I think you are mistaken here because throughout the 16th century general
practice was to add contrapuntal parts to a tenor voice. The shift to
working from the bass took place at the beginning of the 17th century.
So how about songs from the 1620s and 30s?
The shift had taken place by then. I don't know if you have seen the 1622
edition of Sanseverino's guitar book
but it includes six songs with what are in effect written out guitar
accompaniments. It gives you a clear idea of how he expected the songs to
be accompanied.
Underlying this discussion is the idea that it is somehow inferior or
amateurish to accompany the songs in this way. This in my view shows a
lack of historical insight and sensitivity to changes taking place at the
time. A kind of 21st century superior and censorious attitude to what
people did in the past.
Your comment is really surprising.
I am not commenting on your recording. What I am saying is that
accompanying
the songs in the way that Sanseverino suggests is in no way
inferior to the way you or anyone else wishes to do it. It is simply a
different and earlier but perfectly acceptable practice. Things change but
what came before does not lose its intrinsic value.
.> Triadic harmony was new, original, exciting and in tune with other
developments taking place at the time i.e. accompanied monody. The
guitar was ideally suited to be part of this change and certainly
contributed to developments in harmonic thinking.
Did it?
I get the impression that Alex Dean thinks it was a two way process. But
perhaps I have not understood what he is saying, Do you?
Your views seem to coloured by the need to please a 21st century
audience.
This is understandable but if we are trying to understand what these
songs
meant to people in the past and what gave them pleasure we should leave
our personal prejudices at the door>
I just try not to be fundamentalistic about sources....
No - you just read into them whatever fits your theories....
There was no need for them to expand the system of alfabeto from within.
The experienced theorbist-guitarist could use lute tablature for this
purpose.
And a performer?
Surely they are one and the same?
The numbers of printed alfabeto songbooks went down dramatically after
1640.
Alfabeto songs were no longer appearing in print.
This is a reflection on the way music was published and the economic
situation in Italy. How many songbooks of any kind appeared in print in
the second half of the century? Can you elucidate? What songs did they
include and what kind of accompaniment is indicated? Obviously the
emphasis will be on things which are new to each generation but this does
not mean that music from earlier generations will be neglected.
You may not be in sympathy with earlier ways of doing things but that is
no reason for heaping scorn on those of us who are.
Again, I'm surprised that you say that, you completely misread my words.
Not
for the first time.
And not for the last either I fear. But as you usually misread mine
most of the time that is a quid pro quo.
M
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