Quotations !

[johnb]

Noticing the thread on early music reminded me of a passage from Thomas Mace's "Musik's Monument" (written in the C17):

...how to shelter your lute in worst weathers (which is moist) you shall do well, ever when you lay it by in the day-time, to put it into a Bed, that is constantly used, between rug and the blanket; but never to be expected, that no person be so inconsiderate as to tumble down upon the bed whilst the lute is there; for I have known several good lutes spoiled with such a trick.

(I actually had a facsimile copy of Musik's Monument but lent it to a friend .... enough said.)

Perhaps a thread of quotations .......

[Richard Tarleton]

A couple of snippets from 16th century Spain. On pitch: Luis Milan, circa 1536, said you should tune the top string of your vihuela "as high as it will go without breaking" - a philosophical conundrum if ever there was one.

Alonso Mudarra, in his great "Fantasia which imitates the harp in the manner of Ludovico", says disarmingly in the score, after bar 62, "From here on to the end there are some false notes; when played well they do not sound bad".

[sigolene euphemia]

Hello Richard, it is a pleasure to see you. I am on my second day here and this is enjoyable. I thank my lucky stars for French Frank placing this here for us.

I have an appointment now, but i will recall a lute piece i heard last week from KUSC and send you the link. It touched me deeply.

[Richard Tarleton]

Hi sigolene, glad you've made it! I look forward to the link.

[sigolene euphemia]

Richard,

My memory is lost for the link to the lute music I enjoyed a mere week ago. I am certain as to a week ago, since I chose the beauty of silence for a month plus....

warm wishes,
Sigolene

[Richard Tarleton]

Hi Sigolene, never mind, by the way what is KUSC? Regards, Richard

[Bert Coules]

I can't offer anything lute-related (beyond the entirely irrelevant observation that I've always wanted to try playing one) but if other musical areas are allowable here's a quotation I came across a long time ago.

I still find Wagner boring. But I have to admit, the things I think about when I'm not paying attention to Wagner are far more interesting than the things I think about when I'm not paying attention to any other music.

Annoyingly I've since lost the attribution, so if anyone can supply it I'd be very grateful.

[Richard Tarleton]

Bert, I tried the old trick of pasting your entire quotation into Google and got a number of quite similar sounding remarks - might just be a question of working through them......

[sigolene euphemia]

Richard,

KUSC is the broadcast service of the University of Southern California [Los Angeles]

Sigolene

http://kusc.org

[johnb]

sigolene,

I just noticed your reason for editing!

French frank hasn't yet arranged who the moderators, hosts, etc will be - I'm just an ordinary forum member trying to help where he can.

What was it that Groucho Marx said about being a member of a club? I'm sure that could be adapted to be about being a moderator.

[sigolene euphemia]

johnb,

Yes, I stand corrected as you are a senior member ~ anyways thank-you again for the lesson for colour font et cetera !

Sigolene

[Bert Coules]

What was it that Groucho Marx said about being a member of a club? I'm sure that could be adapted...

"I wouldn't want to moderate any forum that would have me as a moderator."

[johnb]

sigolene,

Don't take any notice of the "senior member" stuff either! It only means that someone has made one hundred or more posts (i.e. they can't stop waffling on ).



(You have 66 more posts to go, then you will also be a "senior member".)

[umslopogaas]

M7 Bert Coules

Bert, it sounds a bit like Mark Twain to me, but unfortunately it isnt in the Wagner bit of Chambers Music Quotations. Here are couple of Twain gems that are:

Wagner's music is better than it sounds.

[Of Parsifal] The first act of the three occupied two hours, and I enjoyed that in spite of the singing.

Or JB Morton:

Wagner is the Puccini of music.

Or Oscar Wilde:

I like Wagner's music better than anybodys. It is so loud that one can talk the whole time without other people hearing what one says.

Alas I havent any Twain reference material, but can any of our american contributors help?

[Nick Armstrong]

My favourite quote lately is one I posted at some stage on the old R3 boards.

John Barbirolli, after paying his respects to the recently deceased Rachmaninov by filing past his open coffin:

"He looked a bloody sight more cheerful than he did when he was alive"