Nora's practice diary "Fantasias"

I will probably play this beautiful renaissance music of Mudarra in our first concert. It has challenging passages for me which I will improve in the next weeks. Tomorrow I send the start point.

42 replies

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    • Roddy
    • 3 yrs ago
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    I played that recently for an exam - hardest piece I've done, but lovely.

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Roddy ohh nice! it has a beautiful sound...hasn't it ? like an harp!!!!!

      • Roddy
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel do you play with a capo on 3rd fret and the f# tuning? I did, after being advised to for two reasons: 1) closer to the original (lute? Vihuela?) sound and 2) make the stretches easier!

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Roddy oh! I play it only with the 3rd in f# tuning. I should buy a capo (still do not have one!). And yes it seems it is near to the sound of the original vihuela, the instrument of that time....

      • Roddy
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel Nice recording here of David Russel playing it with a capo (at 2nd). I don't use a capo for any other piece, but with this one I think it makes it sound better AND easier to play.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMqCfKwH7kA&ab_channel=davidrussellguitar

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Roddy beautiful!!!! thanks for the link!

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel  he plays it with the Pujol digitation, I use campanella scales in the "redobles"...he plays also at a higher tempo, it sounds so clear all!

      • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
      • David_Krupka
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel There is a very fine live performance of this fantasia on vihuela by Evangelina Mascardi. It is interesting to compare her approach to Russell's. The vihuela version feels to me more relaxed, but there is in fact little difference in tempo. (Both performances are a little under 1:50 in length.) The guitar version has a far more prominent 'bottom end' (i.e. the basses are accentuated) even with the capo. This definitely influences the character of the piece. Of course, both versions have a lot of merit, and each is satisfying in its own way - it is, after all, music of the highest order!

       

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljiSViKkZa0

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      David Krupka guauuuu beautiful! I had not heard that version....and her right hand....it looks so different to the right hand in classic guitar. Her tempo is also very interesting....she accelerates in the "redobles", David played more evenly in the tempo, reducing it a little on the second page ...You are right with the point that the basses are not so present in the vihuela like in the guitar.

      Thanks a lot David! very enrichicing ( how to say...something that enriches you ). For me this version is more musical...David version is technically perfect but ....I like more also another version in classic guitar of Narciso Yepes, I do not have the link here. But of course  DR is one of my favourite big guitarrists...

      • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
      • David_Krupka
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel That's an astute observation about EM's handling of the tempo, Nora. Luis Milan, in a brief comment on one of the fantasias in 'El Maestro' writes 'las consonancias despacio y los redobles apriesa'. So perhaps this was indicative of the general performance practice of the time, not just a peculiarity of Milan's own style. EM's performance (which I imagine is historically informed) would certainly seem to suggest as much.

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      David Krupka you are absolutely rigth David!!!! sometimes it takes long for me to find the messages to answer them!!!!! sorry for the delay!!!!

    • LIVE
    • martin.3
    • 3 yrs ago
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    Fantastic, I'm excited to hear that and plan you with that piece for our Dress Rehearsal on Nov 20! 🚀

    • Nora_TorresNagel
    • 3 yrs ago
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      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel you can hear all what there is to improve. The "redobles", the sound of them.

      The contrapunto, those sixteenth (semicorcheas ) at the end....Some changes that are "dirty" and memory gaps....Let's do it !!

      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel Fantastic! Thank you for sharing that! I remember having recorded that piece with a fantastic Chinese guitarist in a Church where two birds were trapped inside the hall. They are on the recording now as well 🐦🥳

      I love the dynamic development you have over the course of the piece, here's what it looks like in my analyzer:

       It would be nice to find more campanella scales, but since I've never played it (oh wait, I did play it, like 20 years ago when I was 12), I don't have any immediate solutions! But maybe I'll look into that 🤫

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Martin funny with the birds!!!! I'm glad to hear that you mind it was a good dynamic...unfortunately I can not analyze your analyzer, although I suppose that the ups and downs reflect the changes in the intensity of the sound.

      I will work on the campanellas...and thanks a lot for your interest and any suggestions!!!

      • Derek
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel well played Nora. It's a tricky piece this one, I have had a few attempts at this and it is one that I always mean to revisit. You've inspired me to put it on my shortlist - if only the days were 48 hours long!!

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Derek send me one of those , if you find the 48 hs days...., and another brain in the packet!

      • joosje
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel I can’t open the file. Looking forward to hearing you play this wonderful music….

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      joosje oh !!! Je suis desolé.....I am not good in technik....sorry Joosje!

    • LIVE
    • martin.3
    • 3 yrs ago
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    Nora Torres-Nagel We have a new release on Naraváez - Cancion del Emperador with Jose Antonio Escobar, maybe some ideas of that video help you with music from that period!

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Martin thanks !

      • Nora_TorresNagel
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Martin he talks a lot about the vihuela....very interesting!

      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
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      Nora Torres-Nagel 🥳

    • Nora_TorresNagel
    • 3 yrs ago
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    Today I played again the Fantasias: I did not have yet the time to compare with the first version. I did some mistakes here....let`s continue working also with the "focus" by playing....

Content aside

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