Weiss Prelude in C Major Played on 11 and 13 course Baroque Lutes

For a direct comparison of my two baroque lutes, I have played the same C Major Weiss Prelude consecutively on each using identical video and audio settings. First is an 11 course lute built by Grant Tomlinson strung entirely in gut and tuned to a=392. Second is a 13 course lute built by Andy Rutherford strung in nylon (top 2 courses), nylgut and copper wound basses and a=415.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• music
• baroque
• lute
• laute
• Weiss
• prelude
• Shoskes

[10stringGuitarist]

Even though I have received personal permission from you to call you Daniel, I refuse.

Dr. Shoskes, I just got an 11-course lute and I'll be restringing it and the 5th course is my big problem. It should be in unison but what material would you use ? I have nylguts and nylon for the top 4 and copper/nylgut for 6-11. I've heard some people use a nylgut unison on the 5th, others overwound unison. What is your approach and what works best in oyur opinion ?

[kidneykutter]

@10stringGuitarist I use nylgut unisons on the 5th course of my 13 course lute and of course gut on my 11 course

[wilkec]

Thanks for doing this. Its great to hear the two lutes side by side. Neither is bad, but the 13-course recording is especially beautiful and your take on the phrasing seems to be catered to those strings' sustain and dynamic range. Doing the same piece with the different response time of gut strings therefore means that it has to be played entirely differently. Sooo tough to have multiple interpretations of piece - the work of a lifetime!

[kidneykutter]

Thanks Chris for the kind words. Clearly I do have more experience with the 13 course and its string choices so my playing may be better suited to it. Nevertheless, people seemed to like my Reusner better on the 11 course so maybe composer intent does play a role. I had a lesson with Barto last week and I really was working on horizontal phrasing so I'm glad some of it has come through.

[jeiluifang]

I enjoy the sound of your 11 course lute because of the nice thud the bass gives, and sound isn't as metallic as the 13 course lute which is strung in nyl/gut. The 13 course lute does have some great qualities with the strings that are nyl/gut, the bass seems to sustain much longer than gut strings and gives a glow in the background as you play the higher pitched courses.

[samot70]

I enjoyed both performances; the 13th course lute sounds majestic with all the resonating basses, while the gut stringed sound color is quite unique. Lovely videos!!

[plj444]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Thank you very much for your postings. Phyllis

[wapolo1974]

Very nice performances both; but my vote has to go the second version, I absolutely love the sound of the Rutherford 13-course!

[wilkec]

I preferred the gut Reusner better as well. (Maybe its that our pieces pick us rather than vice-versa.) Horizontal phrasing is one of the things I find myself struggling with the most and your work definitely comes through. Good luck on taming both types of strings!

[JelmavanAmersfoort]

I loved both, maybe a slight preference for the first, because the second has slightly overpowering (very long ringing) basses. But both beautiful and moving. Makes me want to practise right now.

[ArtoWikla]

Very interesting comparison. Both versions are beautiful, but the gut version feels warmer.

Thanks!