Musical Assertions (fwd)

[Dick Eney]

On Fri, 8 Dec 1995, Carol J. Cannon wrote:

>    Poor Lady Cynthia, I've a feeling she's about to be overrun with 
> examples of those instruments that have... <smile>  I'll forward your 
> responses to her gladly.--Gra/inne
> 
> Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 06:02:25 -0800
> From: Cvirtue
>      I now have another medieval music CD, and in the liner notes is an
> assertion which I have a difficult time believing.  Those of you who are
> musically inclined, would you please comment on the following? 
>      "Appropriately like the dinosaurs -- that is, quite without explaination
> -- no medieval instruments whatsoever have survived, so that we are thrown
> back completely on the often ambiguous iconography of the period (stained
> glass, paintings, etc. ) for our knowledge of these, plus a few scattered
> references in contemporary treatises to the tuning of instruments which in
> most cases we cannot even identify positively with those illustrated." 
> 

Well, the famous Irish harp in the museum (sometimes called the harp of 
Brian Boru (I think)) is well-documented to as a fifteenth-century 
reproduction of a truly ancient style.  It was made during the first 
(probably) Celtic New Age Revival.  And there are several authentic 
medieval hurdy-gurdies around.

-- Tamar  (sharing account dickeney at access.digex.net)
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