Purchas: Her Pilgrimage Continues...

[poliphilo]

I just finished Purchas #3. And now I'm at a loose end. I want to get stuck into Purchas #4  toute de suite. I think we will set Purchas #4 in 17th century France. 

The trick is to fix on a year and then research it (by which I mean consult Wikipaedia). The research will suggest a story. I fancy a touch of the gothic horrors this time round, but really it's up to the characters. If Purchas dosn't want to do gothic horror, she'll just dig in her heels and refuse to budge.

I'll start posting Purchas #3 on Monday. It has a title (finally, finally). It is called Purchas:Tragical-comical-historical-pastoral. 

The fellas aren't in today. Oh so quiet! Karl is in Blackpool with his family and Eddie is- I'm not actually sure what Eddie is doing. Karl will be back on Monday to finish laying the living room floor. Then he'll start decorating our bedroom- which I'm dreading. 

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

That title sounds very promising! I look forward to Monday.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'd start posting today, but I believe a lot of people don't have access to LJ over the weekend.

[upasaka.livejournal.com]

Feel free to pump me for info on 17th century French music should the need arise. It has been something of a specialty of mine since my undergrad days.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

At the moment I'm casting around for a place or an event to latch onto.

An initial enquiry. An amateur female musician c.1670- what instrument would she most likely be playing in the house and what would be in her repertoire?

[upasaka.livejournal.com]

An aristocratic woman or one from a family of musicians would likely play the harpsichord and/or the viola da gamba. The lute is another possibility, though that would be somewhat old-fashioned and would take a greater degree of skill to play at all well. Working class families were unlikely to be able to afford any of the above instruments, but the violin (fiddle) was certainly common for dance music. Few women of any class would play wind instruments which were considered unsuitable for girls. The big name in French music of the period was Jean-Baptiste Lully, who had a virtual monopoly over public performances in Paris. His operas would certainly be a subject of discussion among the upper classes. Other composers of the period include Louis Couperin, Jacques Champion de Chambonnieres, and henri D'Anglebert. You might want to have a look at the film Tous les Matins du Monde, which is set slightly later but will give you an excellent felling for the music of the period.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Many thanks.

My character already plays the lute (she learned it back in the 16th century) but I think she should now move with the times and master the viola da gamba. :)

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

yay!