Dedications: New Works for the Lute - album cover
Download Album Cover*

Dedications: New Works for the Lute

Laudon Schuett composer & lutenist

Release Date: May 27, 2022
Catalog #: NV6422
Format: Digital
21st Century
Solo Instrumental
Guitar

DEDICATIONS: NEW WORKS FOR THE LUTE from early music specialist and lutenist Laudon Schuett celebrates the history of the lute while contributing fresh music to the instrument’s centuries-old repertoire. In this album, Schuett, who has been praised for his “immaculate articulation and sensitive phrasing” (Fanfare), imagines himself a well-traveled and long-lived lutenist, composing and performing works that range in period and style; some pieces may sound Italian from the 1530s while others sound English from the 1590s. Schuett’s performances include contrapuntal fantasies, dances, and grounds, giving listeners the chance to more fully understand the instrument’s history and sheer versatility. In DEDICATIONS: NEW WORKS FOR THE LUTE, Schuett is both a performer and an educator, opening up the world of early music for connoisseurs and new fans alike.

Listen

Hear the full album on YouTube

Stream/Buy

Choose your platform

Buy Album: Amazon (digital download) Qobuz (24-bit download)

Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Meredith’s Fantasy Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 3:02
02 Ryan’s Folia Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 3:26
03 Brandon’s Saltarello Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 1:27
04 Caroline’s Pavin Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 4:44
05 Sarge’s Galliard Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 1:48
06 Gordon’s Fantasy Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 3:24
07 Dieter’s Fantasy Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 2:49
08 Kayleen’s Dumpe Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 2:21
09 Laura’s Pavana Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 4:02
10 Boots’ Toye Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 1:46
11 Emory’s Galliard, a galliard upon Johnson’s Delight Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 3:47
12 John and Justin’s Pavin Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 2:28
13 The Baker Fantasy Laudon Schuett Laudon Schuett, lute 3:20

Recorded May 17-18, 2021 in Charleston SC
6-course lute by Hirotaka Watanabe, Tokyo, Japan, 1997
Recording Session Producer and Engineer Paul Sánchez

Executive Producer Bob Lord

Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Danielle Lewis

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming, Morgan Hauber
Publicity Patrick Niland, Aidan Curran
Content Manager Sara Warner

Artist Information

Laudon Schuett

Lutenist

Laudon Schuett is a lutenist and early music specialist. He has been called “a masterful performer ...[and] a brilliant educator” (Classical Voice of North Carolina) with “immaculate articulation and sensitive phrasing” (Fanfare). In addition to performing and expanding the solo repertoire, he formed the lute song duo BEDLAM with Kayleen Sánchez. They have toured the U.S. and recorded two albums, BEDLAM, and Died for Love, both for Soundset Recordings. Schuett has a forthcoming book on the lute being published by Mel Bay, which includes many of his solo works. He studied with Paul O’Dette, Frank Koonce, and Chuck Hulihan. He holds a D.M.A. in Early Music from the Eastman School of Music.

Learn More

Notes

Laudon Schuett plays the Lute

Dedications_Notes-1

Laudon Schuett plays the Lute | Photo by Paul Sánchez

Counterpoint played on the lute is one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. The great composers of the 16th century, masters of counterpoint, have long inspired me. It can be intimidating following in their footsteps, and I risked feeling paralyzed for fear of misstepping when composing my own humble contributions to the lute repertoire. I reminded myself that the Renaissance artist was a bold and adventurous individual who took risks, both musical and personal. I hope any errors will be forgiven in light of the bigger picture.

The pieces included in this album can be broadly categorized as contrapuntal fantasies, dances, and grounds. Each work is inspired by music from the period and I have included many subtle and not-so-subtle references for listeners. When writing them, I imagined myself as a well-traveled and long-lived lutenist, so you may hear some pieces that sound Italian from the 1530s and others that sound English from the 1590s. I hope that both new fans of early music and seasoned connoisseurs will enjoy these pieces.

I would like to thank my wife, Meredith Achey, as well as Laura White, Gordon Schuett, Emory Schuett, Michael Achey, Susan Thomas, Patricia Schuett, Kayleen Sánchez, Frank Koonce, Karen Scherr, Mark Scherr, Ashley McIver, and Ryan McIver. In addition, I would like to give a very special thank you to Paul Sánchez, who literally made this album and has been a constant source of support.

For those interested in obtaining the scores, all of the works, save one, will be published by Mel Bay (30967). Boots’ Toye was published by the Lute Society of America in their Quarterly (volume 55, Nos. 1 & 2).

– Laudon Schuett

Meredith’s Fantasy, dedicated to my wife, Meredith Achey, combines the clarity of early Italian fantasies (Jean-Paul Paladin, Francesco da Milano, etc.) with some of the tunefulness and idiomatic gestures of later English fantasies.

– Laudon Schuett

Ryan’s Folia uses an early iteration of the folia ground (not to be confused with the later and better known folia of the 17th and 18th centuries). Grounds, with their repeating bass lines, provide ample opportunity to develop variations and to play with different idiomatic techniques on the instrument. This work is dedicated to my good friend, Ryan McIver.

– Laudon Schuett

The Saltarello is a lively Italian dance in triple time. Brandon’s Saltarello, dedicated to my friend Brandon Fess, is modeled on those found in sources from the first half of the 16th century and uses a common ground similar to the passamezzo antico.

– Laudon Schuett

Caroline’s Pavin is written in the tradition of a large English pavin from the 1590s. The pavin/pavanna, was a slow processional dance, and by the late 16th century it was commonly divided into three sections. Each section was repeated with additional embellishment and ornamentation. This work is dedicated to my friend, Caroline Usher, the former president of the Lute Society of America.

– Laudon Schuett

Sarge’s Galliard follows; it is dedicated to Sarge Gerbode. I have always been a fan of the energetic, dotted opening (often followed by leaps) to many English galliards, and was inspired to include it here. Great examples are John Johnson’s Omnino Galliard, the Knoles Galliard, Anthony Holborne’s Teares of the Muses, and Mr. D. Bond’s Galliard, as well as a number of Francis Cutting’s galliards. Dowland loved the gesture as well, and, perhaps most famously, used it in his Earl of Essex Galliard (Can She Excuse).

– Laudon Schuett

My father’s fantasy, Gordon’s Fantasy, is written with a short prelude/introduction before the arrival of the first subject. This fantasy also incorporates some contrapuntal techniques that are more common in the vocal repertoire.

– Laudon Schuett

In Dieter’s Fantasy, I explore the (somewhat) rare genre of Renaissance chromatic fantasy. Here, I combine contrapuntal techniques used in surviving chromatic lute fantasies with techniques found in the vocal literature, as well as in other instruments. This piece is dedicated to the great guitarist and lutenist, Dieter Hennings.

– Laudon Schuett

Kayleen’s Dumpe is an homage to all those wonderful anonymous English lute pieces that litter the manuscripts. A dumpe was an alternative name for a ground. I thought it would make for a cheeky title since I ended up using the passamezzo moderno ground as the basis for the piece. The work is dedicated to my friend and duo partner, Kayleen Sánchez.

– Laudon Schuett

Laura’s Pavana, dedicated to my mother, Laura White, represents an earlier version of the pavana than Caroline’s Pavin. Similar in character and purpose, but less structured, the work is based upon Italian and French pavanas from the first half of the 16th century.

– Laudon Schuett

Boots’ Toye is unique amongst the works included in this album. When composing it, I imagined the results of combining French style brisé (broken style), without notes inégalés, with the tuneful playfulness of an English toye, a light piece written mostly for amateurs. The result is a hybrid that didn’t really exist in the past, but was certainly within the realm of possibility. The piece is dedicated to my good friends, Karen and Mark Scherr.

– Laudon Schuett

In the 16th century, lute players would occasionally write works that were homages or variations on a work by an admired colleague. John Dowland and Daniel Batchelor had these kinds of exchanges. Perhaps my favorite lutenist of the 16th century is the amazing John Johnson, whose tunefulness and harmonies are always inspiring. I thought it fitting to take the harmonic structure of his Pavin to Delight and create my own galliard upon it. The result, I hope, is a nice tribute to such an important and influential figure in the lute repertoire. The work is dedicated to my brother, Emory.

– Laudon Schuett

Another late English-style pavin, John and Justin’s Pavin, was written for my good friends, John and Justin Lacombe.

– Laudon Schuett

The Baker Fantasy is a bombastic combination of contrapuntal and idiomatic techniques, inspired by late 16th century Italian and English fantasies. It is dedicated to my aunt and uncle, Lisa and Mark Baker.

– Laudon Schuett