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Ronn McFarlane: This isn't your Medieval grandfather's lute music

Series: Echo Location: Soundings for New Music
From: John Diliberto
Length: 00:03:30

Bringing the lute into the 21st century Read the full description.
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Piece Description

Ronn McFarlane plays impeccable early music with the Baltimore Consort, but when he wasn't playing music from Renaissance masters like Anonymous, he was writing his own music which uses contemporary guitar playing techniques and a melodic sensibility that?s more cinematic than baroque. Ronn McFarlane talks about his new music for lute on his CD Indigo Road.

Broadcast History

WXPN 09/03/2008

Transcript

Incue: [sonar sound] + This is an Echo Location: Soundings for New Music.

MUSIK

:10
In 2006, Sting put out an album of tunes by 16th century composer
John Dowland called Songs from the Labyrinth.

Musik

:12
Sting not only sang Dowland's songs, but played a renaissance instrument called the lute. He plucked it convincingly, unless you happen to be a virtuoso renaissance lutenist.

:14
13:13
RM: I think he has fairly modest abilities on the lute but he does what he needs to do, and the most intricate lute playing tends to be done by his partner, Iddan Karamotzoff and he?s, you know, quite a fine player and quite brilliant.

:13
That's Ronn Mcfarlane. He's been playing the lute for over 3 decades, much of it with the Baltimore Consort. What appealed to him in Sting's music was less the Dowland pieces, and more, Sting's own music.

:18
RM: One of my favorites...
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

Incue: [sonar sound] + This is an Echo Location: Soundings for New Music.

Outcue: I?m John Diliberto and this has been an Echo Location, Soundings for New Music

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
BLUE NORTHER Ronn McFarlane Indigo Road. 00:10
PINETOPS Ronn McFarlane Indigo Road. 00:10

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