A Short Film of my Lute , Guitar Recital, First Piece: John Dowland, 嚴瑞祥

John Dowland (1563-1626) Sir John Smith His Almain

15世紀起, 歐洲人對於希臘文化的復興, 在哲學, 神學, 建築藝術上都有深刻的反映; 相對起來, 音樂領域, 沒有殘存的希臘音樂, 可供復興, 但在Lute(魯特琴)中, 歐洲人有了寄情的對象, 它被視為神話中Orpheus所使用的樂器, 音樂美學的"古典", 因此魯特琴是歐洲貴族社會中最重要的樂器,魯特琴在16世紀快速發展, 歐洲人放棄了撥子, 而用手指撥奏, 改變了此樂器的表達範疇, 幾乎涵蓋了所有的曲種. 複調的聲樂無論是宗教或世俗, 可說是16世紀音樂的主流, 而16世紀器樂的發展, 主要有三個方向, 其一就是將聲樂改寫成器樂曲, 其二是舞曲, 其三是純器樂型式的抽象創作, 如: Fantasia, Ricercar. 當時國王出巡時, 隨從官員, 往往少不了魯特琴家. 魯特琴家是宮廷娛樂者, 顧問, 外交官, 甚至是間諜. 相對起來英國的音樂發展在16世紀是邊陲且需要進口的, 但隨著國勢漸強, Elizabeth I女王的銳意經營, 英國在16世紀末有個短暫但繁盛的榮景. John Dowland可說此時最重要且最典型 (宮廷娛樂者, 顧問, 外交官, 甚至是間諜)的魯特琴家, 他大量的魯特琴獨奏曲與魯特琴歌曲, 可說是Elizabethan時期的文藝頂巔.

The lute really came into its own in the late fifteenth century when it was realised that it could be played with fingertips instead of a quill. This meant that music properly composed in parts could now be played on the instrument. With the addition of a sixth (bass) course, the development of a more elegant, elongated body shape, and the invention of a system of tablature for notating its music, the lute attained a new classical perfection, and the stage was set for a musical craze that was to last over 150 years.

Over its long history a truly enormous repertoire was created for the instrument. The lute, in short, became the characteristic virtuoso instrument of the Renaissance, capable of playing any genre of music, composed or improvised. At the same time, a number of other plucked-string instruments developed. The cittern and guitar have functioned at lasted partly as poor men's (or lazy men's) lute. Citterns traditionally hung in barber's shop so that the clients could while away the waiting time by playing, but there also seem to have been some virtuoso cittern and guitar players in the 16th century. Guillaume Morlaye and Adrian le Roy are among the best. The lute witnessed not one but a succession of Golden Ages of composition. The first of these was in Renaissance Italy. The next high point came in Elizbethan England, with the sweet-melancholy songs and fantasies of John Dowland, and his contemporaries.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lute
• 嚴瑞祥