I put a call out to my friends on the vihuela discussion group http://www.mail-archive.com/vihuela%40cs.dartmouth.edu/ for my lost French intabulations of the tientos and fantasias by Fuenllana. Within a few hours I had almost all of them replaced, so they are now available for free online: http://www.rmguitar.info/vFuenllana.htm Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Now that I have some time off from my post of Musician In Residence at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh, I'm finding the peace of mind to return to the vihuela repertoire. I think my New Year's resolution must be not to forget my own musical activity.
Spent a gloriously peaceful two hours yesterday playing through Narvaez's 6 diferencias on the hymn, 'O Gloriosa Domina'. What a great work it is, possibly the finest in the vihuela repertoire. I have a lot of work to do on the piece to get to the point where I can relax enough to let the music breathe naturally, with each voice floating freely in its set course.
I have a baroque guitar arriving mid January, and am already having dreams of performing concerts with vihuela, baroque guitar and Sor on a 19th-century guitar. This, despite being aware of my aversion to actually seeking out concert opportunities. Narvaez, Fuenllana, Sanz and Sor - sounds good to me! Oh, how easy it is to dream up programmes - if only it were as easy to perform them. Actually, the performance is the enjoyable part, the not so enjoyable part is trying to convince concert secretaries to book you. You have to say how wonderful and entertaining you are, which can do strange things to your brain if you do it repeatedly over a decade or two. I no longer seek out concerts, and am contented enough to play to friends and family, and to record mp3 files for my website. Having said that, I might perform a lunchtime concert at QMUC this coming term. At least I kind of get on with (though not always!) the concert secretary: me!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Update
Provided a link on my vihuela page http://www.rmguitar.info/vihuela.htm to Aquila strings http://www.aquilacorde.com/indicemusicaclassicaing.htm in Italy who sponsored vihuela strings for my recordings. Many thanks to Mimmo Perufo, the enthusiastic maestro behind Aquila!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Updates
In late 2005 I started recording Fuenllana's Tientos and the Fantasias from his Book 4. I used the recording to interest record companies into putting out a disc, once the tracks had been re-recorded. Naxos wanted to release it, but insisted I use a particular CD recording company in England - and I was expected to pay the £5,000 charge! Needless to say, that didn't happen. I was interested initially in Naxos because of their great global distribution. A few smaller companies were interested, but again I had to pay the production costs, and their distribution was generally much less than that of Naxos.
Sadly, the computer I used to create the sound files and scores, died. Now that I've decided to put the files on my new website, I find I've got most of the sound files, but few of the scores other than my own paper printouts. So, I've uploaded most of the sound files, and hope to find someone who has downloaded the original pdf scores. I could scan my printouts, I guess.
Anyway, today I uploaded the sound files: http://www.rmguitar.info/vFuenllana.htm
I think Fuenllana was one of the greatest vihuela composers, too long overshadowed by the more popular pieces by Mudarra and Narvaez. This is my small contribution to bringing him the attention he deserves. I have all the sound files, but have withdrawn three of the Fantasias, as I am either not at all happy with my performance, or the recording itself was poor. I shall record them again when time permits.
Sadly, the computer I used to create the sound files and scores, died. Now that I've decided to put the files on my new website, I find I've got most of the sound files, but few of the scores other than my own paper printouts. So, I've uploaded most of the sound files, and hope to find someone who has downloaded the original pdf scores. I could scan my printouts, I guess.
Anyway, today I uploaded the sound files: http://www.rmguitar.info/vFuenllana.htm
I think Fuenllana was one of the greatest vihuela composers, too long overshadowed by the more popular pieces by Mudarra and Narvaez. This is my small contribution to bringing him the attention he deserves. I have all the sound files, but have withdrawn three of the Fantasias, as I am either not at all happy with my performance, or the recording itself was poor. I shall record them again when time permits.
Christmas presents!
A couple of music-related presents worth mentioning: a 78rpm recording by Andres Segovia, and an edition of Sanz's works by Jerry Willard.
About four months ago I bought an old reconditioned gramophone - a basic 'picnic' model. I've been picking up some great recordings by Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian and Glen Miller. I love the sound of these old recordings - VERY different to their digital counterparts, leaving me with the belief that sound reproduction hasn't got better, it has just got different. Charlie Christian, especially, sounds so much more alive through a 78. And yesterday my wife gifted me with a recording of Segovia. One side has the first movement of Torroba's Sonatina, the other side has a Gavotte by 'Bach'. Man, what a player! It's easy to imagine hearing Segovia for the first time - his technique was phenomenal for the time, and although fashions have changed, his baroque interpretation is not as way out as I remember. Very enjoyable.
The Willard edition is a mixed bag. I'm very happy to have an English transcription of the text, but I had to search hard to find who did it. Apparently not Willard. In fact, despite Willard's name being all over the place, it seems to have been translated by Marko Miletich. In fact, it may be that the entire musical contents, as well as the text, was translated by Miletich, but edited by Willard.
My interest is in the translation of the text. The main impression is how didactic the text is. Sanz is not saying 'here are pieces for you to learn', but 'here are a few examples on which to model your own variations and compositions' - BIG DIFFERENCE! How many classical guitarists will use the book in this way? In fact, how many baroque guitarists will use it this way? I'd like to say I would, but Sanz's differencias are very beautiful.
The transcription completely ignores Sanz's tuning instructions, so simple descending scales become a series of displaced octaves. It's like trying to quickly ride a bicycle down a heavily-cobbled road. Willard's arrangements for classical guitar iron-out the bumps so that a downward scale appears as a downward scale - but without the campanella effect. I'm even more of a mind that classical guitarists should avoid this repertoire all together, it really is so idiomatic. Some players like David Russell can make lute and harpsichord music sound great on a modern classical guitar, but so much of the unique nature of the baroque guitar gets lost in transference to the moder guitar.
I hope to have a new baroque guitar in two or three weeks time...
About four months ago I bought an old reconditioned gramophone - a basic 'picnic' model. I've been picking up some great recordings by Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian and Glen Miller. I love the sound of these old recordings - VERY different to their digital counterparts, leaving me with the belief that sound reproduction hasn't got better, it has just got different. Charlie Christian, especially, sounds so much more alive through a 78. And yesterday my wife gifted me with a recording of Segovia. One side has the first movement of Torroba's Sonatina, the other side has a Gavotte by 'Bach'. Man, what a player! It's easy to imagine hearing Segovia for the first time - his technique was phenomenal for the time, and although fashions have changed, his baroque interpretation is not as way out as I remember. Very enjoyable.
The Willard edition is a mixed bag. I'm very happy to have an English transcription of the text, but I had to search hard to find who did it. Apparently not Willard. In fact, despite Willard's name being all over the place, it seems to have been translated by Marko Miletich. In fact, it may be that the entire musical contents, as well as the text, was translated by Miletich, but edited by Willard.
My interest is in the translation of the text. The main impression is how didactic the text is. Sanz is not saying 'here are pieces for you to learn', but 'here are a few examples on which to model your own variations and compositions' - BIG DIFFERENCE! How many classical guitarists will use the book in this way? In fact, how many baroque guitarists will use it this way? I'd like to say I would, but Sanz's differencias are very beautiful.
The transcription completely ignores Sanz's tuning instructions, so simple descending scales become a series of displaced octaves. It's like trying to quickly ride a bicycle down a heavily-cobbled road. Willard's arrangements for classical guitar iron-out the bumps so that a downward scale appears as a downward scale - but without the campanella effect. I'm even more of a mind that classical guitarists should avoid this repertoire all together, it really is so idiomatic. Some players like David Russell can make lute and harpsichord music sound great on a modern classical guitar, but so much of the unique nature of the baroque guitar gets lost in transference to the moder guitar.
I hope to have a new baroque guitar in two or three weeks time...
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Blues page uploaded
I've just uploaded the Blues page on my website: www.rmguitar.info/blues.htm which is so far dedicated to Open D or E tuning. I'll add to it over time. I'm still exploring my gorgeous new guitar (the Lyn model by Brook Guitars - http://www.brookguitars.com/) and also the Nero 7 wave editing software. The reverb is very sensitive, and I'm not yet happy with the results. But any shortcomings there seem to be my fault, as the software allows fine tuning. Work in progress.
Although I've played blues guitar for (OMG!) nearly 30 years, I've not made any blues recordings, so hopefully I'll find time to add some more mp3 files in due course. In the meantime, the page includes an arrangement I made of an accompaniment guitar part to a song by Blind Boy Fuller. Like the great lute composer, John Dowland, his accompaniments are so complex, they make great solos. I've also invented a B section, to spin the piece out a bit longer. Hope you like it.
I mention Dowland, not just because he has come to the general public's consciousness of late due to Sting's recording, but I have just remembered a live broadcast I gave many years ago with a Scottish soprano (whose name I will not mention) of songs by Dowland. She was so nervous that, despite having the words and music in front of her, she froze and couldn't sing a word. I just kept playing the whole recital using Dowland's accompaniments as solos. Few people noticed!
Although I've played blues guitar for (OMG!) nearly 30 years, I've not made any blues recordings, so hopefully I'll find time to add some more mp3 files in due course. In the meantime, the page includes an arrangement I made of an accompaniment guitar part to a song by Blind Boy Fuller. Like the great lute composer, John Dowland, his accompaniments are so complex, they make great solos. I've also invented a B section, to spin the piece out a bit longer. Hope you like it.
I mention Dowland, not just because he has come to the general public's consciousness of late due to Sting's recording, but I have just remembered a live broadcast I gave many years ago with a Scottish soprano (whose name I will not mention) of songs by Dowland. She was so nervous that, despite having the words and music in front of her, she froze and couldn't sing a word. I just kept playing the whole recital using Dowland's accompaniments as solos. Few people noticed!
First post
This blog complements my website, www.rmguitar.info, supplying up-to-date info and thoughts. Have any questions? Just ask. Comments? Most welcome.
Rob MacKillop
Rob MacKillop
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