Galilei: Kapsberger: Ferrabosco: Dowland: Anonymous: Transcribed by John W. Duarte
Ut Orpheus: 24 pages
Here is another in the series of lute music transcribed for the guitar by John Duarte and all but one of which have the 3rd string tuned a semi- tone down to F# so that the string relationship is identical to that of the lute and if a capo is also placed on fret 2 or 3, the pitch will be the same too.
8 of the 13 Are by Vincenzo Galilei and are actually from a volume of no less than 56.He was an Italian lutenist and all his works have interesting titles, which reference all the Greek muses, and several other characters and places in Ancient Greece.There is Urania,a lively piece set in D Major, Aretusa, a more emotive one in F# Minor,along with Dicilla,, Siringa, Dorida, Amarilli, Rodopea, and finally Moravia, all moderately difficult only, and quite varied in their content.
There are 2 Galliards by Girolamo Kapsberger, whose musical style is somewhat more serious in content and it is one of these which has the third string tuned as normal.
The one work by Alfonso Ferrabosco is very melodic and similar in style to the Galilei, whilst the John Dowland work is one of his most famous, the Melancholy Galliard.
The final work comes from the Welde Lute Manuscript of 1600 and is a sort of theme and variations piece called Over The Broome, Bessy (Brown Besse, Sweet Besse Com Over To Me) , which I take to be a folk song melody and again a little different from some of the others.
So in essence this is a fun book, full of lovely pieces, many of which you probably won’t have come across before, and although they are a little tricky in places, you don’t have to be too advanced to get a great deal out of them, and so I can definitely recommend this volume as well worth getting should the lute music of the Renaissance appeal to you.
Chris Dumigan
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