I am sorry to feel the duty of pointing out that this score has a misleading title which might confuse viol players wishing in good faith, to purchase a modern edition of the Manchester Gamba Book. The original MGB Manuscript (available online) contains treasures of pieces written in tablature for the viol tuned in as many as 22 different ways (lyra-viol). Well, here we have just12 pieces, which in fact are simply “inspired” by the MGB, set in a very personal version by the transcriber/author, and containing the following crucial differences from the original source: 1) different instrument setting, changing it from the original peculiarity of a different tuning of the strings (which is the very point of the lyra-viol extraordinary sound) and rewritten to the “normal” VdG tuning, changing thus completely the originally wished sound effect. 2) addiction of consistent number of variations composed by the transcriber/author, not existing in the manuscript, thus transforming a few bars short piece, written for lyra-viol in a special tuning, into a two pages set of variations written by a modern composer, for a different instrument : the viol in normal tuning d-a-e-C-G-D, mentioned as “first tuning” in the MGB Manuscript. 3) change of tonality, thus changing also the range of the original melodies. We do not understand why didn’t the author publish this book as its own compositions, "inspired" by melodies taken by the Manchester Manuscript? The title “The Manchester Gamba Book” is completely misleading.
