My thanks, Lukas, once again, for another stimulating episode of me:mo. Thanks likewise to Bor Zuljan for his beautiful playing and his very interesting thoughts on tone colour in the Italian music that is the 'fons et origo' of everything else. Like many others, I was surprised and delighted by the "bray" tone and the thimble-plectra. How indeed can we imagine such expressiveness from a tiny fingertip on a pair of strings, quick to speak and as quickly silent again? We might as well ask, how can we imagine it coming from anything else? As I believe I have written already, I started out life playing the classical guitar, but went on to make my career as an organbuilder. (I like to say that I went from playing one of the most intimate instruments to building the most public!) The organ is also reputed to be the least expressive--and also the one with the most mechanism (meters of it!) between the player and the sound. Whereas our plucked instruments have no mechanism at all--not even a bow--so we must voice each note as the strings pass under our fingers, in real time. A decade of plucking strings stood me in good stead with every organ pipe I ever voiced, for what expression, what poetry there may be in an organ's sound, we, the voicers, must create. You have to understand how to do that from...nothing. Bor Zuljan's thoughts on improvisation also resonate with this organbuilder. The organ is justly reputed to be the improviser's instrument par excellence, for one can linger on a note, a chord, a suspension for as long as there's still wind in the bellows, meditating on what ought to come next. Yet we find that the lute also has improvisation in its DNA, that the fleeting sound impels us to find the next one, to take the chance in faith that it will be there; to seize time, not bargain with it. Wheels within wheels, Earthly and Heavenly Delights...these are the musings of an old voicer returned to plucking in his later years...Thanks again, Lukas.
Dear James, usually I always advise against scrolling down into RUclips's comment sections, but texts like these are an enrichment to the me:mo videos and make scrolling down actually worth the while. Thank you!
As good as you guys make them sound, the lute, so resonant, is unrecordable in its richness, which I've only grasped now that I have one. This is also a wonderful testament to improvisation: how important it has been, and what it actually entails. Conversation implies...you speak a language.
Great to hear that you've been concertizing these past few months. I was worried that you had suddenly disappeared, and weren't coming back. Keep up the wonderful work you've been doing!
Yes! Even though I was of course happy to have a good number of concerts to play these weeks I also felt anxious about disappointing the audience. In that way the patreon-model really is convenient as the donations don't happen in regular timed intervals but whenever I actually offer new content. So the rhythm changed more towards an episode-to-episode approach, which really is necessary when juggling it within a freelance musician's schedule. I hope to eventually find enough funding for the project so I can turn it into a kind of "half-time job" model where I specifically reserve days in the week for preparing new me:mo content.
Well, I do hope that you are indeed able to turn me:mo into a permanent "part-time job"; you certainly deserve it with all of work that you put into each episode.
Thank you Henry! Letting the eyes wander through Bosch' large paintings and trying to understand how he came up with this seemingly endless stream of invention made me think of the improvisatory process in music or storytelling as well.
un sonido fantástico, una pureza en todas y en cada una de las notas pulsadas por el lautista; la belleza natural de estas obras requiere una sensibilidad y ésta queda demostrada en interpretación.
Dear Therese, I'm glad you enjoyed this one as well! These different kinds of quill plectrum, especially when used on metal-strung instruments and in an ensemble of 2 or more lutes can really move the overall sonic impression of the lute towards that of a harpsichord - some of the lines begin to blur. Thank you very much for being a patron to me:mo!
Wonderful what an inspiring video! May I ask which feather type are you using and maybe do you have an hint where to search for them and also where to find these rings? I play classic guitar and would love to play the lute and the quill technique sounds very convincing! Thank you a lot.:)
Happy to hear you are interested in the lute. I can only encourage having a look into this world. As this episode may prove, there aren't really any "musts" in regards to specific playing techniques, regardless of whether one plays with nails or without, with a plectrum or with thimbles. Thanks for your comment! Lukas
Holy...! That has blown my mind! Do you where we can read a translation of the introduction of the Capirola manuscript (or at least it written on modern Italian so we can have a go at deciphering it?). That was some content we don’t see often in the lute circles. I will google Bor Zuljan works, but it would be nice to have some links on the description. Thank you for the great content!
The instructions can be found in Otto Gombosi's edition of the Capirola ms in both Italian and an English translation: Gombosi, Otto, Compositione Di Meser Vincenzo Capirola (Neully-Sur-Seine, SMA, 1955). There is also an excellent English translation by Federico Marincola, ‘The instructions from Vincenzo Capirola’s Lute Book - A new translation,’ The Lute, Volume XXIII Part 2 (1983), pp. 23-28 - the latter should be available from the Lute Society.
It is indeed still available, £4 for members, £5 for non-members. However, there's one fewer now, because I just placed my order. Devil take the hindmost!
Awesome interview!!! I notice that Bor is playing a different instrument briefly in the middle of the video - what is that? It looks like one of various central Asian three-course lutes.
Hi Mark, I'm happy you liked it! The instrument is Persian - a so called Tar. With triple frets, metal strings (played with a metal plectrum) and a top made from parchment.
My thanks, Lukas, once again, for another stimulating episode of me:mo. Thanks likewise to Bor Zuljan for his beautiful playing and his very interesting thoughts on tone colour in the Italian music that is the 'fons et origo' of everything else. Like many others, I was surprised and delighted by the "bray" tone and the thimble-plectra.
How indeed can we imagine such expressiveness from a tiny fingertip on a pair of strings, quick to speak and as quickly silent again? We might as well ask, how can we imagine it coming from anything else? As I believe I have written already, I started out life playing the classical guitar, but went on to make my career as an organbuilder. (I like to say that I went from playing one of the most intimate instruments to building the most public!) The organ is also reputed to be the least expressive--and also the one with the most mechanism (meters of it!) between the player and the sound. Whereas our plucked instruments have no mechanism at all--not even a bow--so we must voice each note as the strings pass under our fingers, in real time. A decade of plucking strings stood me in good stead with every organ pipe I ever voiced, for what expression, what poetry there may be in an organ's sound, we, the voicers, must create. You have to understand how to do that from...nothing.
Bor Zuljan's thoughts on improvisation also resonate with this organbuilder. The organ is justly reputed to be the improviser's instrument par excellence, for one can linger on a note, a chord, a suspension for as long as there's still wind in the bellows, meditating on what ought to come next. Yet we find that the lute also has improvisation in its DNA, that the fleeting sound impels us to find the next one, to take the chance in faith that it will be there; to seize time, not bargain with it. Wheels within wheels, Earthly and Heavenly Delights...these are the musings of an old voicer returned to plucking in his later years...Thanks again, Lukas.
Dear James, usually I always advise against scrolling down into RUclips's comment sections, but texts like these are an enrichment to the me:mo videos and make scrolling down actually worth the while. Thank you!
As good as you guys make them sound, the lute, so resonant, is unrecordable in its richness, which I've only grasped now that I have one. This is also a wonderful testament to improvisation: how important it has been, and what it actually entails. Conversation implies...you speak a language.
Breathing new life into the renaissance lute, excellent !!
Great to hear that you've been concertizing these past few months. I was worried that you had suddenly disappeared, and weren't coming back. Keep up the wonderful work you've been doing!
Yes! Even though I was of course happy to have a good number of concerts to play these weeks I also felt anxious about disappointing the audience. In that way the patreon-model really is convenient as the donations don't happen in regular timed intervals but whenever I actually offer new content. So the rhythm changed more towards an episode-to-episode approach, which really is necessary when juggling it within a freelance musician's schedule. I hope to eventually find enough funding for the project so I can turn it into a kind of "half-time job" model where I specifically reserve days in the week for preparing new me:mo content.
Well, I do hope that you are indeed able to turn me:mo into a permanent "part-time job"; you certainly deserve it with all of work that you put into each episode.
What everyone has expressed. The juxtaposition of images is also, as always, MAGNIFICENT!! BRAVO!!
Thank you Henry! Letting the eyes wander through Bosch' large paintings and trying to understand how he came up with this seemingly endless stream of invention made me think of the improvisatory process in music or storytelling as well.
As you know, it's ALL connected.
un sonido fantástico, una pureza en todas y en cada una de las notas pulsadas por el lautista; la belleza natural de estas obras requiere una sensibilidad y ésta queda demostrada en interpretación.
Very interesting, and lovely music. A great watch, thanks!
Thank you again Lukas. Great video.
Hi Philip, I'm happy you liked the new episode!
Lovely video, thank you Bor and Lukas!!!
Thanks Haim! :-)
Nice video, Lukas! Put well together, and I find the idea about the nails very interesting!
Dear Therese, I'm glad you enjoyed this one as well! These different kinds of quill plectrum, especially when used on metal-strung instruments and in an ensemble of 2 or more lutes can really move the overall sonic impression of the lute towards that of a harpsichord - some of the lines begin to blur. Thank you very much for being a patron to me:mo!
The ultimate instrument!
Bravo bravo bravo!
Un grand merci!!!
I was reading through the Capirola manuscript when it suddenly came to my mind : I haven’t seen a me:mo video in months ! I hope everything is fine
Wonderful what an inspiring video! May I ask which feather type are you using and maybe do you have an hint where to search for them and also where to find these rings? I play classic guitar and would love to play the lute and the quill technique sounds very convincing! Thank you a lot.:)
Thanks! The quills are made from a goose feather...and the thimbles are original 14th-18th century ones that I've found on internet!
Ah Thimbles got it! Thank you I will try it out.
Happy to hear you are interested in the lute. I can only encourage having a look into this world. As this episode may prove, there aren't really any "musts" in regards to specific playing techniques, regardless of whether one plays with nails or without, with a plectrum or with thimbles. Thanks for your comment! Lukas
Bellissimo episodio! Mi sarebbe piaciuto tanto se fosse durato più a lungo.
Caro Nicola, Grazie! Il prossimo sarà forse un po 'più lungo! :-)
Holy...! That has blown my mind!
Do you where we can read a translation of the introduction of the Capirola manuscript (or at least it written on modern Italian so we can have a go at deciphering it?). That was some content we don’t see often in the lute circles.
I will google Bor Zuljan works, but it would be nice to have some links on the description.
Thank you for the great content!
The instructions can be found in Otto Gombosi's edition of the Capirola ms in both Italian and an English translation: Gombosi, Otto, Compositione Di Meser Vincenzo Capirola (Neully-Sur-Seine, SMA, 1955). There is also an excellent English translation by Federico Marincola, ‘The instructions from Vincenzo Capirola’s Lute Book - A new translation,’ The Lute, Volume XXIII Part 2 (1983), pp. 23-28 - the latter should be available from the Lute Society.
Denys Stephens Thanks!
It is indeed still available, £4 for members, £5 for non-members. However, there's one fewer now, because I just placed my order. Devil take the hindmost!
Awesome interview!!! I notice that Bor is playing a different instrument briefly in the middle of the video - what is that? It looks like one of various central Asian three-course lutes.
Hi Mark, I'm happy you liked it! The instrument is Persian - a so called Tar. With triple frets, metal strings (played with a metal plectrum) and a top made from parchment.
Thanks for the quick reply! Would love to hear your very talented guest play a bit more of that sometime :-D
Thank you! Id Zuljan's lute (the one in close-up) here all gut-strung or it is a mix of nylgut and gut? Thank yo
Thank you! Do you mean the "bray lute"? Here it's probably a combination of both.
Can you play "Despacito 2" please??! It's from the renaissance composers Luis Fonsi !!!
good