Product Description
One of the most interesting of Mudarra's works is the Fantasía X, where the vihuela is called to imitate the harp, but not any harp, but a diatonic harp (which over time was to evolve into a double one - harpa de dos órdenes) which was in use at the time in Spain. The music imitates the paying of one certain harpist, the Ludovico of the title (Fantasia X that "counterfeits [imitates]" the harp in the manner of Ludovico).
Little is known about Ludovico (not even his surname!), but we do learn from sources that he was blind (as so many other musicians since seem to have been, from Turlough O'Carolan to Joaquín Rodrigo - who, by the way, also transcribed this Fantasia for the piano) that he was in the employment of Ferdinand V of Aragon. The only other date. I have found in relation to him is 1555. He was renowned for his ability to play chromatic intervals on the diatonic harp.
In matter of fact, this piece uses C and C sharp and D and D sharp (which, if we were to consider it to be written in e minor would constitute all three forms of the scale: natural, harmonic and melodic.), the latter towards the end (bar 61), often together, sharp in the higher voice, natural in the lower! To make the point this was done on purpose, Mudarra notes that "from this point until near the end there are some false [relations]. Played well they do not sound bad". I have indicated this by adding a natural sign against all Ds when there is a D sharp in a higher voice, as well as adding the original (modernised) Spanish. Maybe this explains the enigmatic subtitle: "It is hard until it is understood."
I have always liked this piece in particular and always wanted to play it. When I finally came around to it I found it surprisingly easy to transcribe: most of the notes fit under the fingers quite comfortably and there is even little need for the pedal. In fact, the pedal I only employ to open all strings to "counterfeit" the harp's unstopped strings.
I have used the stems to indicate, as far as possible, the distribution of the hands. In the bass part downward pointing stems indicate the use of the left hand, while upward pointing stems call for the right hand. So, in bar two, for example, the C sharp, A and the E are played with the right hand, while the left plays the As (the lower notes are my addition, as Mudarra repeats the two As in the same octave). There are some other minor changes, such as the shift to the high octave in the right hand towards the end, but mostly the piece is faithful to the original.
As mentioned above, I would rely mostly on finger legato, only using the pedal to let the piano's open strings resonate in sympathy, as would those of a harp.
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