Beowulf
Benjamin Bagby, Beowulf scholar and teacher, performs Beowulf as it might have been performed in meade houses of old. Whether he’s right or not, there’s no way to know, and he says as much in the DVD “extras”. The only thing we know for sure is that it was performed, beyond that, we know little. To accompany the old English tale, He has written a musical score which he plays on a six string harp created by a luthier familiar with ancient harp design (mostly taken from archeological findings in Germany). Bagby is an instructor of medieval musical performance at the Sorbonne and has written extensively on the topic, so if there’s anyone capable of “imagining” what the performance might be like, this is the guy.
It’s a fascinating show, but I have to say, maybe it’s my 21st century mentality, but I found it very long. And the harp with its six strings that play one note each (unlike, say, a fretted instrument) was wearing as well.
Still, very much worth a watch.
