# Do You Like Music For The Lute?



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

The lute was a popular instrument of its day for a few hundred years. The great Bach wrote much music for it as did numerous other great composers.

Do you enjoy music for the lute?


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Probably the classical instrument of which I'm least fond. I'm not a fan of medieval/renaissance/early baroque music anyway but the lute and similar stringed instruments leave me cold whatever the era or genre. No offence to any of the numerous champions of the lute at TC, of course.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm pretty much indifferent to it unless it's Dowland's lute music played by Paul O'Dette.


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## thejewk (Sep 13, 2020)

Not something I've explored with any depth yet, but I find the sound of the instrument appealing enough that I can imagine that there will be something to enjoy in the Baroque catalogue when I get around to it.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Love it man! I played one, once...


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

It depends on who is playing.......


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

ArtMusic said:


> Bach wrote much music for it as did numerous other great composers.


This is disputable.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

I also like the theorbo, AKA arch lute


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Bream, Nigel North, Jakob Lindberg and Christopher Wilson are a few of my favourite lutenists. Lovely instrument with a plethora of great composers and music for it!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The extent of my lute listening is in this wonderful footage.


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## cheregi (Jul 16, 2020)

Olias said:


> It depends on who is playing.......


I always forget just how uncanny the acting and editing of this show is. I love it.

Anyway, I've never encountered a lute recording I enjoyed, but I suspect this has more to do with contemporary performance practice than with the instrument itself.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Mandryka said:


> This is disputable.


Which part? Bach wrote lute suites as did many other composers who wrote for the lute.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Barbebleu said:


> Bream, Nigel North, Jakob Lindberg and Christopher Wilson are a few of my favourite lutenists.


Nigel North rocks.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

BWV 1000; there's also an arrangement by the composer for solo violin:


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

ArtMusic said:


> Which part? Bach wrote lute suites as did many other composers who wrote for the lute.


The Bach part. Apparently some parts of the so called lute suites cannot be played on a lute without modification, people think they were intended for a lautenwerk. Have a look at this, for example

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lute_Suite_in_E_minor,_BWV_996


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I am indifferent, AKA a whole concert is to much for me.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

I prefer my Bach on the soft organ.










I don't really understand the fascination with the piano, but lute or harpsichord is good.

The loud organ is too gritty. I most prefer the tonefont of video 1.


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## level82rat (Jun 20, 2019)

These polls would be fine if you didn’t try to be cute with the last few options. My real answer would be 4: not enough experience to have an opinion


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Can't answer a poll like this one, really.

Suppose the question would be "do you like music for the piano?"

Then my answer would probably be: yeah, except when the music is bad, because then I dislike it.
So yeah, when I think that the music is bad, then I also dislike music for the lute.

If I think the music is great, beautiful, thought provoking, good, lovely, penetrating, interesting, very listenable and all those things, well, then I like music for the lute.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Ethereality said:


> I prefer my Bach on the soft organ.


They have drugs for that now.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

(I would like to add though: I do like the lute as an instrument and/or an instrument 'family', which means including instruments like theorbes and chitaronnes.)


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

Sort of, but I like the sound of the guitar -- particularly an extended-range guitar of 8+ strings -- better.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

I always find lute music cute


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

*Silvius Leopold Weiss* (1687-1750) was an eminent lute composer. His lute suites are as good as those of Bach.


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

I love Weiss.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ArtMusic said:


> *Silvius Leopold Weiss* (1687-1750) was an eminent lute composer. His lute suites are as good as those of Bach.


I picked up Brilliant's box set of Michel Cardin playing Weiss. Very enjoyable.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

A nice disc to start with...










https://www.amazon.com/Lute-Dance-Dream-Centuries-Masterpieces/dp/B0000027U9


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

consuono said:


> I love Weiss.


I'm not a great fan, I like early lute music but not Weiss - it's too baroque for me. However I shall listen to this, just because the musician is so imaginative









Let me just mention, while I'm passing through this thread, that I have a favourite lute player - I don't often have favourite performers, but with lute I do - it probably means that most sane people will want to avoid him. It's Toyohiko Satoh.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Not particularly - even the Bach I prefer on guitar.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

A very soothing instrument. I have many works scattered throughout my dozens of sleep CDs.

My favorite is Vivaldi's RV 82 - it's a trio sonata for violin, lute & continuo and the Bach lute suite No. 1.


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## Musicaterina (Apr 5, 2020)

Dorsetmike said:


> I also like the theorbo, AKA arch lute


So do I. And I like the mandolin, too, especially the Milanese AKA baroque mandolin. And also the colascione, a today rarely played long-neck lute.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

As far as interesting instruments are concerned, Anders Ericsson did a lovely recording on a 12 course lute, good music too. At the other extreme, Louis Pernot has explored really authentic instruments and style in French baroque music, with some surprising results, IMO excellent.


The French lute tradition is really exceptional IMO, the cream of the crop perhaps - subtle music, not easy to open up to, but once you learn how to listen, it is very rewarding indeed. The above mentioned Anders Ericson did a wonderful Dufaut CD. 

No thread about lute music should go without mention of Hopkinson Smith, whose contribution has been extraordinary - always rewarding, often revelatory.


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