[BAROQUE-LUTE] Magnesium

[henk]

I agree with Arto: lute playing could not have been so quiet in the 16th and 
17th centuries...let alone in the baroque area. I like Sterling's humor very 
much, because he could be right..?

But could anyone refer to my original question about the use of magnesium?

Henk

- Original Message - 
From: "sterling price" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Arto Wikla" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 8:40 PM
Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Quietness of playing (was: magnesium)


> Well first of all he plays over the rose. And he stops
> the basses so fast that one can't hear them.
> Sterling
>
>
> --- Arto Wikla <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday 18 September 2007 15:21, henk wrote:
>> > .[..] I went to a concert [...] given by Hopkinson
>> > Smith [...]. Although I was sitting in the third
>> row I
>> > could almost hear nothing of what he was playing
>> [...]
>>
>> I have the same experience of nearly silence in
>> Hopkinson Smith's
>> concert. That time it was a renaissance lute. As
>> beautiful as it may
>> be, lute playing could not have been so quiet in the
>> 16th and 17th
>> centuries...
>>
>> Opinions of that?
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> Arto
>>
>>
>>
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[BAROQUE-LUTE] magnesium

[henk]

I want to approach you (baroque) lute players with the following: 

In 2000 or 2001 I went to a concert in Amsterdam given by Hopkinson Smith 
(Concertgebouw). Although I was sitting in the third row I could almost hear 
nothing of what he was playing and the only alternative was to buy a CD in the 
pause or afterwards, which I did not. During the concert Smith paused several 
times in between numbers to stick his right hand in the right pocket of his 
jacket and left it there for about 1 minute. After that he continued playing 
again. I still do not know what his hand was/is doing there? And I still do not 
know. Anyhow I started thinking of how and what and I came up with something. 
At that time I played the baroque lute without nails and I needed something to 
roughen my finger tops and came up with the following process: First I wash my 
hands with a detergent and then I use a block of magnesium to cover my finger 
tops including the thumb. I experienced and think (for myself) that playing 
then the lute is 'amazing'. Since I am a professional clas!
 sical guitarist as well I started again using nails. And using the nails 
playing the lute with the above mentioned 'magnesium' procedure is again 
amazing! (volume, accurate, stable, etc.)

Has anyone experience with this procedure? And does anyone know what Smith was 
secretly doing in his pocket? And if someone tries this way of playing, I am 
curious for his or her findings.

Greetings,

Henk Pakker

The Netherlands

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