Lucie Skeaping celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the ground-breaking vocal group I Fagiolini, in conversation with their founder and director Robert Hollingworth.
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Enjoyed the programme very much. I bow, of course to RH's scholarship, but I am always a touch sceptical about the bees some academics have in their bonnets. I refer of course to his notion that the relation of 3 to 2 as practised by Monteverdi was not as we generally interpret it today. The final piece (Laudate Pueri) in which he took the triple time slowly and the duple time fast seemed somehow 'wrong' to me. But who knows? -
It's quite easy to find out what they did if you read Michael Praetorius' Syntagma Musicum III.Originally posted by ardcarp View PostComment
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Thanks. It's available from you know who....
...in translation. But I'll try to get hold of a library copy.Comment
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Err, yes! Putting in search terms, 'Praetorius', 'Syntagma Musicum' and 'time signature' brought up enough on Google Books to get the gist! I cannot find my search now, dammit. He had A LOT to say about it, and much of it was commenting on the various approaches to the matter in his day, with his own suggestions, which seemed very clear to me. If I locate it again, I will provide a link.Originally posted by ardcarp View PostThanks. It's available from you know who....
...in translation. But I'll try to get hold of a library copy.Comment
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I do agree with you, and I would even say he's got it fundamentally wrong. As I understand it C minim = Cut 3 breve (three semibreves). From what I have read of Praetorius's writings, he confirms it - 17th c. Venetian practice. Incidentally, I would apply the same procedure to Sweelinck's Hodie Christus natus est and Viadana's Exsultate iusti, which many will find challenging. Hearing their sneaky-peek excerpt, I was struck that, to me, at least, the excellent voices sounded a little under pressure in the common time sections. I did enjoy the programme though, and their full-blooded, expressive sound mostly works to great effect. I could've done with a more sustained (prolonged) sotto voce in Wilbye's Draw on, sweet night. I found the squeezing there a little wearing. They really come into their own in his trademark whacky (wrong word, I know!) projects though. Great work and really moving.Originally posted by ardcarp View Post
Here is a good ed. of that Laudate pueri from Seva morale et spirituale of 1641. The note-values are intact.
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Yes I too very much admire I Fagiolini. Thanks for the link to the score of Laudate Pueri. I just wonder what RH would do to the more familiar Vespers of 1610 where Monteverdi time after time swings back and forth from duple to triple time in such a joyful way (think of the 'Alleluja' section in the opening movement, or in the motet Audi Coelum or indeed in the Magnificat). The relationship seems to work so well when it's natural and unforced.
Interesting (with Easter looming) that in a very ancient King's/Willcocks LP of Byrd's Haec Dies, the 'et laetemur' section is taken very slowly. This seems to foreshadow Hollingsworth...but is all wrong to me.Comment
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