midi on es1371 cards?

["Thomas J. Hamman" <hammant@panther.adelphi.edu>]

Is there any way to get midi to work with es1371 sound cards (e.g. the
Soundblaster PCI 128, which is what I have), without having to use a
software synth like timidity?

Specifically, I'm trying to use music notation editing programs like
NoteEdit and Rosegarden, which have options for playing the music but
depend on working drivers for midi playback.  I have tried Alsa drivers,
but even with all the midi-related modules loaded I can't seem to use
anything midi-related.

-- 
Thomas J. Hamman
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to
pause and reflect."
        -Mark Twain