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  1. #1

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    Recently I began to focus on playing and arranging Italian baroque reperoire for lute attiorbato.
    I hav eproblems with playing on record so I decided to recrd something at least 2-3 times a week to keep me on track and become more stable in fromt of the mic and camera (hope I will add some jazz later to it).

    Here are some of my recordings. Though I know they are not without technical faults I still upload it as I conseder them to be musicall well done... and hope that will get better (most mistakes are nervous, and nervous mistakes show weak technical points often to work on)

    Very beautiful 'Grave' by Domenico Gabrielli for A major cello Sonata (arranged by myself, hope to make complete Sonata soon)




    Nice dance (Volta) by Michelangelo Gallilei, brother of the famous Galileo, and son of the music theorist and lutist Vicenzo Galilei




    And a few pieces from Giovanni Zamboni Romano, his collection of sonatas seems to the moment to be the only dedicated collection of works for archlute (attiorbato) in High Baroque time in Italy





    Last edited by Jonah; 07-23-2020 at 08:47 AM.

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  3. #2

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    Well done, Jonah. I understand the nerve factor, and after making 300 videos I have to admit to still getting nerves when the red light is on, especially the last 30 seconds after everything else has gone well!

    You've chosen what I think is one of the most difficult lutes to play, with all the double-course basses, but you seem to be navigating it well, just lacking a little confidence to dig in when required. I used to play the Zamboni on an archlute with single basses.

    If you don't mind me adding, I do think you use the right-hand ring finger too much - especially in the first Zamboni video - when you could be getting a more strong/weak alternation with index and middle on those sequenced phrases from the 16 seconds mark. But overall, very nice indeed. Just keep at it.
    Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 07-28-2020 at 02:30 AM.

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    Well done, Jonah. I understand the nerve factor, and after making 300 videos I have to admit to still getting nerves when the red light is one, especially the last 30 seconds after everything else has gone well!

    You've chosen what I think is one of the most difficult lutes to play, with all the double-course basses, but you seem to be navigating it well, just lacking a little confidence to dig in when required. I used to play the Zamboni on an archlute with single basses.

    If you don't mind me adding, I do think you use the right-hand ring finger too much - especially in the first Zamboni video - when you could be getting a more strong/weak alternation with index and middle on those sequenced phrases from the 16 seconds mark. But overall, very nice indeed. Just keep at it.
    Thank you, Rob!

    I have to explain about 'ring finger' (especially with Zamboni first video). Lately I had two issues: 1) I damaged middle finger tip a bit, as you know lute touch is very sensitive and I lost the tone control with it... I tried to do something with it but did not manage to handle it, so I conciously avoided it.
    2) it is a new lute and the spacings are narrower than in my previous lutes (on obvious reason) and I feel that more precise technique is needed for both left and right hands and I did not completely find the way how to handle it yet... I had to change the angle a bit... and the middle finger is most risky here for me too...

    I began to play lutes quite long ago: started on baroque lute then I played renaissance lute, then an archlute... I took classes from Xavier Diaz-Lattore and Anton Birula... and there was a period when I was really focused on my right hand and I developer thumb-in technique quite consistently when I played renaissance lute
    ...but I still feel that right hand requires more precision.



    And about the instrument... it was a concious choice... after lots of playing different lutes I ordered this one specifically all double-stringed and with 8 courses on fretboard (which does not have historical prototypes) to play High Italian baroque arrangements... in a word it is almost a Baroque lute just in Italian tuning)))

    I feel quite comfortable with double basses due to long experience with baroque lutes and practicing with Anton Birula (who really specializes in this instrument).

    I think I will stick to it for a long time and will also return to French/German baroque lutes eventually.


    Yes, confidence... Anton even now says that sometimes he feels scared he would miss the bass)))
    Last edited by Jonah; 07-23-2020 at 08:44 AM.

  5. #4
    especially the last 30 seconds after everything else has gone well!
    Yes, that is jus crazy!))

    When suddenly you begin to think of it and bang... last bar ruins all...

    I try to teach myself just focus on music as if I play for myself

  6. #5

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    Understood, Jonah. Very much so. Good luck with it all. Lot's of great music to explore :-)

  7. #6

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    beautiful instrument..and nice playing jonah! keep going!

    & so nice to read robs informed comments...bravo

    wonderful thread..brother of galileo!!!

    thanks gents

    cheers

  8. #7
    Thank you, neatomic!

    Here is another piece)) Very beautiful Sarabande by Chambonniere...

    This piece if for harpsichord and if it were played on lute it would have been a baroque lute in open D minor tunings that became common in France from approximately 1620s and later moved to Germany (Weiss!)... and there is beautiful performance of that piece on barique flute by Frenc lutist Claire Antonini.

    My instrument is an Italian thing (and I do not have French baroque lute at the momnet though I used to play one before a lit)... considering the general situation those days it is hardly possible that the pieces of French harpsichordists circulated in Itlay... both countries ocnfronted culturally and especially stressed that differences in musical styles.
    But I imagined that for example some Venetian nobleman, diplomat, merchant - amateur lutist (level of amateur musicianship was very high those days) came to Paris with his liuti attiorbato and visiting his French aquaintance
    (mistress) saw the sheet of that piece on harpsichord staff in the parlour and played it directly from the sheet...)))

    My idea of recording was first to get used to camera and mic (later probably I will add jazz to it too)... but after that piece I also thought that it has also another quality...

    there are pieces and arrangements that I work on a lot and practice as it is common for a modern perform... but all thow records I do are mostly not from that list... I just pick up a piece, sightread it and if I like it I try to do recording..
    This piece for example was sightread from harpsichord score with minor corrections - I did not make an arrangements, good practice too...

    and I thought thta probably they did it like that too those days - not recordings of course... but people played a lot of music at home at least to the beginning of 20ths century (often on very high level) just for pleasure or to find out what's new there... it was not always well-prepared thought through performance...

    We often forget that the music (any good music! complex or simple) is made for people to enjoy it ...
    not for professional players to demonstrate their accomplishments.


  9. #8

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    I wholeheartedly agree! YouTube allows us to hear a much wider range of music than professionals have time for, and to hear REAL playing, not studio-altered multi takes. One of the reasons I recorded so many videos (in many styles, and with many instruments) is that I thought the pieces deserved a listen, even by just a few people. And quite often I would record after just reading through the piece once or twice.

    This sarabande is very nice - most sarabandes are! - and your playing is lovely, no affectation, just a simple approach, keeping out of the way, not imposing anything, just letting the music unfold. I enjoyed it. Of course, as it is my birthday, I thought you would have played "Happy Birthday", but this will do instead

  10. #9

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    Congratulations to Rob, and I do hope that you will have a full recovery!

    And thank you Jonah for the beautiful music. I dabbled in Lute for a year or two, but gave it up - too many strings to tune.

  11. #10
    Happy Birthday, Rob!


    and I do hope that you will have a full recovery!
    Did I miss something? Anuthing serious? Whatever it is I wish you soonest recovery too, Rob!

  12. #11

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    Oh, just covid-19. It took hold 11 weeks ago, but I'm still recovering, mainly just exhaustion. Getting better, but slowly.

  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    Oh, just covid-19. It took hold 11 weeks ago, but I'm still recovering, mainly just exhaustion. Getting better, but slowly.
    Oh... 11 weeks and still recovering! Tough... wish you soonest recovery!