lindberg will determine the winner from any (being optimistic) that are submitted, and the CD (signed by both artists) will be presented to the winning jokester. The long-time collaboration of Dame Emma Kirkby and Jakob Lindberg is no joke. This is the first time the duo has toured the United States, and Milwaukee is one of only 10 cities fortunate enough to hear this stunning program of music of Purcell and Dowland. Lindberg's lute is old enough that Dowland may actually have heard it, and the popularity and familiarity of Purcell's tunes might well have made him the Andrew Lloyd Webber of his day! This celebration of Purcell's 350th birth anniversary is this Tuesday, October 27th, at 7:30 at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Program details and ticket information [3]here. Both artists will also present FREE masterclasses at the UWM Fine Arts Recital Hall TOMORROW (Monday) from 4:30 to 7:00. More information [4]here. Nancy Carlin Associates P.O. Box 6499 Concord, CA 94524 USA phone 925/686-5800 fax 925/680-2582 web site - [5]www.nancycarlinassociates.com Representing: FROM WALES - Robin Huw Bowen, Crasdant Carreg Lafar, FROM ENGLAND - Jez Lowe Jez Lowe The Bad Pennies, FROM SPAIN - La Musgana and now representing EARLY MUSIC - The Venere Lute Quartet, Paul Beier The Good Pennyworths Administrator THE LUTE SOCIETY OF AMERICA web site - [6]http://LuteSocietyofAmerica.org -- References 1. http://oi.vresp.com/f2af/v4/send_to_friend.html?ch=9fb3646679lid=166ldh=c6016a38e4 2. http://cts.vresp.com/c/?EarlyMusicNow/9fb3646679/c6016a38e4/d5e3122950 3. http://cts.vresp.com/c/?EarlyMusicNow/9fb3646679/c6016a38e4/69f121eb7b 4. http://cts.vresp.com/c/?EarlyMusicNow/9fb3646679/c6016a38e4/0d519b2482 5. http://www.nancycarlinassociates.com/ 6. http://lutesocietyofamerica.org/ To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Fabulous Concert Last Night
Hi Ned, The LSA ran an interesting interview with Jakob in the Quarterly in 2007 - I'm mailing you a copy. There was also an article in the Lute Society's (English) Lute News on the Rauwolf instrument. Nancy Thanks for the information about the wonderful concert, David. A rare opportunity, I suspect. I've little hope that they'll get down to my part of the country. I would love to hear Jakob's Rauwold instrument in person but will have to settle for a CD. I wonder how the modification of 7 or 8 course lutes into 10 or 11 courses was done. Assuming the original top was kept, did the interiour barring have to be modified to withstand the added tension? I also wonder, having heard and even played the instrument, in what ways you found the sound and response different from a modern instrument. Ned -- To get on or off this list see list information at [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Nancy Carlin Associates P.O. Box 6499 Concord, CA 94524 USA phone 925/686-5800 fax 925/680-2582 web site - [2]www.nancycarlinassociates.com Representing: FROM WALES - Robin Huw Bowen, Crasdant Carreg Lafar, FROM ENGLAND - Jez Lowe Jez Lowe The Bad Pennies, FROM SPAIN - La Musgana and now representing EARLY MUSIC - The Venere Lute Quartet, Paul Beier The Good Pennyworths Administrator THE LUTE SOCIETY OF AMERICA web site - [3]http://LuteSocietyofAmerica.org -- References 1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 2. http://www.nancycarlinassociates.com/ 3. http://lutesocietyofamerica.org/
[LUTE] Continuo
A quesion for continuo experts: I am about to play continuo (5 course guitar) on Dido and Aeneas (Purcell). Unfortunately I received a full score of the opera, which is very hard to acompany in this format. Is there a version for bass and the top line? That would save paper and make everything much easier (no page turns...). Regards. -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Continuo
On Oct 25, 2009, at 9:02 PM, Bruno Correia wrote: Unfortunately I received a full score of the opera, which is very hard to acompany in this format. Is there a version for bass and the top line? That would save paper and make everything much easier (no page turns...). It might also give you a version that differs from the one that you will be performing. There are a some editorial choices/additions that are made in Dido; indeed, if I remember right, the numbers with gittars, indicated in the 1689 Josiah Priest school libretto, are not in the surviving score, which dates from at least 50 years later, and have to be added (by repeating the music from vocal numbers or some other way). So proceed with caution if you're going to use some other version. Safer to take the time to photocopy and cut up the part (after using the lower parts to figure the bass). -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
