Yes - that's an interesting example and there are other places where he has
similar passages on the lower courses e.g. in the Jacaras on p.7. It is
possible that p i p i was still part of the standard technique. Because
they say so little about these things we can only guess. The fact that
Bartolotti has specifically notated this in one pieces suggests that it was
not altogether unusual.
As ever
Monica
- Original Message -
From: Chris Despopoulos despopoulos_chr...@yahoo.com
To: Lex Eisenhardt eisenha...@planet.nl; Monica Hall
mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk
Cc: Vihuelalist vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 3:40 PM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Guitar bridges
For pipi runs, it isn't explicit in the manuscript, but what about the
last variation of the Sanz Folias? There are passages with runs on the
4th and 5th courses -- to play them with thumb-only down strokes
imposes a strict speed limit (and he tells you to run away with this
variation), and even played slowly it lacks fluidity. I have found
that pipi works very well for this variation, on the lower and the
higher courses. Again, I have no authority to say what the actual
practice would have been. But logic of the hand dictates something
other than p.
cud
__
From: Lex Eisenhardt eisenha...@planet.nl
To: Monica Hall mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk
Cc: Vihuelalist vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu
Sent: Sunday, December 4, 2011 3:45 PM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Guitar bridges
Normally the fingers and the thumb stay in their own domain, on
lower and
higher courses. Also on the guitar.
I don't think so. Certainly not in guitar music. Use of alternating
finger and thumb over different courses is a feature of the music in
Bartolotti's first book and elsewhere. e.g.
The Bartolotti ciaccona seems to be the one exception. In the rest of
the book there are very few right-hand fingerings (with dots), for some
single notes on the 4th course. Certainly no p-i-p-i runs, and
completely unproblematic with bourdons
There are lots of place in Foscarini - where passing notes on the 4th
and
5th courses really belong to the upper melody - the Corrente detta la
Fauorita on p.60 for example.
How do you know? Foscarini used bourdons, and he was not really a
campanela man.
[about Bartolotti's gigue from the 2nd book, p 7]
I actually made a staff notation transcription of the opening bars of
this piece some time ago including the octave doubling - and no, I
haven't misunderstood.The first four notes sound in the upper
register (they do when you play it anyway). Then the intervals of the
theme are inverted so that the theme is split into two with a little
question and answer which creates some variety instead of having it
exactly the same. It doesn't have to belong to the bass at all.
This is only true if you have no bourdons at all, as three of the first
four notes are on the 4th course.
Since you imply that you have listened carefully to my recordings, I
fear that your ear is insensitive for lower frequencies.
Almost no one who performs Bartolotti's music seems to think that it is
written with re-entrant stringing in mind.
Stadivarius instruments are apparently regarded as untypical.
Bartolotti wouldn't have played one (he was dead by 1688) and may not
have had a slotted bridge so wouldn't have been able to make the
adjustments you say you make.
Bartolotti lived in France. Some Voboams seem to have slots. Who knows
who invented those. Besides, I'm sure we don't know all about Italian
guitars.
And he would have been using plain gut strings not nylgut.
Please explain what would be the difference, for voice leading etc.
Lex
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