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Lute in the 21. Century
In the present day, little is heard about the lute in spite of the fact
that it was a highly developed, delicate plucked instrument in the renaissance
and baroque era in Europe. Over time, the simplicity and the practical
design of the guitar triumphed over the lute; eventually the lute fell
to the periphery of musical instruments. Today it exists only as a historical
instrument. The tradition of building lutes and also playing old music
is maintained, but this is all that remains of the actual lute culture.
The few modern lute players almost exclusively play renaissance and baroque
music, though there is a small group of them who have recognized the unilateral
lute culture and they compose and perform new modern lute pieces; however,
their efforts are all but lost in the noise of our present world. We have
to face the fact that about 300 years ago, new lute compositions all but
ceased, which reflects the spirit of the age.
I have been and am a committed champion of the 8-, 10-, 12, and 16-string
guitars from the beginning of my career. The 16-string guitar is essentially
a 21st-century version of the lute. Since I first saw and heard the lute,
I feel a mystic propensity to play it. In 2013, the time came in my life
to explore this wondrous instrument for my music. I asked Tihamér
Romanek, the great Hungarian luthier to build a modern lute for me. I
had some important demands; for example, the lute should be suitable to
be played with the playing technique which I developed for 16-string guitars
in order to be able to play all my compositions in a variety of tunings
and stringing. Finally, my lute was designed with 16 strings, an extended
fingerboard to one octave, and it was built with a 700 mm scale. It is
possible to use the strings in single or double courses according to my
demands. The bracing of resonant top varies from the traditional lutes,
because the front of the bridge has a parallel lute bracing, but behind
the bridge the bracing has a fan pattern similar to the classical guitars.
Due to the modified construction, the sustain of the notes is much longer
and the volume is increased. The typical lute voice remained, but beside
the fast transients and the transparent sound, the tone has been more
open and less nasal. This new lute sound is perfect for performing my
modern compositions.
In 2014, my album “Book of Contemplations” was released in the
US. On this album, I played 16-string guitar and lute to demonstrate the
similarity of the two. Finally I decided to make a complete lute album
to demonstrate the vast potential this ancient instrument has for modern
music. It is important to point out that the album was made not for the
sake of the lute, but the lute was used for the sake of the music. I felt
that the lute is an indispensable instrument for me, and I regret that
I did not start playing lutes decades earlier. The lute is different dimension
in music expression.
Listening to the 21st Century Lute album, the question can occur to the
listener as to why I call this music 21st-century music. First of all,
I did not want to destroy an ancient and established aesthetic system
to create a modern art as do many modern avant-garde artists, saying that
they were led by the spirit of the age and the artistic openness. I did
not want to create a different music just to be new and I did not want
to create new music just to be different forced by a kind of compulsory
trend. I ignored the fashionable solutions because I am not attracted
by the so called modern music innovator’s ambitions. This is why
I avoid pretentious playing techniques. For me, the modernity of the music
is not in the playing technique or in the technology, but how we use the
notes, what content we can convey by them, and how we show the continuity
of where the music comes from and where it is heading. Because the music
shows a life-process in its unfolding and existence, we cannot destroy
it just because it is old. The soul of music always finds its form to
manifest itself, but is always supported by the mental ability of the
human and primordial roots of the music.
In the age of renaissance and baroque it was not the time to play chromatic,
pantonal music. In Europe, the exotic Oriental modes deriving from earlier
civilizations were not known. Today, all these are available and acceptable
to use. I intend to visualize them in my music to create a balance between
the ancient and modern, and between the intuitive and the artificial solutions.
My aim was to create a deep, pure, personal art while I had the courage
to undertake and display the beauty which is not valued in this modern
age, and which meant the same in centuries past, and means and will mean
always the same, after all the aesthetic potential of the human being
is the same from the beginning of its existence.
The 21st century man often possesses shallow values, and this is expressed
in his art by always seeking new ways and paths. This man may think he
has found a new way, but it is only a deviation from the right path. The
modern man should not seek a new way all the time, but should return to
the right path which leads to unforeseeable perspective offering never
before heard musical treasures.
On this album, I attempted to alleviate the feeling of shallowness and
to wake the sensitivity in the listener which always recalls the sacred
origin of the music.
Vác, Hungary 2017. January Sándor Szabó
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