Hi Rocky
I can't answer all your questions but I do have a photocopy of the original
manuscript source.
The guitar part is in mensural notation using treble and bass clefs and
seems to consist of two parts although often just the bass line. As well as
the guitar part there is a separate bass line. A quick look through
suggests that the guitar part doesn't go down below A but the treble part
goes up to A above the treble stave. The piece is actually in D minor.
I also have a transcription of it made by Pieter van der Staak and published
by Broekmans & Van Poppel without a separate bass line.
June Yakeley did once perform this - her group Musicos de Camara gave a
concert at the library where I used to work in the year in which we
celebrated the centenary of Handel's birth. As far as I can remember she
played the guitar part with the bass line doubled on the viola da gamba.
I can't comment on Chrysander's edition but it is probably not terribly
reliable as he would have known zilch about the baroque guitar. Probably
Handel didn't know much about it either.
The authenticity of the work has been questioned but the last I heard,
Donald Burrowes - a Handel expert - thought it probably was by him - writing
in an archaic style.
Don't know if that's any help.
Monica
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mjos & Larson" <rockype...@earthlink.net>
To: <vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 7:07 AM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Händel - Cantata Spagnuola
I have been thinking to ask this group for ideas and suggestions on
approaching Händel's "No se emendera jamas " (Cantata Spagnuola a
voce sola e Chitarra) for some time.
The Chrysander edition is online at:
http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0001/bsb00016889/images/
index.html?id=00016889&fip=66.41.254.100&no=5&seite=44
Is it safe to assume it was written for a standard baroque guitar in E?
I have no idea of the original source, but given the range of the
part marked "Chitarra" I would think to play the melody down an
octave from Chrysander's G-clef notation, which would take the melody
from the fifth fret first string down to the second fret on the
fourth course. This strikes me as a bit low for playing a solo part
above the continuo.
The bass notes only seem just to be a continuo line to harmonize.
How might members of the group have performed this, and with what
instrumental forces? Theorbo continuo only, or harpsichord? Bass viol
only?
Or do do we take the subtitle literally that it is only voice and
guitar? Then we have a bit of a range problem with the written bass
line and upper part (assuming my octave transposition of the upper
voice).
Does someone have knowledge of the original notation to be able to
comment on the faithfulness Chysander's edition? He claims it is
faithful here:
http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0001/bsb00016889/images/
index.html?seite=7
-- R
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