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Thread: Thile Bach CD has Landed

  1. #276
    mando-evangelist August Watters's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    Quote Originally Posted by Franc Homier Lieu View Post
    Yet another interview, but I thought I would post this one because in it Thile compares the F5 to 'Baroque' mandolins that he has played. In most previous interviews I have read or heard he just talks about 'mandolins' in general.

    https://www.sfcv.org/events-calendar...d-shine-bright
    Seems to me the opinions Thile expresses here - regarding the F5 mandolin and its place in classical music - represent what has long been the "conventional wisdom" among American classical mandolinists (i.e., that the F5 is not just "different," from the bowlback mandolin, but "better"). But that "conventional wisdom" is being reconsidered these days, and some very prominent mandolinists are playing bowlback mandolins. I myself switched to the taterbug - after years of trying to deepen my understanding of classical mandolin, I felt I just needed to explore the bowlback. Now, there's no turning back!

    I do take umbrage at Thile's statement: "history does not shine brightly on the mandolin."

    No. Just, no.
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  2. #277
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    I am uncertain exactly what CT meant when he said the above statement but i did not take it as an general statement that extends to what the mandolin means today in classical music. Here is the context:

    But Bach didn’t compose for mandolin.

    No, he never did. But Vivaldi did, and Bach was certainly keenly aware of Vivaldi’s activity. I believe the “Brandenburgs” were a response, of sorts, to hearing some of Vivaldi’s concerti. I’m assuming Bach was aware of the mandolin. But history does not shine brightly on the mandolin. And I imagine, with the instruments that were available during Bach’s time, there wasn’t much to recommend it, I’m afraid. The Baroque mandolins I’ve played were slight in sound and appeal.

    So your modern mandolin is better suited to the classics?

    Well, I’ll only say that the instrument could be better than it is, but it’s better than it was. It’s more pleasing, a more complex tone than it used to have. I think the F-5 style mandolin [originated by the Gibson company, and copied by others] has more “sustain,” it’s louder, it’s more precise, but it’s also more complicated. Which is good.
    I believe that it was true back in Bach's day (1685-1750), that mandolin did not have the volume to compete with strings or brass instruments of the time. The comment about the F5 is CT's opinion, of course, and in some respect it rings true. however, my opinion straddles the fence. I think the F5 is just one of a palette of different sounding instruments. I certainly have no problem with anyone playing classical pieces on any type of mandolin but I do like the tone of a quality bowlback well-played.
    Jim

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  4. #278
    Registered User MandoTyro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    I really like this CD.....
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  5. #279
    NY Naturalist BradKlein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    Quote Originally Posted by August Watters View Post
    I do take umbrage at Thile's statement: "history does not shine brightly on the mandolin."
    No. Just, no.
    I think it's clear from the context that CT was saying that ALTHOUGH history does not shine brightly on the mandolin, he feels confident that JS Bach would have been aware of the instrument and its place in the existing repertoire of the day.

    That doesn't seem like a controversial statement, does it?
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  6. #280
    Registered User SincereCorgi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I believe that it was true back in Bach's day (1685-1750), that mandolin did not have the volume to compete with strings or brass instruments of the time.
    And that's still true today. Any pairing of mandolin and orchestra-strength winds and strings requires either extremely light scoring or the Thile solution of amplification.

  7. #281
    Registered User Ken_P's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    Chris just posted a video of the entire G minor sonata. He's sitting on his couch, and the camera is pointed directly at him the whole time. Thought I'd link to it here for those obsessives like me who want to study his technique and fingerings for these pieces - you can see everything he's doing very clearly.


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  9. #282
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    I just starting working on the Presto from the Gm a few days ago, such a timely post for this video! One thing to notice from this video is just how much effort he went through to get every bit of sustain out of each note as possible. He does some awkward fingerings just to get a tiny bit more connectivity between the notes and lessen the plunky quality of our instrument that is exaggerated particularly on these slower movements. Particularly how he often throws in two fingers on one fret to play in and around fifths with more connectivity; something I never thought to try.

    Also, by visually seeing what he does on these, I can see that it is more advantageous for me to work on other movements besides the fugues for now. They would be an unnecessary technical challenge to get that kind of sustain between notes when there are many other movements of the S&Ps that I haven't made it to yet.

  10. #283

    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    Wait, did I just see someone diss on Big Muddy? Oh my. Granted, I'm fairly new to Mandolins but the Big Muddy's I've heard all sound pretty dang awesome. Maybe not as awesome as a Lloyd Loar but pretty darn awesome.

  11. #284
    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    They are pretty dang awesome, IMO. The more I improve, the better mine sounds. I'd trade my Big Muddy mandola for a Lloyd Loar in a heartbeat - so I could sell the Loar, buy back the Big Muddy, and keep the difference. Everybody'd be happy!

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  12. #285
    Brentrup Evangelist Larry S Sherman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    Quote Originally Posted by marcodamusician View Post
    Wait, did I just see someone diss on Big Muddy?
    Not in this thread.

    Larry

  13. #286

    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    I just downloaded this today from emusic but I may by the actual cd in a few months because, as a purist, I like my music tracks in FLAC or 320 mp3. Emusic only offers 190 mp3. Anyway, the album is amazing. I also downloaded another album of his: Not All Who Wander Are Lost. I love that emusic has his entire catalog as well as Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers and his collaborations. I'm a bit bummed that I will have to miss his performance in a few days at Strathmore. I checked and see they still have orchestra seats. Grr. I'm leaving on a plane tomorrow to look at property in AZ. I had made the appt with the realtor before I noticed his schedule on emusic.com. That's how I figured out he was at Strathmore. Anyway, his Bach cd is so darn close to extraordinary I have no other words for it.

  14. #287
    Registered User Tom Cherubini's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    In today's WSJ, (Fri. 10/25) Thile's Bach performances are "remarked on" by a really good pianist, who said that he really loves hearing Bach on Thile's mandolin because it sounds so much like a harpsichord, which a lot of Bach pieces were written for. I hadn't thought of that aspect of a mandolin's tone. Interesting. Lends even more credence to playing classical music on a mandolin, eh?

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  15. #288
    ************** Caleb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thile Bach CD has Landed

    I'm still enjoying Vol 1 a lot, but does anyone know when Vol 2 is going to be released?
    ...

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