Lute
To study the lute, the theorbo, the archlute, the baroque lute and early guitars is to enter a rich and varied musical world that extends from the Middle Ages to the late 18th century and beyond.
Guided by its professor, Monica Pustilnik, a renowned soloist and chamber musician, the class in early plucked string instruments at the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM) supports its students as they learn the main repertoires (medieval, Renaissance or baroque, Italian, German, English or French) and understand how they evolved over the centuries. The class prepares its students for a multifaceted career in music, ranging from the interpretation of the soloist repertoire to that of polyphonic and orchestral works, but also to the teaching and passing on of knowledge.
The diverse forms of lute, instruments with five, six, ten and thirteen or fourteen choirs (rows of double strings) all correspond to specific repertoires, whether in the soloist genre or that of ensemble music. Particularly well-suited for accompaniment, these instruments are ideally suited for accompanying the traverso, the violin, the flute and the voice. They easily find their place in a diverse range of instrumental ensembles, or in larger orchestras. Our students are given an initiation in the workings of basso continuo, which they put into practice in an instrumental or vocal ensemble.
Our students are encouraged to take part in numerous activities arranged by the HEM’s department of music of the past, which regularly invites eminent performers and researchers from all over the world to give Masterclasses and seminars. The goal is to encourage the development of a thoughtful approach, with a view to achieving a deeper contextualization of the practice and repertoire of their instrument.
The lute class regularly collaborates with the HEM’s other departments, and with internationally acclaimed Swiss ensembles, on ‘side-by-side’ artistic projects, which constitute a real gateway to the professional world.
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Teachers
