What you believe and what we know are two different things. We are not
discussing religion here.
Most theories are based on interpretation of historical data. If enough
people believe in a theory, it apparently has a certain credibility. Many
people today seem to adhere to a doctrine of the dominance of re-entrant
tunings. Fine.
But it is really pointless to say 'You have no right to claim categorically
that you, and only you know Bartolotti's ideas on the matter.'
The only thing I would claim is the right to question the foundations of
this doctrine, and consider alternatives.
There may have been Italian artists in Paris but
you don't know what method of stringing they
used.
Actually, I don't feel like starting this over again. If anyone is
interested, my ideas on the dominance of the bourdon tuning in Italy can be
read in the article in 'The Lute' 47. Which can be ordered at the Lute
Society web shop. It would be a good opportunity to become a member.
There is no evidence that Amat's book was
known in Paris. Sanz' book was printed in 1674, Ribayaz's in 1677 and
Guerau's in 1694 and there is no evidence that their work was ever known
in
France.
There is more to history than only printed sources.
There were certainly Spaniards in Paris - the best known of whom was the
re-entrant tuner,
Brizeno - so well known in fact that he gets a mention in Mersenne.
We have no idea how well-known he was. If I am not mistaken, he is not even
listed in Sanz's preface.
There is also the manuscript F :PBn Ms.R1402 which includes a mostly
Spanish repertoire - including pieces by Brizeno and tuning instructions
for
the re-entrant tuning.
In my view the re-entrant tuning was quite strong in France, so it was
certainly part of the variety of tunings.
This is of course your wishful thinking. The tuning with bordones is
indicated in only two sources - Montesardo (1606) and Sanseverino (1620)
Again, I have said it all in my article. My conclusion is that there is good
evidence that many Italian sources indicate/imply two bourdons.
But have you noticed that the bourdonists Montesardo, Sanseverino and poor
man Pesori all published alfabeto songs?
It is my
conviction that re-entrant tuning was in the minority in Spain and Italy.
Your conviction is irrelevant without evidence to support it. You may be
convinced that Harry Potter flew on a broomstick but I don't think most of
us would just take your word for it.
And nobody watched what Hermione and Ron were doing...
I suppose that for accompaniment (compare Sanz), which is what the guitar
was used for in the commedia dell'arte, bourdons were normally used.
I'd be surprised if members of the Commedia dell'Arte realised their
accompaniments in the way that Sanz (or Doisi de Velasco, or Murcia
suggests). They probably strummed their accompaniments. For this
puirpose they may or may not have used bordons.
Indeed. The point is that, as I see it, most Italians and Spaniards were
having bourdons. Some of those came to France. It's part of my explanatory
theory.
Scaramouche is always pictured with the guitar.
But do you know of a picture which shows his stringing?
For that matter, a colleague here has found a guitar painting of a commedia
dell'arte character, seemingly from the first half of the 17th c, showing
very clearly the 'reverse' stringing of the two bass courses. As soon as I
know more about it, I might inform you all about what and where.
Lex
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