You make a fair comparison between the baroque guitar and an
unaccompanied violin. The guitar does often behave as a violin,
supplying a melody with suggestions of harmony, but without a melodic
bass line.
Well actually I used to play the violin including some unaccompanied Bach so
you are not telling me anything new.
In this context it is worth mentioning the little 4-course guitar. When
accompanying French songs, the guitar doubles the notes of the singer.
With only four courses available, that seems a bit of a waste of a
course, yet the songs work very well as they are written - with the
guitar providing the melody and the harmony, but no bass line.
Yes they do. Do get hold of Jocelyn's CD if you can. It's delightful.
Although Sanz talks about playing without bourdons for campanellas, some
of his music seems to be crying out for a bass. I have in mind the
Pavanas based on the alfabeto chord D, which opens with a strong melodic
bass line. I have never found this piece satisfactory without bourdons,
yet the piece immediately following it - lots of campanellas - does
sound better without bourdons.
I have no problem with the pavanas played without bourdons. Try listening
to Gordon Ferries - or Chris on this list perhaps has recorded it. Just
bear in mind
that the opening phrase will be doubled in octaves.
I think the point with Sanz is that in Spain the guitar was not actually
much used as a solo instrument before he came back from Rome bursting with
new ideas. In the obituary of Corbetta printed in Mercure galante there is
mention of his trip to Spain - to whit
Next he went to Spain where he was heard at the Court playing such things
as before him had been believed impossible on the guitar.
If all the Spanish ever did was strum a la Amat Corbetta would have come as
a surprise to them.
That's as much as I can manage tonight as it is well past my bedtime. And
tomorrow is Saturday so don't expect to hear form me too early in the
morning.
Monica
For Sanz to write as he does, he gives the impression that he is trying
to convince guitarists that bourdons are not such a good idea, yet that
must mean that some guitarists used them. If everyone played the guitar
without bourdons, there would be no need for him to write what he did.
So too will there be players now who prefer bourdons, and they will do
their best to minimise the damage bourdons cause with campanellas, just
as there will be latter-day followers of Sanz, who play without
bourdons, and who do what they can to cope with an emasculated bass
line.
I agree with you and Sanz, that bourdons don't help trills to sound
good. Is it worth asking how often trills are marked on the 4th and 5th
courses, and whether that may give a clue as to whether a
guitarist/composer used bourdons? I'd be interested to know what you
think.
Best wishes,
Stewart.
-----Original Message-----
From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On
Behalf Of Monica Hall
Sent: 04 February 2011 21:25
To: Roman Turovsky
Cc: Vihuelalist
Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: Where to end?
I was under impression is that ALL preclassical music is essentially
2-voice, and the bass line is implied even in unaccompanied melodies.
I agree that the bass part is implied even in unaccompanied melodies.
That
is why it is not essential to have a bass part at all in baroque guitar
music and of course unnaccompanied violin music.
And the composing was done from bass up, not the other way around.
That I think I would disagree with. Until the 17th century it was the
tenor voice which generated the other parts. Very basically you start
with
a cantus firmus in the tenor and add parts above and below. But
perhaps
that is just another way of saying the same thing.
Monica
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