The use of percussion in early music was controversial; Sebastian Virdung, in his 1511 treatise Musica Getutscht, called it an 'invention of the devil' that could ruin melodies.
Interpretation
The performers chose to include a basso continuo part for solo guitar and theorbo pieces, even if not originally written, based on historical evidence that musicians of the period played with other instruments.
Compositional Technique
The 'Alphabet' system, introduced in 1606 by Girolamo Montesardo, revolutionized guitar music by assigning a letter to each chord, making it easier for anyone to play.
Instruments
The album features a bass colascione, an Italian long-necked lute, whose origins are traced to the commedia dell'arte and its close connection to the guitar.
Compositional Technique
Guitarists also used a 'false alphabet,' which included chords from the ordinary alphabet but with added acciaccature (notes extraneous to the harmony), creating new sonic possibilities.
Recording & Production
The percussion instruments used in this recording include sieves, glass bottles, and draining boards, inspired by folk tradition and documented in Michael Praetorius's Syntagma Musicum (1615).
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