Silvius Leopold Weiss was the most prolific composer in the history of lute music, leaving behind a vast body of work comprising over 650 compositions. The discovery of a collection of manuscripts containing lute music by Weiss and other composers in the archives of Rohrau Castle, Austria, as well as their connection to the city of Salzburg and the lutenist Matthias Siegmund Biechteler, raises intriguing questions. Although Weiss composed far more works for the lute than his contemporary Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's lute works are much more popular among guitarists, suggesting that the difficulties of adapting Weiss' works for the guitar may play a role. The dissertation aims to explore the possibilities of adapting Weiss' lute compositions for the guitar, with a suite in D minor chosen as a case study to illustrate the adaptation process.
In the presented video, I unveil my inaugural recording on this 11-string guitar, performing the Tombeau sur la mort de M. Comte de Logy arrivee 1727 by Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) .