Valery Sauvage Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:30:31 +0100 -------------- Nice to read about people aroud the world loving this magic instrument... I'm 45, living in Toulouse, south of France, computer technician (not original eh !). father of two sons (22 and 20) My father had a vinyl of Italian renaissance lute music by Walter Gerwig and I love the sound of the instrument and the picture of "The lute player", by Bartolomeo Veneto (the same one that on the Poulton's Dowland Lute Music...) I started to play guitar at 12, playing all lute transciptions I could find. I remember myself going to Paris, rue de Rome to see in a luthier shop (Jacques Camurat) the only lute I knew, dusty behind a window. But it was too expensive for me. In 80 I bought my first lute, an heavy east-german lute with guitar stings, not the best to start. And I find a lute teacher. I'm still learning today (there is always someting to learn). I had lessons with Xavier Cauhepe, Eugene Ferre, Paul O'Dette (a masterclass in Chatellerault, 85) and now with Beatrice Pornon and Rolf Lislevand. My instruments : 6 c renaissance lute in A (after Jacob Hes) by Mathias Durvie, 86 8 c renaissance lute in G (after Venere) by Stephen Murphy, 97 4 c renaissance guitar in A (after Diaz) by Stephen Murphy, 98 5 c baroque guitare by Carlos Panigua, 87 My interest is more in renaissance music, specially in early italian music, I'm a fan of Da Milano ! I love to listen to baroque music, but I don't feel to play it, exepted baroque guitar (Sanz). I'm playing in a group : "La Saltarelle", with 12 musicians : 2 lutes, guitar, recorders, crumhorns, viola da gamba, bombard, dulciane, cornetto, snake, epinette, percussions... with a quartet of singers for renaissances songs (Janequin...) and a group of dancers (about 16), and we are making a "Renaissance show" in period suits. That's a lot of fun ! Besides music, I love to cook indian food, and I'm painting in a naive style (my source of inspiration is Douanier Rousseau). So, best wishes, and enjoy life with lute ! Valery