Mel Bay Ronn McFarlane - Contemporary Lute Virtuoso DVD
In this DVD performance, Ronn McFarlane plays a number of his own lute compositions a well as music of the 16th and 17th centuries. From the Middle Ages through the Age of Enlightenment, lutenists wrote and performed their own music along with the popular music of their time. By the end of the 18th century, this tradition was broken as the lute gradually fell out of favor. Reviving the centuries-old tradition of lutenist-composers, Ronn's work points the way to the lute's future. While treasuring the lute music of the past, he also creates new music for the 10-course lute, blending ancient and modern styles. Like many ancient works for the lute, his music treads the borderline between classical and popular music.
The sum of his own musical experience, Ronn McFarlane's new music reveals the lute for what it is: a timeless instrument, responsive to poetic music making of any century.
Ronn McFarlane also discourses on the history and playing techniques of the lute, and the tradition of the lutenist performing his own compositions in conjunction with popular tunes of the times. His pieces are often quite modern in harmonic and rhythmic structure-yet lie exceptionally well on this ancient instrument.
