Weird lute gig

[grahambop]

Just reading a biography of John Dowland by K. Dawn Grapes, and in the context of Dowland’s trip to Italy in 1595, it mentions that the Padua university anatomy theatre used to have lute concerts during public dissections, apparently to lift the students’ spirits (!):

“On the 12th of December, in order to please the anatomy spectators and to raise them from their sad look, lute players led by the anatomy students had been brought into the theatre . . . those musicians were present as well for many days, following, and the expenses were hardly to be regretted by those on whom they were imposed, since when they watch and listen as spectators to them, they normally sit above away from the tumult and stomping; thanks to this tranquility the anatomical theatre will be able to persist for quite a long time, unharmed for some years.”

I guess a gig’s a gig, you gotta take it!

(I wonder if they played anything by Francis Cutting…)

[PMB]

"As the surgeons removed the man's flesh, a consort of lute players duly played Cutting's "Packington's Pound"...

[Rob MacKillop]

The Edinburgh University Anatomy Department has an open day on Saturdays at certain times of the year. I was just passing one day and thought I’d give it a look. I won’t go into any gory details, but the dissection room was very beautiful. An oak platform about waist high was surrounded on three sides by tiers of beautiful ancient oak. With the wood and the high ceiling the acoustics were magnificent, and I have to admit the thought of doing a lute concert there did occur to me.

Thanks for the quotation, Graham, which I had never seen before. If I were still playing, I’m sure I could use that quotation to get a concert booking during the Edinburgh Festival.

[grahambop]

Presumably this is the Padua theatre:

Anatomical Theatre of Padua - Wikipedia

This is the source of the quote (if you’re really interested!):

Cynthia Klestinec, “A History of Anatomy Theatres in Sixteenth-Century Padua,” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 59, no. 3 (2004).

[grahambop]

If you get the gig Rob, here’s the poster for it:

[Rob MacKillop]

Is that a bag I see, for getting tips in? She’s doing well!

[Rob MacKillop]

The technique of resting the instrument on a table is well documented at this time, and continued by Fernando Sor and others into the 19th century for the guitar. I did a video about 15 years ago with that technique. Depending on the table, you can get a little extra volume and resonance.

However, there’s not one reference anywhere for resting your left elbow on the table as well! Dear, oh dear. Nor for having three fingers of the right hand planted on the soundboard

The painting is clearly an allegory of Death - the skull, torn manuscript (?), rosarie, money, jewellery

[grahambop]

[grahambop]

The painting is clearly an allegory of Death - the skull, torn manuscript (?), rosarie, money, jewellery

yes this was the description:

The Lute Player (vanitas)

(The lute player Near the score, two rings are posed, a pin and a skull (vanitas) is laid on a stand. Painting by Luigi Miradori dit Il Genovesino (1600/10-1655/57) 17th century Galleria di Palazzo Rosso Genes Italy)