Why aske yee {7 variations} by John Bull, performed by Dale Carr in Zeerijp on 12 Sept., 1980 Dale Carr 2023-08-13 | Why aske yee {7 variations} by John Bull, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Zeerijp {prov. Groningen} on 12 Sept., 1980Musical variations can be variations of a melody or of a harmonic progression - crudely distinguished. But many sets of variations are both, by turns or simultaneously, and there are more possibilities besides. Many of Bach's Chorale-preludes {e.g. Das alte Jahr, BWV 614} are good examples of melodic variations. Beethoven's "Diabelli" variations op. 120 and Bach's "Goldberg" variations BWV 988 are good examples of variation sets based on a harmonic progression. The Magnificat versets of Titelouze {e.g. on the 5th tone, youtube.com/watch?v=Zo_hD5Dzg8E & youtube.com/watch?v=-myNYxhPoMY } take a fragment of plainchant and use it as material for polyphonic textures, so they don't fall easily into either of my rough categories ; nor do many polyphonic choral works of the 16th century that "borrow" or parody {parts of} a previous work.Bull's variations on Why aske yee are preserved in 3 versions. One, in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, may possibly be a sketch, containing only 2 variations. I chose the version in a MS in the Bibliothèque Nationale which is the source of the largest number of Bull’s keyboard works.The work is most strikingly a set of variations based on a harmonic progression; but the tune is also varied. 1st, the harmonic scheme: chords of ||: d, A, d, A :||: F, G, A, D :||This harmonic progression is varied hardly at all : it's the upper parts that provide the variety. The harmonic progression is particularly striking because of the abrupt juxtaposition of the A-major chord, a-c#-e, at the end of the 1st ½, with the F-major chord, f-a-c{𝄮}, which opens the 2nd ½.Variation 1 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=11} {Rugwerk: Quintadena 8}: The melody begins with a-f-e-d-c# in the 1st 2 measures, which is varied in shorter notes in m.3-4. The melody of m.5-6 is not so much varied in m.7-8 as replaced, in this case by descending scales in 8th notes, which then provide the basic material for the 2nd variation.Variation 2 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=71} {Hoofdwerk: Holpype 8}: The 8th-notes scales of the previous variation begin in this variation on different parts of the measure. The c# of the 2nd chord is often logically contradicted by a melodic c𝄮 as in m.26-7 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=100}; these cross-relations are for the most part notated very specifically.Variation 3 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=128} {Rugwerk: Quintadena 8, Fluite 4}: The scales in 8th notes are now doubled in 3rds, both ascending and descending. A particularly close encounter between f# {alto} and f𝄮 {bass} is heard @ {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=161}.Variation 4 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=182} {Rugwerk: Fluite 4}: The doublings, now in 3rds or 6ths, are in this variation staggered between voices, /\/\/\/\.Variation 5 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=239} {Hoofdwerk: Holpype 8, Octave 2}: The 1st of 2 variations in triple meter, with simple ascending and descending scales alternating between the hands.Variation 6 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=275} {Hoofdwerk: Holpype 8, Quinte fl. 3, Octave 2}: The scales, again in triple meter, are reduced to 3 or 4 quarter notes, as foreshadowed in the 4th variation: d-e-f{-d} or a-g-f{-a}, following each other closely in different voices. The 1st ½ has the motive as quoted above, the 2nd ½ {4’53”} has it in inversion {a-g-f-a or f-e-d-f}.Variation 7 {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=314} {Rugwerk: Fluite 4}: Again placid, in quarter notes, with an ascending scale fragment {a-b-c#-d-e-c#-d} occurring throughout the 1st ½. The conclusion {youtu.be/1RZEyPCH0HE?t=359} uses a descending scale involving carefully indicated alternations between c & c# before a harmonically unusual cadence.
Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, by John Bull, played by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman Dale Carr 2024-08-25 | Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, for harpsichord, by John Bull ; performed by Dale Carr in a concert on 5 February, 1995, on a harpsichord made in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman, based on an instrument by Michel Richard, 1688With such an exceptional piece, it’s difficult to know what to write about it, unless one has unlimited space, so I’ll just pick a few things that I think are important.The subject, consisting of the 1st 6 tones of our modern major scale, is presented on each of the 12 chromatic tones of the keyboard. This would not sound acceptable in mean-tone, the most common tuning method of the era, which fact raises more questions than can be answered with certainty:- how would the player, then, have tuned?- was the piece meant to be played on a keyboard instrument?It’s not possible to know how a player then would have tuned; I used a ⅕-comma temperament, which provides quite pure triads in common keys and a considerable sense of discord in more distant harmonic realms.There’s a theory that the piece was written 1st for an ensemble of instruments, such as viols, with more flexible tuning than keyboards have, & then copied out in a keyboard score. I find this quite plausible, especially given the fact that there are other hexachord pieces from the time for ensemble that also use distant harmonies - even unusual harmonies for instruments with flexible tuning possibilities. Additionally, the present work as it has come to us is in 4 strict parts, though they are notated, according to the custom of the time, rather freely. One could easily un-transcribe the piece to make it playable by a consort.The subject is presented 1st on g, ascending & descending; then similarly on a, then on b, c#, d#, & f. Then {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=153} it is shifted to the bass voice & presented similarly on a𝄬, b𝄬, c, d, e, & f#. From the 13th statement {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=284} to the end, the subject remains on g. The 14th & 15th statements {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=307} use complex triple meter with syncopations; the last 2 statements are more simple again.What do the other voices do? Some melodic motives are imitated in a single other voice before vanishing, but the texture is generally not imitative, which is rather unusual for a polyphonic work of this time & place. On the other hand, Bull has inserted references to at least 2 popular ditties of the period:-The leaves be green, also known as ‘Browning’, is heard in the alto voice in §5 e𝄬-a𝄬-g-f-e𝄬 {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=121} & possibly §16, alto d-g-f-e, e-a-g-f# {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=118}.This tune was known from ensemble settings by Byrd et al.-The Woods so wild, known to us from Byrd’s & Gibbons’s keyboard variations and also quoted by Dowland in ‘Can she excuse my Wrongs, is briefly quoted in §15, alto voice {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=329}. Bull quoted this tune again at the end of his variations “Het Juweel van Doctor Bull” {as can be heard @ youtu.be/GLttnwf4St0?t=226 }-A couple of other possibilities that I have not succeeded in identifying are the soprano voice in §8: f-b𝄬-g-a-a-g {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=179} ; and the tenor in §9: a-b-c-d-a {youtu.be/g2Yr5-b_rTY?t=203}. Perhaps listeners can identify these? But maybe they’re not citations after all.
Walsingham variations by William Byrd, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman, Dale Carr 2024-08-18 | Walsingham variations for harpsichord by William Byrd, performed by Dale Carr in a concert on 5 February, 1995 on a harpsichord made in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman, based on an instrument by Michel Richard, 1688There are 2 major sources for this work, the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book & My Ladye Nevell's Booke. Neither source is free of errors, despite the fact that the copying of latter was supervised by Byrd himself; comparison of the two coupled with good musical sense makes doubtful passages clear.The theme itself offers a wonderful ambiguity of harmony, oscillating {or vacillating?} freely between B𝄬 & g-minor but always ending each variation solidly in G-major. Despite this inherently rich harmonic palette, Byrd manages to make some especially surprising harmonic progressions, e.g. in variation 11 {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=232} & most wonderfully in variation19 {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=436}.Byrd’s use of counter-subjects is characteristically brilliant, in particular his placing them in different parts of the measure and his varying/developing them in the course of the work. A good example is the left-hand motive at the start of the 2nd variation {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=38}. {This motive is a variant of the r.-h. motive in m.5.} The 1st, 3rd, 5th, & 6th appearances begin on the 1st beat, the 2nd & 4th begin on the 2nd beat, the 7th begins on the 3rd beat, overlapping with the 8th appearance beginning again on the 1st beat. This motive appears in the 3rd, 4th, & 5th variations as well.Another example is the l.-h. motive at the start of variation 10 {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=191}, which appears after the 1st beat, before the 3rd beat, before the 2nd beat, &c. The 2nd ½ of this variation {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=200} has a new syncopated motive {or is it another variant?} appearing after the 1st beat, after the 3rd beat, after the 2nd beat, and before the 1st beat {extended}, then suggested after the 3rd beat before being stated again in extended form after the 1st beat in the top voice. This final measure of variation 10 is also an example of Byrd’s way of filling up the whole of a final measure even when there’s only a single harmony in the tune.Another of Byrd’s trademarks, used in several variation works, is the addition of an extra top voice, as in variation 13, 2nd measure {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=273} and again in variation 22 {youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=484}.I could write much more about the wonders of this piece, but it surely has no need of my recommendation!
Sailors Song, by Joseph Haydn, performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano Dale Carr 2024-08-11 | Sailor's Song, Hob.XXVIa:31, by Joseph Haydn, composed 1794-5, to a text by Anne Hunter ;performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, pianoin 1967 in Hertz Hall, University of California, BerkeleyHaydn's Canzonettas were published in 2 volumes in 1794-5, intended apparently for well-to-do English musical amateurs. The texts range from the light-hearted to the spooky, the music is masterful.I wonder whether Haydn's 1st English audiences would have realized that their national chauvinism was being caricatured in this canzonetta.I wonder the same of modern English audiences.
Contrapunctus 2 from Die Kunst der Fuge by J.S. Bach, performed by Dale Carr on 5 February, 1995 Dale Carr 2024-08-04 | Contrapunctus 2 from Die Kunst der Fuge by Johann Sebastian Bach,performed by Dale Carr in a concert on 5 February, 1995, on a harpsichord made in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman, based on an instrument by Michel Richard, 1688, with chinoiserie and soundboard painting by Sheridan GermannThe 1st 4 contrapuncti of Die Kunst der Fuge are relatively simple: no double or triple fugues, few contrapuntal exploits such as augmentation or diminution, canons or the like; just fairly straightforward presentations of the subject. The 1st & 2nd use the subject in its original form {rectus}, the 3rd & 4th in inversion and also with considerable chromatic movement and consistent use of counter-subjects.The 2nd contrapunctus makes consistent use of dotted rhythms, to the extent that I believe that there is not a single 𝅘𝅥𝅮 without a dot: they’re all 𝅘𝅥𝅮.𝅘𝅥𝅯 . {If I’ve missed any, please leave a comment!} There is also occasional use of stretto {overlapping entries} and a simple syncopated alternative form of the subject. But it is the dotted rhythms that give the piece its character.The dotting begins with what would otherwise be the 1st 𝅘𝅥𝅮 in the subject: in the tail, which then becomes [𝄾•] 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅮.𝅘𝅥𝅯|𝅗𝅥 . Making things more complicated, the second 𝅘𝅥𝅯 is often tied to the next beat {𝅘𝅥𝅯⁀|𝅘𝅥𝅮.}, which could tend to obscure the larger rhythm if that weren’t kept clear by the regular movement of the 𝅗𝅥s & 𝅘𝅥s in the other voices. As was pointed out by Leonhardt more than 75 years ago, tying a short note to a long one, as here, is never found in Bach’s ensemble music.
Maria zart, by Arnolt Schlick, performed on the organ in Krewerd by Jan Ernst on 25 September 1988 Dale Carr 2024-07-28 | Maria zart, for organ, by Arnolt Schlick {*~1460 - after 1521}, performed on the organ in Krewerd {prov. Groningen} by Jan Ernst on 25 September 1988Published in "Tabulaturen etlicher Lobgesang" in 1512, this simple setting is a 3-voiced arrangement of a hymn-tune also set by Obrecht and others. It is roughly contemporary with the organ in Krewerd, which was built in 1531.The voices imitate each other informally - no canons or fugal expositions here.The original tablature gives the top voice in notes on a 6-line staff, with the 2 lower voices given in note-names & duration signs that resemble modern note stems. These are vertically aligned in the 'modern' way, rather than being centered in a measure as was the practice in notating scores at that period.In the lower 2 voices, ‘b’ is used to mean b𝄬, & ‘h’ is used to mean b𝄮; ‘c#’ is indicated by a ‘c’ with a small pony-tail. In the top voice, which like the others has no ‘key signature’, a ‘b𝄬’ is indicated by a tail under the note head. This precise indication of ‘accidentals’ in tablature is a useful indication for scores of comparable works, in which ‘accidentals’, also called ‘ficta’, may seem to be lacking.registration: 8' Prestant
In nomine by John Bull performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman Dale Carr 2024-07-21 | In nomine by John Bull {~1562/3-1628}, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987 on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975This work, preserved in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, is composed in 11/4 meter, and is the longest of Bull's 12 settings of In nomine. The unusual meter is not entirely unprecedented in English instrumental music of the period, whether for keyboard or for ensemble. The c.f. is placed in the lowest voice, each tone occupying a full measure and implying, generally, a series of root-position harmonies. This in turn leads to some rather unexpected harmonic juxtapositions, since the c.f. does not move in the way bass lines usually do. The 11 beats in the bass are divided into 𝅝 𝅝 𝅗𝅥 𝅘𝅥 as a general rule, but the rhythms of the upper voices are quite varied.The c.f. has 2 tones that occur only once each: a ‘b’ & an ‘f’. These seem to have a special harmonic character in the piece as a whole.The final section has a slightly different meter: it’s divided into 𝅗𝅥. 𝅗𝅥. 𝅗𝅥. 𝅗𝅥. 𝅗𝅥.𝅘𝅥. , with a pronounced triple-meter swing contrasting with the more fluid movement that precedes it.The harpsichord was quilled with bird feathers and tuned in mean-tone.
Præludium in d, BWV539a, by Bach, performed by Dale Carr in Hohenkirchen on 25 June, 1998 Dale Carr 2024-07-14 | Præludium in d for organ, BWV539a, by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Hohenkirchen {Wangerland} on 25 June, 1998Forkel's catalog {Ueber Johann Sebastian Bachs Leben, Kunst und Kunstwerke, Leipzig, 1802} pairs this short prelude with an arrangement for organ of the 2nd movement of Bach's sonata for violin solo in g, BWV 1001, and the 2 pieces are found together in a MS from the period; no earlier source is known. In any case, it's always been considered to be a work for organ, though it can be equally effective on the harpsichord.Despite its brevity and seeming simplicity, a few elements deserve closer examination:1. the highest & the lowest parts in the 1st 7 measures are exchanged in the passage that follows {contrapuntal inversion};2. the suggestion of 2-measure groups at the opening is belied in m.8, which begins a new phrase, as it were, a measure too early;3. the cadence midway {youtu.be/0QmrI1_Oqqg?t=65} on the dominant would fit well in a binary form {like most of Bach's dance movements}, but there is no repeat. Instead, the lowest voice proceeds directly with a return to its initial ascending line, but without the chromatic counterpoint of the beginning;4. there is a clear 'recapitulation' @ {youtu.be/0QmrI1_Oqqg?t=94} followed by a short conclusion echoing the cadence in the middle of the piece.registration: 8' & 4' flutes
Fugue in a BWV904 by Bach, Performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in Norden on 10 June, 1998 Dale Carr 2024-07-05 | Fugue in a BWV904 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in the Ludgerikirche in Norden on 10 June, 1998{This is a performance of only the fugue. The fantasy is found at youtu.be/aCCrD-pXDdg.}I don't know why this fugue and the fantasy, together known as BWV904, got paired; they are not preserved together in any source from Bach's lifetime. But I can think of several reasons that may have appealed to the editors of the Bach-Gesellschaft Edition:- the melodic movement e-f-e is important in both the fantasy & the fugue;- the upward leap of a 4th, ditto;- neither requires pedals, whether intuitively or by decree, nor does either seem to benefit from a 16' bass sound {if that is even a consideration in Bach's organ works};- they are of comparable length.Whether such considerations would have been important to Bach when pairing a fantasy or prelude with a fugue - or to his contemporaries - may well be doubted. But they nevertheless contribute to a satisfying musical coupling, for modern ears at least. However, concerning the 3rd reason above: 1 MS of the fugue specifies "manualiter", i.e. manuals only, which direction is usually interpreted as indicating performance on an organ, since harpsichords did not usually have pedals. On the other hand, 1 MS of the fantasy says "pro Cembalo". There is no autograph copy preserved for either movement.But the performer is not required to worry overmuch about such considerations; more important is whether the work fits the instrument which is to be played, and in this case I believe that the organ in Norden is able to make good sense of both the fantasy and the fugue.The fugue has 2 main subjects and several more subsidiary subjects, a couple of which include the upward leap of a 4th alluded to earlier. Each of the 2 main subjects has its own exposition, after which they are combined in a 3rd section - a standard procedure in a double fugue.The 1st main subject provides motivic material for much of the fugue. It begins with a-b-c-a in 𝅘𝅥𝅮, & later in 𝅘𝅥𝅯. This is used motivically in the rest of the work as a-b-c-a in 𝅘𝅥𝅯, and also as a-c-b-a {retrograde}, as a-g-f-a {inversion}, and as a-f-g-a {retrograde inversion} - frequently 2 of these simultaneously. The upward leap of a 4th may also be derived from this 1st subject, and it is also heard throughout the piece.The 2nd main subject {youtu.be/rJhxhImTGuQ?t=189’} is a descending chromatic line {i.e. using ½-steps}, introduced in stretto {i.e. overlapping entries}. It also has its own countersubject, beginning with a striking rhythm, 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅮. 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯, which later sometimes takes the form 𝄿𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯|𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅮. This is also added to the mix of subjects, countersubjects, and motives in the final section {youtu.be/rJhxhImTGuQ?t=318}.Registration: Rückpositiv: 8' Gedackt ; later with 4' Octav.
Fantasia in a BWV904 by J.S. Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in Norden in 1998 Dale Carr 2024-07-02 | Fantasia & Fugue in a BWV904 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in the Ludgerikirche in Norden on 10 June, 1998{This is a performance of only the fantasy. The fugue can be heard @. youtu.be/rJhxhImTGuQ}I don't know why this fantasy and the fugue, together known as BWV904, got paired; they are not preserved together in any source from Bach's lifetime. But I can think of several reasons that may have appealed to the editors of the BachGesellschaftEdition:- the melodic movement e-f-e is important in both the fantasy & the fugue;- the upward leap of a 4th, ditto;- neither requires pedals, whether intuitively or by decree, nor does either seem to benefit from a 16' bass sound {if that is even a consideration in Bach's organ works};- they are of comparable length.Whether such considerations would have been important to Bach when pairing a fantasy or prelude with a fugue - or to his contemporaries - may well be doubted. But they nevertheless contribute to a satisfying musical coupling, for modern ears at least. However, concerning the 3rd reason above: 1 MS of the fugue specifies "manualiter", i.e. manuals only, which specification is usually interpreted as indicating performance on an organ, since harpsichords did not usually have pedals. On the other hand, 1 MS of the fantasy says "pro Cembalo". There is no autograph copy preserved for either movement.But the performer is not required to worry overmuch about such considerations; more important is whether the work fits the instrument which is to be played, and in this case I believe that the organ in Norden is able to make good sense of the fantasy.The fantasy has a very clear structure, with a main subject or ritornello which appears 4 times, separated by episodes using other musical material to modulate to the key of the next occurrence of the ritornello. One might strain to change manuals for the episodes, but this would rather distract from than contribute to the perception of the piece.Registration: Rückpositiv: 8' Principal, 4' Octav, 2' Octav.
Fantasia in d minor, by Sweelinck, played by Dale Carr in Örgryte nya Kyrkan on 13 December, 2000 Dale Carr 2024-06-16 | Fantasia in d minor, SwWV 261, by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, played by Dale Carr on the organ in Örgryte nya Kyrkan {Göteborg} on 13 December, 2000Here I have published only the 1st § of this wonderful piece, about a third of the whole. The performance took place rather by chance: I had an opportunity to play the organ & had my SONY walkman with me. The registration was based on the marvellous 16' Trommet with a couple of other stops added for color & clarity.The work is often called an 'echo fantasy', because of the many echo passages in the 2nd §. The 1st §, however, is composed primarily of canons, which I have listed below. The piece begins with 3 voices; a 4th voice is added from m.29.m.1-4, sop & bass, 5th below, {by inversion}, after 1 whole note, till m.4 m.4-19, sop & alt, 8ve below, after 1 whole note, till m.19m.22-25, sop & alt, 8ve below, after 1 whole note, till m.25m.28-34, sop & bass, 12th below, after 1 whole note, till m.34m.50- sop & bass, 15th above, after 1 halfnote, dissolving into shorter imitationsm.61-65, sop & ten, 8ve above, after 1 halfnote, till m.65m.65-70, alt & ten, 8ve above, after 1 halfnote, till m.70m.70-79, sop & ten, 8ve below, after 1 halfnote, till m.79The organ in Örgryte nya Kyrkan was built as part of a research project at GOArt, University of Gothenburg, and was dedicated on August 12, 2000. The goal of the project was to recreate the construction techniques and design philosophies of the 17th-century German organ builder Arp Schnitger. Though the instrument was built in the style of this single builder, it was not modeled after a single instrument. No single model could be used since no large Schnitger organ has been preserved in its original condition. The construction of the organ was carried out by an international team of organ builders. Henk van Eeken was responsible for the design and the technical drawings, Munetaka Yokota for the pipework, and Mats Arvidsson oversaw the building process. The instrument contains almost 4000 pipes and is the largest existing organ tuned in quarter-comma meantone temperament. {info from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_German_baroque_organ_in_%C3%96rgryte_Nya_Kyrka}Other recordings of this organ:- youtu.be/dqd38lRuSbw {Bach: Fuga sopra Magnificat, BWV733}- youtu.be/ZqfTqX6qGlg {Sweelinck: Fantasia mit Bindungen in F}
Suite in F major : Chaconne, by Louis Couperin, performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 Dale Carr 2024-06-02 | Suite in F major : Chaconne, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661}, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987, on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975In harpsichord suites of the period, the general opinion is that the player may choose which and how many of each dance type to play, and that the allemande, courante, sarabande, & chaconne or passacaglia are generally included, though other types may well be omitted.An aspect of the over-all form that is worthy of mention is the matter of repetitions. Most of the dances are in ‘binary form’ with an interior cadence on the dominant or another closely related key, and each of the 2 §s is marked with repeat signs {which may or may not be obligatory}. The chaconne is, in contrast, generally in a rondo form, as A-B-A-C-A-D-A. In this F-Major example the main couplet {generally indicated in the MS by 𝄋} is 4 measures long with repeat signs, and the alternating sections are each 8 measures long, divided into 2 clear 4-bar phrases. The final section {youtu.be/Kf4PpaZ4KyA?t=140}, appearing when one would expect the “D” in the scheme above, is marked “derniere mesure du 1er Couplet”. This “D” is extended by 4 measures having the same harmony as the 𝄋, but transposed to the dominant, before merging directly into the final appearance of the 1st couplet. This final appearance of the 1st couplet is not a literal repetition, as before, but a variation on the same harmonic progression.The harpsichord was tuned to a=~415Hz, in meantone. The plectra were crow quills.The allemande from this concert can be heard @ youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXU_KkBDz8The courante is @ youtu.be/CG9C4D6kNpY Sarabande: youtube.com/watch?v=ZXO89bzvslQ Gaillarde: youtube.com/watch?v=K09skrh2dkc
Suite in F major : Gaillarde, by Louis Couperin performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 Dale Carr 2024-05-12 | Suite in F major : Gaillarde, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661}, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987, on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975The title has been crossed out in the MS; it’s not possible to be certain of the reason, but I suspect that the scribe came to doubt whether the title he’d been given was correct. Louis Couperin’s 3 gaillardes in this MS are rather dissimilar to each other, so the scribe’s doubts may be justified on that account.The 1st section of the piece maintains a single harmony, a tonic drone, as it were, until the very last bar; in this regard it perhaps alludes to music for the hurdy-gurdy or cornemuse.An aspect of the over-all form that is worthy of mention is the matter of repetitions. The general ‘rule’ is that dances are in ‘binary form’ with an interior cadence on the dominant or another closely related key, and that each of the 2 §s is marked with a repeat sign {which may or may not be obligatory}. The 1st ½ of this gaillarde ends with a repeat sign {youtu.be/K09skrh2dkc?t=46}, but the 2nd does not: instead, it moves directly to a petite reprise, i.e. a concluding repetition of the last few measures. This is not indicated by a sign {𝄋} a few bars before the final cadence, as would be expected. It’s possible that the repeat-sign for the 2nd ½ was omitted by mistake, and it would be easy for the player to correct this “mistake”, if that’s what it is.The harpsichord was tuned to a=~415Hz, in meantone. The plectra were crow quills.The allemande from this concert can be heard @ youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXU_KkBDz8The courante is @ youtu.be/CG9C4D6kNpY The sarabande is here: youtu.be/ZXO89bzvslQ
Suite in F major : Sarabande, by Louis Couperin, performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 Dale Carr 2024-05-08 | Suite in F major : Sarabande, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661}, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987 on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975The Bauyn MS. contains three choices for the sarabande of the F-major suite; the general opinion is that the player may choose which and how many of each dance type to play, and that the allemande, courante, sarabande, & chaconne or passacaglia are generally included, though other types may well be omitted.One aspect of this sarabande that I find especially intriguing is its metric & rhythmic subtlety. As with the preceding courante, the triple meter allows a great variety of subdivisions of the measure. The time signature here is given as "3", not 3/4 or 3/2; this may seem imprecise, but it avoids forcing an ungraceful oom-pa-pa 3-ness. The 1st "measure" turns out to be actually a ½-measure anacrucis {upbeat} to a series of measures that we would now write as 3/2 or 6/4 - in any case, many of the measures contain 6 𝅘𝅥, although the MS is not entirely consistent {whether on purpose or not} in its bar lengths. Although upbeats tend to be but a fraction of the main note-value, music history has many instances of such a ½-measure upbeat, of which I’ll mention only a small number:- the beginning of the courante of Bach's 2nd French suite in c-minor, which is mostly in clear 3-beat bars;- the closing chorus of Bach's motet Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV229 {Drauf schließ’ ich mich …}, in which the measures are clearly & consistently paired in upbeat-measures & downbeat-measures;- many passages in Bach's organ prelude in G, BWV541, with the repeated rhythm 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮|𝅘𝅥𝄾 ; here the downbeat 𝅘𝅥 is often a dissonance resolved on the 2nd beat.An aspect of the over-all form that is worthy of mention is the matter of repetitions. The general ‘rule’ is that dances are in ‘binary form’ with an interior cadence on the dominant or another closely related key, and that each of the 2 §s is marked with repeat signs {which may or may not be obligatory}. The 1st ½ of this sarabande ends with a repeat sign{youtu.be/ZXO89bzvslQ?t=53}, but it consists of 2 nearly identical §s: only the last 3 𝅘𝅥 of the sections are different, the 1st time moving to a ½-cadence on the dominant {youtu.be/ZXO89bzvslQ?t=32}, the 2nd time concluding in the tonic {which is itself rather unusual}. I chose not to play the repetition, which is really a repetition of a repetition, and also because there’s an opportunity for extending the dance by 2 extra bars @ the end, thanks to a sign {𝄋} a few bars before the final cadence {youtu.be/ZXO89bzvslQ?t=115} indicating a petite reprise, which is a short coda. {This sign has been omitted in the final bar of the MS, where it would be expected; but the intention is sufficiently clear.}The harpsichord was tuned to a=~415Hz, in meantone. The plectra were crow quills.
Suite in F major : Courante, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661} performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 Dale Carr 2024-05-06 | Suite in F major : Courante, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661} ; performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987, on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975The Bauyn MS. contains several choices for the courante of the F-major suite; the general opinion is that the player may choose which and how many of each dance type to play, and that the allemande, courante, sarabande, & chaconne or passacaglia are generally included, though other types may well be omitted.One of the most intriguing aspects of Couperin's courantes is the complex rhythmic divisions within each measure ; the accents in one voice often contradict those in another. This is not indicated by accent marks, but becomes clear when studying individual voices in relation to the harmony. The triple meter offers ample opportunity for rhythmic variation: to give a simple example, one voice may be divided into 3+3 beats, and another into 2+2+2, or 3+1+2.The harpsichord was tuned to a=~415Hz, in meantone. The plectra were crow quills.Tha allemande from this concert can be heard @ youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXU_KkBDz8
Suite in F major : Allemande grave, by Louis Couperin performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 Dale Carr 2024-05-05 | Suite in F major : Allemande grave, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661}, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987, on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975This is the only one of Louis Couperin's Allemandes with the description 'grave' in the title. {An allemande in a minor has the addition 'L'Aimable'}. But in character it seems no more 'grave' than his other allemandes. I think the description 'grave' in this case is intended to distinguish it from similar dances of a previous generation, which were rather faster and written in eighth-notes rather than sixteenths.Another aspect that distinguishes this piece from others by Couperin is the fact that the interior cadence is not on the usual dominant, which would be C major here, but on the dominant of the relative minor, i.e. A major, expressed in more modern terms than the composer would have used. This interior cadence is however reached by way of the dominant, and the 2nd ½ returns to the tonic also by way of the dominant.The harpsichord was tuned to a=~415Hz, in meantone. The plectra were crow quills.
The Wanderer, by Joseph Haydn, performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano Dale Carr 2024-04-28 | The Wanderer, Canzonetta, by Joseph Haydn, Hob.XXVIa:32, composed 1794-5, text by Anne Hunter ; performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano, in 1967 in Hertz Hall, University of California, BerkeleyHaydn's Canzonettas were published in 2 volumes in 1794-5, intended apparently for well-to-do English musical amateurs. The texts range from the light-hearted to the spooky, the music is masterful.The Wanderer falls easily into the spooky category; maybe even depressed or neurotic, at least as far as the text is concerned. The music seems perhaps a bit undercooled by comparison; but this is a collection of canzonettas, after all. Nevertheless, the chromatic harmonies and melodic turns and the diminished chords emphasize the desperate character of the text, within a wonderfully simple design : there are two more or less identical musical verses, the biggest difference between them being that the accompaniment is harmonically slightly more explicit in the 2nd verse.About the harmonies: the basic movement from minor tonic to relative major is normal; but what Haydn does after that is really totally saturated chromaticism, involving diminished-7th chords and their simultaneous chromatic vocal lines, and also the 'Neapolitan 6th' chord, in this case a triad c-eflat-aflat, which adds substantially to the spookiness and indeed the harmonic color.Jim & Barbara were fellow-students at UC Berkeley in the 60s. I enjoyed their friendship immensely & learned a lot from their musicality.
Prélude non mesuré in F major by Louis Couperin performed by Dale Carr on 17 October, 1972 Dale Carr 2024-04-21 | Prélude non mesuré in F major, for harpsichord, by Louis Couperin {~1626 - 1661}, performed by Dale Carr in Spaulding Auditorium at Dartmouth College on 17 October, 1972 on a harpsichord built in 1964 by Wm. Dowd, modeled on 18th-century French instrumentsThe préludes non mesurés are some of the greatest works of the 17th-century French harpsichord repertoire, and Louis Couperin was perhaps their greatest master. His préludes are bundled together in the Bauyn MS separately from the suites of dances they were probably intended to precede. Their unusual notation may appear puzzling at first, but it has the great advantage of allowing, even encouraging, the player to strive for an improvisatory effect, while still precisely indicating harmony and melody and even inner voices. The basic 'rule', I believe, is that a slur means to hold down the keys till the end of the slur, which is also frequently the point at which the harmony changes, or maybe is inflected in an inner voice. The player may decide whether the changes of harmony are clarified or benefitted by being placed at more or less regular intervals of time.The intervening decades have not been kind to this recording; my apologies for that.
Bergamasca by Girolamo Frescobaldi, performed by Klaas Veltman in Oosthuizen {NH} on August 2, 1995 Dale Carr 2024-04-14 | Bergamasca by Girolamo Frescobaldi, from his Fiori musicali {1635} ; performed by Klaas Veltman on the organ in Oosthuizen {NH} on August 2, 1995 Frescobaldi's bergamasca is similar to several of his canzone, which are polyphonic works in several sections of varying character, based on a subject with one or more countersubjects. The subject here is a dance tune with its harmony, originally from the region of Bergamo in northern Italy, whose residents were apparently noted for their rustic manners. But Frescobaldi's bergamask is rather learnèd than rustic; in fact, it's *loaded* with purely musical allusions to the dance, to the extent that it seems as if almost every note is derived from the subjects, omitting extraneous 'filler'-counterpoint as much as possible. This is probably what gave rise to Frescobaldi's comment at the beginning of the piece: Chi questa Bergamasca sonara non pocho imparera {Who plays this Bergamasca will learn not a little}.The work begins with a subject d-d-e-e-d-c-b, continuing immediately in the same voice with a 2nd subject g-g-f-e-d against a 3rd subject g-a-b-c-- {of which the rhythm is an important element, & which is more a counterpoint than a full-fledged subject} in a different voice. A 4th subject, derived from the bass of the Bergamasca, appears later {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=46}. If you follow the score, you can easily see how rapidly new entries follow each other. I thjink I may even have missed a couple, which listeners are invited to point out.The 2nd section {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=78} is in compound triple meter, i.e. 6 beats in a measure, usually 3+3, and with quirky syncopations {accented &/or dotted notes when you might not expect them}. The 1st 2 subjects are used with this syncopating new subject; the other subjects are given a rest.The 3rd section {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=123} begins with the 4th subject in combination with a new motive in descending ♫, used also in inversion, possibly derived from the 2nd subject. The 1st & 2nd subjects join in later.The 4th section {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=172} is in a slower triple meter, & uses mostly the 4th & the 1st subjects, often with chromatic alterations.The 5th section {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=238} is faster again, & in duple meter, but continues the chromaticism of the previous section. The 6th section {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=286} has rapid triplets in a new counter-subject combined with the previous 1st, 2nd, & 4th subjects.The 7th & final section {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=311} uses these 3 subjects together with a new motive in ♫, which is also used in inversion.In closing, a remark about the collection in which Frescobaldi published this work, "Fiori musicali" or 'musical flowers'. The publication is often, if not generally, considered by organists to be a collection of sacred organ music, with an appendix including the bergamasca + 1 other piece. I believe that this is not a correct description of the volume. The title page {youtu.be/nBjW15PkO3c?t=361} mentions 'diverse compositions', naming as examples toccate, Kyries, canzoni, capricci, & ricercari; of these named genres only 1 is specifically liturgical. The others are individually given what I think are suggestions {e.g. 'avanti la messa', 'dopo l'epistola'} about when they might be used in a liturgical context, but the pieces themselves contain no liturgical-musical references. There is no indication that the composer intended the Bergamasca as part of an appendix or afterthought. It fits perfectly within the framework of title & subtitle, with no apology required.The organ's current specification:Bourdon 16Prestant 8Octaaf 4Quint 3Woudfluit 2Mixtuur 2-3 st.Sexquialter 2 st. D{https://www.orgelsite.nl/oosthuizen-grote-kerk/}
Capriccio sopra Ut-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La, by Frescobaldi performed by Dale Carr on a Broekman harpsichord Dale Carr 2024-04-07 | Capriccio sopra Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, by Girolamo Frescobaldi, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Nieuw Scheemda {province of Groningen} on 22 May, 1993, on a harpsichord built in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman {based on an instrument from 1688 by Michel Richard} with decoration by Sheridan GermannCapriccio is essentially not much more than a “fleeting thought”. In Italian music the name usually refers to a work composed in a polyphonic style, on a particular subject (= soggetto). Polyphonic works for keyboard were customarily notated in open score, i.e. with each voice on its own staff. The transitions are sometimes in a non-polyphonic, toccata-like style, but still notated in open score.To vary the subject, Frescobaldi uses several standard techniques: inversion, chromatic alteration, varying meters & tempi. These are easily seen in the notation. He also uses the technique of inganni, which the notation does not point out & which may thus require some explanation. Inganno means “deception” or “misleading”. The deception lies in substituting for an expected tone of a soggetto a different tone (not just a chromatic inflection). There were 3 hexachords, the “natural” beginning on c, the “hard” beginning on g, and the “soft” beginning on f and using b-flat. This gave the composer 2 alternatives as inganni for most notes of the soggetto. The note ‘c’ could thus be interpreted as ut, or as fa, or as sol. I have pointed out 3 inganni near the beginning of the piece in annotations to the running score ; the interested listener will be able to find many more. I am convinced that these technical devices in the works of Frescobaldi are not simply an erudite game but also, just as inversions or canons, serve a musical purpose.There’s another performance of this work, by me on the unsurpassed organ in the Der Aa-Kerk in Groningen, on this channel @ youtube.com/watch?v=6IxQb3lKLUs
Felix namque by Thomas Preston {†1563} played by Dale Carr on the organ in Krewerd on 3 June, 1984 Dale Carr 2024-03-31 | Felix namque by Thomas Preston {? - 1563}, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Krewerd {province of Groningen} on 3 June, 1984Preston lived in turbulent times as an Anglican church musician. Though his date of birth is not known, he was active as choirmaster of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1543, so he must have been trained in pre-reformation times.He composed at least 8 organ settings of the offertory 'Felix namque', which is used in masses in honor of Our Lady; indeed, the organ solo was one of the chief elements of such a mass. Preston's settings are extremely varied, some with the c.f. in long notes in the bass against complex florid upper voices or as part of a more uniform texture; other settings treat the c.f. to complex ornamentation, making it difficult for our ears to recognize it.That is the case with the present setting, and since the chant melody has less clear harmonic goals than e.g. a German chorale tune, it's more difficult to find simple 'passing tones', for example, inserted between the harmonized tones of the c.f. The absence of a clear poetic meter in the text and the melody leads to compositional sections of a great variety of lengths, which can make it more demanding for the listener to follow the argument.But take comfort! The piece is not by any means inscrutable! Two aspects help the modern listener to hear 'what's going on':1. Imitation, particularly in the upper 3 voices;2. Clear harmonic cadences, followed by a new subject treated in imitation.The imitation can work as in a fugal exposition, with each voice waiting patiently until its predecessor has finished stating the subject; this is the case in the 1st point of imitation. The 2nd however begins with overlapping entries {youtu.be/aAxB9YCFhmc?t=41}, and the 3rd {youtu.be/aAxB9YCFhmc?t=64} presents a short motive of 3 ascending tones, rather than a full-fledged subject; this is treated in all 4 voices in parallel 3rds & in syncopated imitation before a cadence @ {youtu.be/aAxB9YCFhmc?t=94}.Later subjects appear more often in the lowest voice as well. The final point {youtu.be/aAxB9YCFhmc?t=181} consists of rising eighth-notes which overlap in various voices in polyphony worthy of Orlando Gibbons.The harmonic cadences are less clear than in later music, partly because the modal scale-system offered more possibilities than the later major-minor harmonic system, and partly because the 'hierarchy' of the modern harmonic systen had not yet been developed.The organ in Krewerd dates from 1531; I used the 4' Octaav for this piece, one of the original registers.Those who follow the score will observe that the 4 voices are divided 2 by 2 between the staves. The lower voice of each pair is mostly written with diamond-shaped note heads, & the upper voice with round ones. I think this is simply a matter of penmanship with no significance for the sound of the piece.The organ façade shown at the conclusion of the recording is in St. Stephen's church, Old Radnor, Wales, and dates from ~1540.
An die ferne Geliebte, Beethoven; performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano Dale Carr 2024-03-24 | An die ferne Geliebte, op.98, by Ludwig van Beethoven ; Ein Liederkreis von A. Jeitteles; performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano, in 1967 in Hertz Hall, University of California, BerkeleyThe verses on which this cycle is based seem to have been written directly at the behest of Prince Lobkowitz shortly after the death of his beloved wife in January, 1816. The songs were published in October of that year; the prince himself died on 15 December. The title page depicts the lute referred to in the last of the 6 songs.Before I had ever heard of An die ferne Geliebte, an undergraduate professor had mentioned that Schumann had used material from this cycle in his Fantasy in C, op.17. The borrowed material is taken from the beginning of the last song, "{Nimm sie} hin denn, diese Lieder". The borrowed notes are e𝄬, b𝄬, a𝄬, g. It's not likely to be a coïncidence that this melodic/harmonic fragment resembles the melody/harmony at the beginning of the cycle {b𝄬, c-d-e𝄬 e𝄬, g}.In fact, Schumann used this fragment in other works as well. Here are a few references, with links to recordings - with thanks to thelistenersclub {thelistenersclub.com/2019/02/27/to-the-distant-beloved-schumanns-obsession-with-a-beethoven-song}, tho I have included here links to my own preferred examples.It’s important to realize that when Schumann was composing his op.17, he was separated from his beloved Clara {Wieck}. The quoted material can be heard toward the end of the 1st mvt. in a performance by Nelson Freire : youtu.be/x9GIaaQ1LNM?t=619Quoted material can also be heard in Schumann's Frauenliebe und -leben op.42 #6 : Süsser Freund, du blickest mich verwundert an, here performed by Elly Ameling with Dalton Baldwin : youtu.be/jjhDcJStHAY?t=163And also in his string quartet no.2, op. 41/2 : youtu.be/UDoX_yRwpGo?t=1003My apologies for the rather too heavy piano sound : it's an old recording for which I can't take full responsibility. But the wonderful performance demands to be heard.
Capriccio chromatico con ligature al contrario by Frescobaldi performed by Dale Carr Dale Carr 2024-03-17 | Capriccio chromatico con ligature al contrario, by Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) ; from his Primo Libro di Capricci Canzon francese e Recercari (...) 1642, performed by Dale Carr in the Pelstergasthuiskerk in Groningen on 2 October, 1993 on a harpdichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975, modeled on an instrument by Michel Richard from 1688Fresobaldi seems to have prided himself on his successes with musical challenges that he set himself, among them:- a composition in which one voice holds a single tone throughout;- a composition in which stepwise movement of any voice is prohibited;- a composition in which one voice is to be sung, not played, by the performer;- a composition in which all dissonances are resolved by moving the dissonant tone upward, rather than downward as had been normal practice for centuries before his time.The Capriccio chromatico con ligature al contrario shows how Frescobaldi worked out the last of the above challenges as a piece of music, not simply as a trick or an intellectual exercise. It is composed in 4 sections:The 1st uses a variant of a fairly common chromatic soggetto consisting either of an initial major 3rd (up or down) followed by a chromatic line in the opposite direction, or alternatively an initial minor 3rd (up or down) followed by a chromatic line in the same direction. Despite its diverse shapes & sizes, the subject is easily recognizable, even when the initial interval is a 2nd, or is omitted. Later on a 2nd motive is added with some consistency. And the dissonant tones are indeed resolved in the 'wrong' direction.The 2nd section (youtu.be/kk7fxkPFZH4?t=119") has 2 main subjects, the 1st of which is a zig-zag motive with the exact intervals subject to the demands of the context. The 2nd motive is another 'public domain' soggetto beginning with a rest and continuing with a tone repeated in dotted rhythm.The 3rd section (youtu.be/kk7fxkPFZH4?t=175) uses the 'fairly common chromatic soggetto' of the opening section, with a counter-subject.The final section (youtu.be/kk7fxkPFZH4?t=214) is based mainly on ascending scales, often chromatic, except for the final gesture in the top voice, in descending motion, which can be heard as a manifestation of the 'al contrario' of the title.Thanks to Frans Driesens for the recording!There's another performance of this piece on a wonderful organ in Firenze @ youtube.com/watch?v=E7rQRLLofik .
Piercing Eyes, by Joseph Haydn, performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano Dale Carr 2024-03-10 | Piercing Eyes, Canzonetta V, by Joseph Haydn, performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano, in 1967 in Hertz Hall, University of California, BerkeleyHob.XXVIa:35Haydn's Canzonettas were published in 2 volumes in 1794-5, intended apparently for well-to-do English musical amateurs. The texts range from the light-hearted to the spooky, the music is masterful.Take the piano's introduction, which of course presents the 1st themes. The opening melodic interval, from e to d, is continued a few measures later, against 16th notes, d-e, f#-g, a-b, c-d. The right hand continues with e-d against a chromatic descent in the left hand, g-f#--f-e--eb-d. So much for the tonal material: accents on e & d, with scales & a bit of incidental chromaticism. Metrical aspects: the introduction is essentially complete after 12 bars {youtu.be/yDBWMMlt5-o?t=31}, grouped in pairs; but it is extended {masterfully} by another bar with g, b-a, c-b, d-c in the top voice, leading to the singer's 1st notes e-d. Haydn could have sufficed with an ending like the last measure of the piece {youtu.be/yDBWMMlt5-o?t=115}, but this extra bar makes a better joint while breaking the evenness of paired measures.The voice respectfully repeats, in its 1st 2 measures, what the piano has suggested, but then develops {from youtu.be/yDBWMMlt5-o?t=42} the introduction's f#, g, a into f#-g-a-b-c#-d. The 'd' is achieved only by way of an 'e', and accented by fermatas. Hmmm. The ensuing section assumes a new tonic of D, and revolves around c# & d, letting the 'e' rest for the moment.After an ascending scale in 3 measures from g to g {youtu.be/yDBWMMlt5-o?t=81}, reminiscent of the ascending scale mentioned above {from youtu.be/yDBWMMlt5-o?t=42}, the oscillation between e & d returns. This scale is repeated - but in 4 measures; the added measure before the voice continues is a chromatic ascent b-c-c#--d-d#-e. Then this re-accented 'e' oscillates anew with 'd'.Just a few details illustrating the mastery of a 'minor' work of art.Jim & Barbara were fellow-students at UC Berkeley in the 60s. I enjoyed their friendship immensely & learned a lot from their musicality.
Præambulum in d by Heinrich Scheidemann performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Krewerd in 1984 Dale Carr 2024-03-06 | Præambulum in d, WV33, for organ, by Heinrich Scheidemann {~1595-1663}, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Krewerd {province of Groningen} on 3 June, 1984Scheidemann, organist at the Catharinenkirche in Hamburg for more than 30 years, was one of the most prominent of Sweelinck's organ pupils. He left a substantial body of keyboard compositions including chorale settings, præambula, and secular pieces.This work begins with a harmonic section of 14 measures before a series of shorter passages involving inexact echoes and other types of near-repetitions. There are no indications for changes of manual or registration in the MS, though I think that they should not be considered impermissible. The piece is easily playable without pedals, and I think that using the pedals adds nothing of value. The musical logic is sufficient to make the progress of the piece abundantly clear without a lot of frills.The organ in Krewerd was made in 1531, according to a later inscription on the case, and many of its stops are well preserved from this time. It was restored in 1973-5 by A.H. de Graaf and tuned in mean-tone.The present disposition follows:8' Prestant8' Holpyp4' Octaav3' Quint2' OctaavSesquialtera 2 ranks {treble}4' FluytManual keyboard CDEFGA-c''' ; pull-down pedals CDEFGA-d.
Ricercar in d minor by Froberger performed by Dale Carr on on a harpsichord made by Frank Hubbard Dale Carr 2024-03-03 | Ricercar in d minor by Johann Jacob Froberger {FbWV 411}, performed by Dale Carr on October 17, 1972, on an Italian-style harpsichord made by Frank Hubbard in 1970This piece was copied into a presentation manuscript for Ferdinand III in 1656; the MS also contains 5 more ricercari, 6 toccatas, 6 suites, & 6 capricci. The work is rather simple in nature: no canons, no stretti, only a single subject with no counter-subjects, treated in 4 voices, leading to a satisfying melodic high-point just before the conclusion.
Recercar nono, con quattro soggetti by Girolamo Frescobaldi performed by Klaas Veltman in Oosthuizen Dale Carr 2024-02-25 | Recercar nono, con quattro soggetti by Girolamo Frescobaldi, from his Recercari et Canzoni franzese [...] published in 1615, performed by Klaas Veltman on the organ in Oosthuizen {NH}on August 2, 1995The organ is one of the most interesting in the Netherlands. It was built in 1521; that makes it also one of the oldest.The registration used in this performance provides maximum clarity: only the 8' Principal.
A Fancy for two to play, by Thomas Tomkins, played on the organ in Krewerd by Dale Carr & Jan Ernst Dale Carr 2024-02-18 | A Fancy : for two to play, by Thomas Tomkins {1572-1656}, performed on the organ in Krewerd {prov. Groningen} by Dale Carr & Jan Ernst on 25 September 1988This interesting work was apparently composed as a response to Carleton's verse for two to play. It is thus the 2nd-oldest composition for 4 hands on a single keyboard. {Byrd wrote a piece for 3 hands; the 3rd hand plays ut.re.mi.fa.sol.la up & down.}As is still general practice in music publishing, the bass and the treble parts in the MS are on facing pages, which is convenient for the players, but less so for listeners trying to follow the sounds with their eyes. For this reason I have accompanied this recording with a published version that places the lower and upper parts vertically aligned.*The measures are also clearly numbered in the MS, presumably to help the players rehearse. Notably, the measures are not all the same length.We made some slight adjustments in the notes as preserved, for 2 reasons:1. the short-8ve compass of the organ in Krewerd doesn't have keys for all the notes that Tomlins wrote in the bass parts;2. a few d#s in the MS sound bad in meantone tuning, as at Krewerd.At the end of the recording I have pasted the beginning of the bass parts from the MS.The piece is fun to play; I hope listeners will find it as much fun to hear it.* This score can be found at imslp.org/wiki/Fancy_for_Two_to_Play%2C_MB_32_(Tomkins%2C_Thomas). It was reconstructed by Pierre Gouin & published by Les Éditions Outremontaises of Montréal. License for distribution is at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
A Pavyon by Master Newman, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975 Dale Carr 2024-02-13 | A Pavyon by Master Newman, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987, on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975Master Newman's Pavyon is preserved in the Mulliner book, copied by Thos. Mulliner around 1545-70 & now in the British Library {Add MS 30513}. {Fortunately I copied this piece from the online MS before the library's computer system was hacked recently.} A 'Fancy' by Newman is also found in the MS, but otherwise he is rather obscure.The work is in 4 sections, which is unusual; each section has repeat marks. Pavans by Byrd & later generations of English keyboard composers, for example, are almost always in 3 sections, and are frequently paired with a Galliard. Newman's work also seems to invite a faster tempo than the more ornate and polyphonic later examples can readily bear.
Uppon la mi re, anonymous, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975 Dale Carr 2024-02-12 | Uppon la mi re, by anonymous {ca. 1560}, performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987 on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975This piece has been attributed to Thos. Preston, but without direct evidence. It was copied into BM Add MS 29996 in the 1560s. Besides the change of meter in the second half of the piece, which is common in 16th-century English keyboard works, the piece also shows the characteristic repetition, three or even more times, of small motives in the melodic line.In this performance I made use of an unusual feature of the instrument. {This is for harpsichord geeks.} The 4' jacks are operated by the upper manual, the dogleg 8' register is the middle row of jacks, and the back row of jacks operates the other 8' register. The dogleg register can be disengaged from the upper keyboard by sliding the keyboard forward a bit.So I was able to play the left-hand ostinato on the 4' register, upper manual, with a rather twangy effect. The right-hand part was played using the back 8' register, ergo on the lower manual.An organ performance of this piece can be heard @ youtube.com/watch?v=qnKyKtKGGb8
A Verse for Two to Play by Nicholas Carleton, played by Dale Carr & Klaas Veltman in Midwolde {W} Dale Carr 2024-02-05 | A Verse for Two to Play on one virginall or organs, by Nicholas Carleton ; performed by Dale Carr & Klaas Veltman on the organ of Midwolde {W} on 13 August, 1988This work is probably the earliest duet for 2 players on 1 keyboard. Almost nothing is known about the composer or the date of composition. It was copied by Thomas Tomkins {†1656}, who wrote a companion piece for 2 players. It is a setting of the familiar "In nomine" chant fragment.Many years ago I found the work in a modernized version with slurs and improbable ficta, so I made a hypothetical reconstruction of how the score may originally have looked. This was so long ago that I can't even say any more where I found the notes. The original MS is British Library ms. Add. 29996, which I have not seen.Since the organ in Midwolde has a short bass 8ve, I had to rewrite a few short passages for this performance, to avoid written notes that are not playable there.The organ in Midwolde was originally built in 1630 by Levijn Eekman as a chamber organ for the occupants of the manor Nienoord in Leek, not far from the church in Midwolde. His signature & the year are found on a parchment strip in the windchest. Around 1660 the organ was revised by Andreas de Mare, apparently with the purpose of making it suitable for use in the church. His name is found next to that of Eekman in the windchest. The instrument was restored in 1984-5 by Albert de Graaf.I performed this piece with Klaas Veltman {†2016}, who played the lower voices. He was a good friend, a perceptive organ builder, and an inspiring musician.My apologies for the less-than-ideal quality of the recording!
Tombeau sur la morte de Blancheroche; by Johann Jakob Froberger {FbWV 632}, performed by Dale Carr Dale Carr 2024-01-14 | Tombeau fait à Paris sur la morte de Monsieur Blancheroche;lequel se joue fort lentement à la discretion sans observer aucune mesure;by Johann Jakob Froberger {FbWV 632};performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman, based on an instrument by Michel Richard, 1688 ; chinoiserie and soundboard painting by Sheridan Germann.The MS of this piece is overloaded with words: a long title, to begin with, and a long marginal note describing the death of Monsieur Blancheroche {aka Blancrocher aka Fleuris}. But what's most important for most listeners is the sound, the music, and later perhaps the sources of inspiration or other apologiæ. In the case of this piece, the words tacitly raise many complicated questions which the player may attempt, or not, to answer in the performance.A tombeau is a musical "in memoriam"; most tombeaux are slow, many are in minor keys, often with unusual or unexpected harmonic or melodic movements. Several tombeaux seem to refer to the tolling of funeral bells. They offer plenty to exercise the imagination - not only the musical or aural imagination. Any listener contemporary with Froberger who had his check-list at hand would have given Froberger check-marks for tempo, for mode, for surprises, and for bells. But following a piece of music is more than exercise in filling in a form.The composer's 1st direction "lequel se joue fort lentement" {to be played very slowly} leaves little room for doubt, and indeed, the 1st harmony lasts almost 15'' with only the simplest filling-in by arpeggios and scale movements. The 2nd harmony is complete only after ~30'', and is the nearest possible chord to the 1st, a simple dominant in 1st inversion, involving only the simplest melodic steps from the 1st chord. The expectation of a slow tempo is, at least in the beginning, written into the notes.Froberger's next instruction, "à la discretion", is much less clear because we don't know whether he meant 'discreetness' aka modesty, or 'preference' of the player, who might be quite immodest; nor do we know what Froberger might have desired in a 'modest' performance. He used the term elsewhere, e.g. in the gigue of his Suite XX in D, at youtu.be/pLuMy8GSC4Q?t=86 . I think that even the interpretation of the term is left to the discretion of the player.Froberger's last instruction, "sans observer aucune mesure" {without observing any measure}, is the most difficult to construe: was he referring to bar-lines, or to beats, or to note-values? And if he meant any of these, why did he then write clear bar-lines and detailed note-values {from 32nd-notes to whole notes, precisely indicated}? I have no answer.I have heard many performances of this piece in which the length of the 16th-notes, for example, is halved {more or less} in the 2nd part of the piece. This is not likely, I think, to be what the composer was referring to with this instruction, but the change of tempo makes musical sense to me.The description in the MS of Blancheroche's last hours could lead a performer to attempt to interpret the piece as if it directly reflected the details of this description. Some commentators have said, for example, that the closing downward scale represents his fatal fall down the stairs. But before this 'fall' we have already heard the tolling of funeral bells, so this interpretation seems to me unlikely. There are many possibilities for speculation about what this or that passage may represent; those who are so inclined will exercise their imaginations as they wish.A very different tombeau for Blancheroche, by Louis Couperin, can be heard @ youtube.com/watch?v=4_bAn9Yh__0
Sonata in b minor, op.58, by Chopin {2nd movement}, performed by Charles Farmer, on 2 February, 1965 Dale Carr 2023-12-31 | Sonata in b minor, opus 58, by Chopin {2nd movement}, performed by Charles Farmer, piano, on 2 February, 1965, in Hertz Hall, University of California, Berkeley.Charles Farmer was a friend of mine in Berkeley in the 1960s. This performance was given in the series of 'noon concerts' in the Music Department's Hertz Hall. Another friend of mine recently sent me a 7" reel-to-reel tape of the concert, and I had it digitized, then corrected the rather too heavy bass tones. I'm no sound engineer, so I can only hope that the sound of this version of the performance will be found satisfactory. Here I have uploaded the 2nd movement; the rest will follow in due course.Charles died in 2019 in Portland OR. An obituary can be found @ https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/obituaries/2020/charles-farmer.htmlI do not know whether he had any survivors who might have a reason to object to the publishing of this recording; anybody with objections is invited to contact me.The 1st movement is here: youtu.be/0g_ofLXTL2c
Sonata in b minor, opus 58, by Chopin {1st movement}, performed by Charles Farmer, piano Dale Carr 2023-12-27 | Sonata in b minor, opus 58, by Chopin {1st movement}, performed by Charles Farmer, piano, on 2 February, 1965, in Hertz Hall, University of California, Berkeley.Charles Farmer was a friend of mine in Berkeley in the 1960s. This performance was given in the series of 'noon concerts' in the Music Department's Hertz Hall. Another friend of mine recently sent me a 7" reel-to-reel tape of the concert, and I had it digitized, then corrected the rather too heavy bass tones. I'm no sound engineer, so I can only hope that the sound of this version of the performance will be found satisfactory. Here I have uploaded the 1st movement only; the rest will follow in due course.Charles died in 2019 in Portland OR. An obituary can be found @ https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/obituaries/2020/charles-farmer.htmlI do not know whether he had any survivors who might have a reason to object to the publishing of this recording; anybody with objections is invited to contact me.
Pavan of 3 pts by Thomas Tomkins performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman Dale Carr 2023-09-10 | Pavan of 3 pts by Thomas Tomkins {1572 - 1656}performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman based on an instrument by Michel Richard, 1688with chinoiserie and soundboard painting by Sheridan GermannTomkins's Pavan of 3 parts has the mood and tempo of a pavan, but misses other customary characteristics of the genre. The restriction to 3 voices contrasts with the normally dense texture of the English keyboard pavan; and the usual meter, slow duple, is contradicted by the 1st bass/harmony movement, which occurs after the 3rd ½-note beat. The MS containing the piece has been dated to the period 1646-1654, which is later than the heyday of English virginal music.Counterpoint is certainly common in the pavans of Byrd, who was Tomkins's teacher; but the counterpoint was not normally strict and there were usually more than 3 {informal} voices; the texture was usually comprised of 4 or more informal voices.Although keyboard pavans of 16th-century England were not intended primarily for dauncing, they nevertheless generally had a clear {stately duple} meter; this later example however begins with 3 ½-note beats centering around a G-major harmony, followed {youtu.be/A_KJbrUW29M?t=26} by 3 ½-notes centering around C major. In addition, the opening melodic gesture, which is also comprised of 3 ½-note beats, is followed in the next "measure" by a similar gesture that is delayed by half a beat. A daring dauncer would soon be tripped up. The 1st section contains 17 ½-note beats, not reducible to either triple or duple meter.The voices in the 2nd section {youtu.be/A_KJbrUW29M?t=70} are more clearly imitative than in the 1st section: the opening motive in the top voice is heard again 4 times {both on and off the beat} before giving way {youtu.be/A_KJbrUW29M?t=98} to a new motive, a lengthy descending scale of more than an 8ve. The meter {slow triple} is also more consistent in this section.The 3rd section {youtu.be/A_KJbrUW29M?t=129} appears to be metrically even more regular, with just an occasional ½-note extra inserted - still not daunceable. This extra beat isn't heard as an interruption, but more as an extension. Toward the end {youtu.be/A_KJbrUW29M?t=148} the previously strict 3-part writing expands to less-strict 3-part writing leading to a climax in C major {youtu.be/A_KJbrUW29M?t=158}. The cadence that follows is harmonically quite remarkable: a descent by 3rds in the bass {c-a-f-d} arrives at the dominant D.A descent by 3rds is not unknown in music of other composers: listen for example to the end of a Præludium by Heinrich Sscheidemann @ youtu.be/Z_H7XuHELLY?t=190. Here we hear f-d-b𝄬-g leading to a long dominant A before the cadence on D.Another example is found toward the end of Contrapunctus 1 from Bach's "Kunst der Fuge", youtu.be/TQ2oVZgq_dM?t=169. Here again we hear f-d-b𝄬-g leading to a long dominant A, followed this time by an ascent in 3rds d-f-a-c, which c moves to c#. This c# contradicts, finally, the sticky persistent c𝄮 of the answer in m.6 {youtu.be/TQ2oVZgq_dM?t=26} and makes possible the final cadence. For a more extensive discussion of the importance of this c𝄮, see youtube.com/watch?v=TQ2oVZgq_dMOf these 3 final cadences I think that Tomkins’s is the most striking..
Het Juweel van Doctor Bull, quod fecit anno 1621 21 December, performed by Dale Carr in Zeerijp Dale Carr 2023-08-20 | Het Juweel van Doctor Bull, quod fecit anno 1621 21 December {My Jewel}, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Zeerijp {prov. Groningen} on 12 Sept., 1980Bull composed 2 versions of this piece: one is a rump-ti-dump version, which is preserved in several variants including that in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book; the present version, however, is more polyphonic, more developed, and requires, I think, a more thoughtful approach. It is preserved in a single MS giving the title & date as above.This setting, mostly in 3 clear voices, has a tune of 3 lines, each with a varied repetition, though the last line brings a surprise instead of a simple varied repetition. The 1st line has the tune g-c-d-e-g-c..., which gives rise to 2 important motives used later: c-d-e-c & e-g-c. But even before those motives are put to work, the tune itself is introduced in imitation {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=15} in the 1st 2 measures. Measure 3 brings an unexpected new harmony {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=26}, a B𝄬-major chord, above which the next part of the tune, e-g-f-B𝄬, is presented and then imitated in diminution in the following measure. Measure 5 {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=35} returns to the chord of C supporting the next part of the tune, e-g-d , c-e-b in a dotted rhythm, which is also imitated in the other voices. This line ends {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=45} with e-d-c-e-d-c, which should be construed as the 1st of the motives mentioned above {c-d-e-c} linked with its inversion. There's a lot going on here underneath a rather unserious, even whimsical tune.The repetition of this 1st section begins {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=54} by applying the 1st motive {c-d-e-c} directly to the tune that gave birth to it, again treated in imitation. To this mix is added a new motive {d-f-d} in the next measure {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=65}, foreshadowing an important element of the 2nd section. In measure 13 {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=74} the 2nd motive, e-g-c, reappears in the imitative fabric below the melody.The 2nd line of the tune begins in G {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=93} with a melody b-d-d-d-(e-)d..., underneath which we hear the motive g-b-g in various forms {as mentioned above}. This motive is heard both on the beat & off the beat {per arsin & thesin}. The 1st 2 measures in G are followed by d-minor moving again to B𝄬. The repetition of this line {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=131} takes the repeated tone d to make a new motive in 8th notes, b-c-d-d-e-d-d-e-d, which is used in parallel 3rds & 6ths.The 3rd line of the tune begins in F {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=170} accompanied by the 1st motive, again linked with its inversion {a-f-g-a-f, & variants}. The figuration under the final chord of G includes g-e-f#-g-a-b-g-b-a-g, linking 3 forms of this motive with each other. The repetition of the 3rd line begins 'normally' {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=209} w/ another variant of the repeated-note motive, continuing 'normally' for 4 bars. The 2nd ½ of this 3rd line {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=227} is however not varied, but replaced by the tune known as 'Wolseys wild' or 'The woods so wild'. Any of Bull's listeners would have recognized this deviation instantly, since this tune was widely known at the time - far better known than the tune of Bull's Juweel.A 4th section is added in a completely different character {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=246} : the tune of 'Wolseys wild' is heard in the top voice, while the left hand provides a running bass in 𝅘𝅥𝅯. All of those meticulously developed motives from the 1st 3 sections are here forgotten.Registration: Rugwerk, 8' Quintadena, 2' Gemshoorn ; repeats on the Hoofdwerk, 8' Holpijpe, 2' Octave;Last section {youtu.be/bh48KGFdgiE?t=246} {'Wolseys wild'}: right hand on Rugwerk, as above; left hand on Hoofdwerk, 8' Holpijpe, 3' Quinte Fluite, 2' Octave.Will Yow Walke the Woods soe Wylde {en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Yow_Walke_the_Woods_soe_Wylde}The recording heard here was previously uploaded without the score and with a shorter commentary {youtube.com/watch?v=GLttnwf4St0 published 211121}
Magnificat Quinti Toni by Jean Titelouze performed by Dale Carr in Zeerijp on 12 Sept., 1980 Dale Carr 2023-07-30 | Magnificat Quinti Toni {pub. 1626} by Jean Titelouze {1562/3 - 1633} performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Zeerijp {prov. Groningen} on 12 Sept., 1980{here versets 5-7 ; for the 1st 3, visit youtube.com/watch?v=Zo_hD5Dzg8E }It's a pity that Titelouze's works are seldom played, and thus little known, outside of France. His hymns & Magnificat verses are beautiful organ music, deserving of closer study than can be attempted here. His publication of Magnificat settings in 1626 included 7 versets, 1 in each mode, based on plainchant melodies. In each of his settings of the Magnificat, Titelouze provided an alternative setting for the verse Deposuit potentes, in order to make the works suitable for the Benedictus {which has for all intents and purposes the same melody but has one more verse}. He also suggests the possibility of shortening the versets by leaving off their 2nd §s. Here I have played all of each verset, but have omitted the 1st setting of ‘Deposuit’.The 5th-mode melody, like the others, is in 2 phrases: the 1st is an ascending triad on f, that is f-a-c - and then some more depending on the text of the verse in question. The 2nd phrase is a short melodic figure c-d-b-c-a - and then some more depending on the text of the verse in question.The plainchant melodies derive from a time before our modern concepts of major & minor keys, which are roughly similar to those of Titelouze. He treats the melodies as subjects for modern music of his time, ergo in major & minor keys, more or less. This implies, for him, frequent use of b𝄬, though often with a nod to the original b𝄮.Many of Titelouze's organ works using plainsong melodies treat the melody as a cantus firmus, i.e. in long notes. This is the case in several of his magnificat versets, but not in those for the 5th tone, which are composed more or less as motets in which all parts have notes of roughly equal value.Since Titelouze is writing in a post-modal style, he seems to feel free to use 'real' & 'tonal' forms of his subjects, much as Bach or other later composers would do. The intervals of the tonal form are adjusted to fit the harmonic context. This means that instead of a triad f-a-c, spanning a perfect 5th, Titelouze might choose c-d-f, spanning a perfect 4th instead, without a guilty conscience.Verset 5 {Deposuit potentes, alter ver.}:In this verse Titelouze continues the development away from the strict melody as subject that is apparent in the 1st 3 versets. Here the 1st subject {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=22} seems to be based on the inversion of the melody, c-a-f rather than f-a-c. The 2nd subject {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=98} remains close to the plainchant melody, beginning in close stretto, i.e. with the entries overlapping each other at close intervals. The verset concludes {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=126} with a sublime coda.Verset 6 {Suscepit Israel ; Tria.}:Begins {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=162} with a triadic subject which is treated in 3 voices rather than the usual 4. The pace accelerates as 𝅘𝅥𝅮 and later 𝅘𝅥𝅯 become more and more frequent. After {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=222} the subject and the imitative texture are abandoned.The subject of the 2nd § {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=240} seems to have no relationship with the plainchant ; but it is introduced, as in the previous verset, in close stretto. Later {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=255} this new subject is briefly adapted to the increasing pace of movement in 𝅘𝅥𝅯, before being abandoned as the pace completely dominates the character of the verse.Verset 7 {Gloria Patri & Filio}:Begins {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=305} with the tones of the {inverted} triad filled in to form a descending scale of 5 tones in 𝅗𝅥 {mostly}, followed by the 2nd § {youtu.be/-myNYxhPoMY?t=349} which uses a similar subject in 𝅘𝅥. All is in close stretto, ending with a majestic coda.
Magnificat Quinti Toni by Jean Titelouze, performed by Dale Carr in Zeerijp on 12 Sept., 1980 Dale Carr 2023-07-25 | Magnificat Quinti Toni {pub. 1626} by Jean Titelouze {1562/3 - 1633},performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Zeerijp {prov. Groningen} on 12 Sept., 1980{versets 1-3}It's a pity that Titelouze's works are seldom played, and thus little known, outside of France. His hymns & Magnificat verses are beautiful organ music, deserving of close study.His publication of Magnificat settings in 1626 included 7 versets in each mode, based on plainchant melodies. The 5th-mode melody, like the others, is in 2 phrases: the 1st is an ascending triad on f, that is f-a-c - and then some more depending on the verse in question. The 2nd phrase is a short melodic figure c-d-b-c-a - and then some more depending on the verse in question.The plainchant melodies derive from a time before our modern concepts of major & minor keys, which are roughly similar to those of Titelouze. He treats the melodies as subjects for modern music of his time, ergo in major & minor keys, more or less. This implies, for him, frequent use of b𝄬, though often with a nod to the original b𝄮.Many of Titelouze's organ works using plainsong melodies treat the melody as a cantus firmus, i.e. in long notes. This is the case in several of his magnificat versets, but not in those for the 5th tone, which are composed more or less as motets in which all parts have notes of roughly equal value.Verset 1 {Magnificat anima mea}:Since Titelouze is writing in a post-modal style, he seems to feel free to use 'real' & 'tonal' forms of his subjects, much as Bach or other later composers would do. The intervals of the tonal form are adjusted to fit the harmonic circumstances of the context. This means that instead of a triad f-a-c, spanning a perfect 5th, Titelouze might choose c-d-f, spanning a perfect 4th instead, without a guilty conscience. He even goes so far as to *begin* with the tonal form of his subject {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=19} c-d-f, *following* it by the real form {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=22} f-a-c in the upper voice.The 2nd § of this verse {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=62} is based on c-d-b-c-a, slightly varied.Verset 2 {Quia respexit}:Begins {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=116} as does the 1st with the tonal form of his slightly modified subject. The 2nd § {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=150} uses the repetition of the 1st tone of the subject that was heard in the 1st verset. The b𝄮 of the original is in this verset often preceded by a b𝄬.Verset 3 {Et misericordia ejus}:Begins {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=227} with the real form of the subject {f-a-c} but with a long c before; this is answered by the tonal form, which becomes f-c-d-f.The 2nd § {youtu.be/Zo_hD5Dzg8E?t=285} uses a more distant relative of the original: c-d-d-c-bb-a or f-a-a-g-f-e {later, even g-a-a-g-f-e}. This subject is also heard 'per arsin et thesin', i.e. with strong & weak beats reversed.
Toccata 11 in C by Frescobaldi, performed by Dale Carr in October, 1993 on a harpsichord by Broekman Dale Carr 2023-07-20 | Toccata undecima in C from “Toccate d’Intavolatura ...”, Libro primo {ed. 1637} by Girolamo Frescobaldi, performed by Dale Carr in the Pelstergasthuiskerk in Groningen on 2 October, 1993 on a harpsichord built in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman of Lebanon, NH, with chinoiserie and soundboard painting by Sheridan GermannFrescobaldi's title page gives the date M·D·C·XXXVII aka 1637. This was the second edition, the first having been published 10 years earlier. The frontispice has a portrait of the composer "æt. svæ 56", though it would be easy to mistake the 5 for an 8 in the copy shown here. In this second edition Frescobaldi provided extensive instructions for the player striving to achieve the proper cantabile expression.Toccata 11 begins calmly {till youtu.be/4AOWoNqyqx0?t=67} and ends calmly too {from youtu.be/4AOWoNqyqx0?t=210 & youtu.be/4AOWoNqyqx0?t=242}. In between we hear a multitude of short sections, some so short that they're hardly sections at all, but maybe just passing thoughts of a few seconds' duration. The piece is very polyphonic, with exemplary attention to voice leading ; but imitation is casual, almost an afterthought, never schematic or consistent. Each new section, hwever short, has a strongly individual character, e.g. a sudden change of tempo or texture, or a dotted or Lombardic rhythm.The recording was made by Frans Driesens, to whom repeated thanks!
Toccata in e minor by Johann Jacob Froberger {FbWV 108} performed by Dale Carr on October 17, 1972 Dale Carr 2023-07-13 | Toccata in e minor by Johann Jacob Froberger {FbWV 108}, performed by Dale Carr on October 17, 1972, on an Italian-style harpsichord made by Frank Hubbard in 1970Froberger {1616-1667} studied with Frescobaldi {1583-1643} in Rome from 1637-1641. Exactly *what* he studied we can best infer, I think, from a comparison of his works with those of his teacher. Their toccatas provide fascinating material for the comparison.Very generally, Frescobaldi's toccatas tend to have more fluid, i.e. less clear, sectional marcations than those of Froberger, in which internal cadences are often more conclusive. Froberger's toccatas are often comprised of 4 sections: free, imitative, free, imitative developing into a florid conclusion; whereas those of Frescobaldi have relatively fewer and shorter imitative sections, if any. This development proceeds even further in the slightly later toccatas of Buxtehude, for example, which are even more clearly sectional, and in which the imitative sections are often even longer.This toccata is from a collection assembled in a manuscript in 1656, which was presented to Emperor Ferdinand III.The harpsichord is an Italian-style instrument from the workshop of Frank Hubbard. It is patterned on an anonymous Italian instrument of ~1600, now in the collection of the University of Edinburgh. The legend is that an Italian employee of Hubbard's was unable to stay in the US and so returned to Italy, taking Hubbard's case drawings with him. There he built cases as required, using Italian wood, and sent them to Boston to be made into finished instruments. As it happens, this instrument was finished by Hendrik Broekman, who later built for me a 'copy' of the harpsichord by Michel Richard from 1688 now in the Yale collection. A photo of such an instrument can be seen at the end of the video.I tuned in mean tone for this performance, using d# rather than e-flat, as required by the score.
Clarifica me pater {a 2} by Wm. Byrd, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman Dale Carr 2023-07-04 | Clarifica me pater {2 voices} by Wm. Byrd ; performed by Dale Carr in the church in Nieuw Scheemda {province of Groningen} on 22 May, 1993,on a harpsichord built in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman {based on an instrument from 1688 by Michel Richard} with decoration by Sheridan GermannByrd's 2-voiced setting of "Clarifica me, pater" is in 2 clearly differentiated sections. The 1st section has 2 more-or-less equal voices, bass and alto, running for the most part in ¼- & ⅛-notes. The cantus firmus is in the left hand, with 1 note of the c.f. per measure. See below for further explanation.The 2nd section [youtu.be/8-8dOaUknx4?t=95 ] presents the c.f. in the left hand in ½-notes, sometimes syncopated, with a relatively florid accompaniment in the right hand. See further below for more details.The 1st section is constructed as a bicinium {duet} on the cantus firmus which is found, highly ornamented, in the bass part. In Bach's arrangements of chorales using an ornamented c.f., the harmony, the meter, and the phrase-lengths of the c.f. strongly influence the over-all form. Furthermore, such an ornamented c.f. is never found in the lowest voice. Byrd's c.f. however is free of the harmonic and metrical baggage of an 18th-century chorale tune, leaving him freer to develop the harmonic progress of the setting as a whole without the constraints that Bach dealt with in such a masterly fashion.This is how Byrd proceeds: each tone of the c.f. is alotted to 1 measure of the setting. Since the c.f. has no intrinsic harmonic implications, there is no need for an assumed harmony belonging to the particular tone of the c.f. to dominate the measure in which it sounds. The c.f. note may occur anywhere in the measure, even on what seems to modern listeners to be an insignificant part of the measure. In the score accompanying the performance, I have indicated each c.f. tone by a red blob. The duet begins on the note d in the right hand with a syncopated rising melodic 5th, imitated after 2 measures in the bass {c.f.}. This motive reappears on g, a 4th higher, imitated as before in the bass, but after a longer interval; and again later another 4th higher on c, without imitation. The voices make occasional irregular use of imitation, but more often each voice develops its own character using sequences and other common melody-building techniques. Toward the end of this section the preponderance of ⅛-notes increases in the right hand and diminishes in the left, setting the stage for the 2nd section. I should note that this technique for setting a cantus firmus, obscure though it may seem to modern listeners, was not uncommon in the works of Byrd's predecessors; see {i.e. listen to} the 1st verse of Preston's Introit 'Resurrexi' for Easter, youtube.com/watch?v=YiXBymcuZTc , for an example.Byrd's 2nd section [youtu.be/8-8dOaUknx4?t=95 ] begins with the concluding phrase 'priusquam mundus fieret'. Like Preston's subsequent verses, it has a completely different character than the 1st section: the c.f. continues in the lowest voice, but now unornamented except for occasional syncopations, while the upper voice continues to increase the complexity of its note values and rhythms. I have provided the upper voice, rather than the bass, in the accompanying score for this section.This upper voice begins with 6 ¼-notes for each note of the c.f.; but these 6 notes are subdivided in constantly changing ways, with the motives shifted 'per arsin et thesin' i.e. in varying parts of the measure, or even with some tones lengthened to provide a differing accent. Presently {youtu.be/8-8dOaUknx4?t=113 } the pace increases to ⅛-notes, also subdivided in varying ways. The last bars shift again {youtu.be/8-8dOaUknx4?t=121 } to triplet-⅛-notes, giving a ratio of 9 tones in the upper voice to 2 tones in the lower. Such an increase in rhythmic complexity combined with shortening note-values is a common feature of 16th-century English keyboard music, and can be heard also in Byrd's 3-voiced setting of Clarifica me, pater {youtu.be/YBugRNwe9Ao?t=149 } and an anonymous setting of "Felix namque" {youtube.com/watch?v=ebCX7pvNnKI }, to give 2 readily available examples.
Fuga sopra il Magnificat, by Bach, played by Dale Carr in Örgryte nya Kyrkan, Göteborg, in Dec. 2000 Dale Carr 2023-06-24 | Fuga sopra il Magnificat, pro Organo pleno con Pedale, BWV733, by Johann Sebastian BachRecorded by Dale Carr in Örgryte nya Kyrkan, Göteborg, on 13 December, 2000The melody of the chant, which consists of only two lines, is combined with 2 other motives, one in mostly stepwise 8th-notes {also used in inversion} and the other in zig-zag quarters, and also with itself in canon at the 5th below. The pedals are used only at the end, presenting the c.f. in augmentation. I have indicated appearances of the subject in the score accompanying the performance. The harmony is rich and clear without straying far from the tonal center of d minor; in fact, the piece sounds excellent in meantone tuning.The organ in Örgryte nya Kyrkan was built as part of a research project at GOArt, University of Gothenburg, and was dedicated on August 12, 2000. The goal of the project was to recreate the construction techniques and design philosophies of the 17th-century German organ builder Arp Schnitger. Though the instrument was built in the style of this single builder, it was not modeled after a single instrument. No single model could be used since no large Schnitger organ has been preserved in its original condition. The construction of the organ was carried out by an international team of organ builders. Henk van Eeken was responsible for the design and the technical drawings, Munetaka Yokota for the pipework, and Mats Arvidsson oversaw the building process. The instrument contains almost 4000 pipes and is the largest existing organ tuned in quarter-comma meantone temperament. {info from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_German_baroque_organ_in_%C3%96rgryte_Nya_Kyrka}registration: - HW 16' Trommet, 8' Octav, 4' Octav, 2' Super Octav, Mixtur 6-8r; - PED 16' Posaunen, 8' Trommet, 4' Trommet, 2' CornetOther performances of this piece on other organs:- at Noordbroek, youtube.com/watch?v=DMuN0XlLxUA- at Norden, youtube.com/watch?v=DDuEdj8QyLc
Capriccio sopra La, Sol, Fa, Mi, Re, Ut, {Girolamo Frescobaldi}, played by Dale Carr in 1991 Dale Carr 2023-06-10 | Capriccio sopra La, Sol, Fa, Mi, Re, Ut, by Girolamo FrescobaldiPerformed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in the Der Aa-Kerk, Groningen, on 20 September, 1991Italian organs at the time of Frescobaldi were significantly different from those in northern Europe. An organ with three manuals and an independent pedal division, such as the instrument in the Der Aa-Kerk, would in Italy have been considered musically extravagant : most organs there had only one manual, and if they had pedals at all, these did not usually have their own pipes. Nor were reeds and mixtures a normal phenomenon.Italian music benefitted from the greatest possible clarity of sound ; this clarity was combined with great intensity and power, and with the capability of sounding at once relaxed-vocal and sharply articulated. These qualities are substantially present in the old pipes of the Der Aa-Kerk organ, and although the sound has no Italian character, it does have lots of character, and that is more important.Capriccio is not much more in principle than a “fleeting thought”. In Italian music the name usually refers to a work composed in a polyphonic style, on a particular subject (= soggetto). The subject is treated in sections with contrasting tempi and/or time-signatures. The transitions are sometimes in a non-polyphonic, toccata-like style.The character of an individual section may be fairly simple to describe, as in the opening section, which is a straightforward polyphonic exposition of the subject, but with a surprising c# as the last tone. A later section uses the original form of the subject together with a chromatic version of the subject and an additional countersubject. The last section but one uses the subject, inverted and in long notes, plus a chromatic version of the subject, plus a syncopated version of the subject, plus counter-motives in dotted rhythm and running 16th-notes. The calm concluding section adds to various forms of the subject a twisting chromatic counter-subject.The performance used only the rugpositief of the organ, which offers more than enough variety of tone-colors for the work. The registrations are pasted onto the score that accompanies the performance.
Recercar quinto by Girolamo Frescobaldi, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Kantens Dale Carr 2023-03-27 | Recercar quinto by Girolamo Frescobaldi, from his Recercari et Canzoni Francese ... {1615}, performed by Dale Carr on 3 November 1989 on the organ in the Antoniuskerk in Kantens, {province of Groningen}, made ~1660 by Johannes Huys .What's a subject? What's a counter-subject? The terms ought to be intuitive, but given the enormous variety of treatment of musical lines that might be called subjects, it's difficult to arrive at definitive definitions. Unfortunately, I know of no source from the 16th or 17th century that clearly defines these terms. {If anybody knows of such a source, I'd be very glad to learn of it!}In Italian keyboard music of this period, titles sometimes give an indication of the actual subject or at least of the number of distinct subjects. If the subject is a fragment of liturgical chant, {e.g. ricercar sopra Ave maris stella}, the subject is fairly clear. But sometimes even the number of subjects is omitted from the title, and even when their number is given, their identification can be difficult.For examples: in Frescobaldi's "recercar quinto" {1626}, no indication is given of the number of subjects. In his "Fantasia nona sopra tré soggetti {1608}" their number is clear, but since they are not presented in what might be called a systematic manner, their identification is problematic. These 3 subjects are treated more in the way ‘motives’ are treated in counterpoint: they permeate the texture more or less in the background.The systematic presentation of material in recercar quinto makes it fairly easy to identify the 3 subjects, which are presented at the beginning, one after the other, in 2 voices:- c a g c ... {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=16};- f b𝄬 b𝄬 a ... {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=33};- c b c b a g f {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=48}.Immediately thereafter, each is further developed in 4 voices, also one after the other:- c a g c ... {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=66};- f b𝄬 b𝄬 a ... {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=128};- c b c b a g f {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=206}.The final section of the piece {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=283} presents the 3 subjects combined with each other in various ways, displaying a contrapuntal fluidity that rivals Bach’s.A remark about the tail of the 1st subject: it consists of 4 tones in an ascending scale; however the 1st tone can be the same as its predecessor, or it might be transposed an 8ve or a 5th lower. In Italian music of the 17th century, such alterations of the subject were generally justified as inganni {deceptions, in English}, in which the note names {ut re mi &c.} were unaltered but were conceived in a different hexachord. See e.g. the bass voice @ {youtu.be/z-OyxJvtNcc?t=90}. There are a few more uses of this technique in this piece - not only in the 1st subject - which the attentive listener will readily spot. In the music of Frescobaldi, these inganni serve a musical purpose and are not simply a clever game of musical theory.
Toccata settima in d by Girolamo Frescobaldi performed by Dale Carr in Nieuw Scheemda on 22 May 1993 Dale Carr 2023-03-11 | Toccata settima in d for harpsichord by Girolamo Frescobaldi from Toccate d’intavolatura ... Libro Pº {1637} ; performed by Dale Carr in the church in Nieuw Scheemda {province of Groningen} on 22 May, 1993The harpsichord used in this concert was built in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman, then of Lebanon, NH, using an instrument by Michel Richard from 1688 as a model.
Hinno Aue maris stella by Frescobaldi, performed by Dale Carr in the DerAa-Kerk on 9 September, 1991 Dale Carr 2023-03-08 | Hinno Aue maris stella by Girolamo Frescobaldi {1583-1643}, from his Secondo Libro di Toccate {&c.} {Roma, 1637}performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in the DerAa-Kerk, Groningen on 9 September, 1991The hymn consists of 4 melodic phrases, each of which is recognizable in each of the 4 verses. But there is no formal exposition of a subject; the verses are more like improvisatory musings on the available motives, in more or less the 'right' order, but not always; and the different subjects often overlap. Occasionally a secondary subject, unrelated to the hymn, is introduced, and even treated in inversion, but it may disappear after 2 or 3 statements. The scale is so small that there's no time for 'development': each verse lasts but a minute. The texture is sparse: when a voice finishes stating a motive, it often drops out until it is needed again; it may even stop before completing the motive.The polyphony is heard clearly, but since the works were published in a book of toccatas, the notation indicates which *hand* plays a note rather than which *voice* the note belongs to: the rests in the voices are often not indicated.Registrations {all on the rugwerk, pictured at the end of the recording ; all stops made by Arp Schnitger}:- verse 1: 8' Praestant- verse 2: 4' Octaaf- verse 3: 4' Fluit- verse 4: 8' P, 4' O, ScherpThanks to Lammert Boonenberg for the recording!Other recordings from this concert:Frescobaldi, Toccata quinta: youtube.com/watch?v=9hgHeRtupWAFrescobaldi: Toccata di durezze, e Ligature: youtube.com/watch?v=oQv96OhpVIUFrescobaldi, Toccata sesta: youtube.com/watch?v=5D1sJc9zdHIFrescobaldi: Capriccio sopra Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La: youtube.com/watch?v=6IxQb3lKLUsFroberger: Toccata VI da sonarsi alla Levatione: youtube.com/watch?v=IeNp8IJ3IrYCavazzoni: Hymnus Ave maris stella: youtube.com/watch?v=__QS9TIMCPUMayone: Recercar sopra Ave maris stella: youtube.com/watch?v=LjFlB5Ikbb4
Tombeau de Mr. Blancrocher - L Couperin performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman Dale Carr 2023-03-06 | Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher by Louis Couperin {~1626 - 1661}performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord built in 1975 by Hendrik Broekman, modeled on an instrument by Michel Richard, 1688Blancrocher was a highly acclaimed lutenist in Paris who died from a fall down the stairs in November, 1652. In the Bauyn manuscript the title of this piece has been crossed out, for some unknown reason, though it can still be deciphered.The work is composed in 3 distinct sections, of which the last 2 are internally related by a 3-measure passage repeated notatim. This passage has been said to represent bells; this may be true, but more interesting to me is its relation to the structure of the whole piece.I want to point out what precedes this passage at its 1st appearance in the 2nd section: the section begins with a high f in the soprano - half an 8ve higher than the highest note before it - , and the soprano line, above a repeated C in the lowest voice, then descends stepwise from c through b𝄬, a, g, f, e, d, to c, then back upward: d, e, f, f#, g. {The repeated bass C has also been compared with the tolling of a bell - for what it's worth.} The arrival at g is significant, and is emphasized by the note’s being extended for several beats, and then left hanging, as it were. It's almost as if there were a fermata {𝄐} above this g. After a short bridge which recaps the preceding upward movement from d, we hear a droning f-g-f-g-f-g in 𝅗𝅥 in the top voice.To sum up the 2nd section: the high f of the opening descends purposefully downward by steps, arriving at the suspended g, before moving on to a cadence in C.The 3rd section begins, like the 2nd, high in the soprano register; but it begins even higher : on g, the note which had been left hanging in the 2nd section. In the 3rd section we hear 1st a different way of relating f & g: after the opening in a high register leading to a cadence in B𝄬, the fabric of the piece returns to lower regions, starting with an f moving to a g, which is left hanging. Sound familiar? As before, a movement from below introduces the f-g-f-g-f-g drone and leads again to a cadence in C major.This cadence is undercut by an e𝄬, part of a melodic movement downward f-e𝄬-d-c-b𝄬-a and back upward -b𝄮-c ; d-e-f-g-f, above a repeated bass tone C as earlier. This final movement {f-g-f} is thrown into relief by a change of harmony, again to B𝄬, now preparing the final cadence.So it can be heard that the repeated emphasis on f & g in the 2nd & 3rd sections serves a larger purpose than a simple {tho remarkable} repetition of the 3-measure passage would achieve.
Fuga sopra il Magnificat, BWV733, by Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the organ in Noordbroek Dale Carr 2023-02-08 | Fuga sopra il Magnificat, pro Organo pleno con Pedale, BWV733 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ {1696} in Noordbroek {province of Groningen} on 7 May, 1996The melody of the chant, which consists of only two lines, is combined with 2 other motives, one in mostly stepwise 8th-notes {also used in inversion} and the other in zig-zag quarters, and also with itself in canon at the 5th below. The pedals are used only at the end, presenting the c.f. in augmentation. I have indicated entries of the subject in the score. The harmony is rich and clear without straying far from the tonal center of d minor; in fact, the piece sounds very good in meantone tuning.Arp Schitger's organ in Noordbroek is one of the best preserved instruments of this builder. This is in large part a result of the fact that it has not been 'restored', but only adjusted in smaller details, in recent years. It is an unfortunate fact that so-called restorations often result in a degradation of not only the sound quality of the instrument but also the instrument's authority as a document of its own history, the history of its builder's work, and of organ building in general. I'll refrain from offering examples....But even 'only' as an instrument for playing organ music, the organ in Noordbroek is fantastic. The acoustics are, as always, responsible for a good share of what the listener hears ; here, their contribution is only positive. There is considerable reverberation, but it does not make the sound muddy or indistinct, as in some other churches. The plenum of the Hoofdwerk could be considered the touchstone of any organ; here the sound is full, even exciting, but always clear in polyphonic textures. I used the following registers:Hoofdwerk 8'Pr.16'.4'O.3'.M.TrPedal 16'Ba.8'Tr.4'CThe present state of the organ (2019):I Hoofdwerk C–c3Praestant 8′ FrQuintadeen 16′ H/EHolpijp 8′ SOctaaf 4′ SSpeelfluit 4′ SQuint 3′ V/SOctaaf 2′ SMixtuer IV–V 1′ S/HTrompet 8′ SVox humana 8′ H---II Rugpositief C–c3Praestant 4′ FrFluit douce 8′ V/S/HSpitsfluit 4′ V/S/HOctaaf 2′ vO/ESesquialter II–III 2⁄3 EScherp III–IV 1⁄2 EDulciaan 8′ H/E---Pedaal C–d1Praestant 8′ FrBourdon 16′ SGedekt 8′ FrOctaaf 4′ SBazuin 16′ S/FrTrompet 8′ S/FrCornet 4′ S/Frsliding coupler II/I (1810), pedal coupler (1855)Tremulant3 check valves{disposition from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_at_the_Dorpskerk_at_Noordbroek }
Pavan in a by Orlando Gibbons performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman Dale Carr 2023-01-09 | Pavan in a by Orlando Gibbons, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made in 1975 by Hendrik BroekmanThere are 4 keyboard pavans extant by Gibbons; 3 of these use material from John Dowland's famous song "Flow, my tears". The borrowed material is heard in all 3 pavans in the opening bars, which use the 1st 8 notes of Dowland's song. This particular pavan however is infused throughout with ideas from the song; these passages would have been identified instantly by a 17th-century listener, who would also have recognized quickly which elements Gibbons used unaltered and which, on the other hand, he bent to his own design. A brief discussion and recording of the original song can be found at youtube.com/watch?v=CxYfRW4U2o4The opening melody is straightforward {a-g-f-e , c-b-a-g} until the 8th note, of which Gibbons omits the #. Even before this note I need to point out the relationship between the soprano notes a, c, & b. Melodic writing assumes, in general, stepwise {scalewise} movement. Leaps are in varying degrees risky, and may need some compensation. Thus, a-g-f-e is without risk, but the following upward leap to c is not: in fact, there are 2 leaps at issue here, one from e up to c and one from the residual a to the c, making the c in context an important but relatively unstable melodic note. The 'normal' compensation would be a descent to b in order to fill the gap between a & c. This expected b is however delayed until after a scalewise descent from the c down to e followed by an ascent back up to b; the delayed arrival of the b increases the listener's sense of this note's importance.Thus Gibbons has emphasized the idea of descending scalewise motion, which was already an important element of Dowland's melody. The delayed b of the top voice {Gibbons} is followed youtu.be/TzQJLAkmDeA?t=47 by a descending scale {in canon with the bass}; then an a, also followed by a descending scale {in canon with the bass}; then the note g, as before without #. Here the sequence stops, and the g moves down to e and thence to c#. The resulting melodic line is thus a--c--b-a-g--e--c#. I should mention that the line c-b-a-g♮ is also prominent in Dowland's song, in particular as part of a harmonic surprise at the beginning of the second strain; here at the beginning of Dowland's 1st strain the alteration will have been even more of a surprise.Before leaving the 1st strain I want to call attention to a passage youtu.be/TzQJLAkmDeA?t=59 in the bass voice in the penultimate measure: 2 notes are delayed each by a 𝄿, resulting in a texture that I have not observed elsewhere. In the 3rd strain as well several notes in the bass are similarly delayed. This luminous idea is certainly not taken from Dowland's song.The 2nd strain begins youtu.be/TzQJLAkmDeA?t=72 with one of Dowland’s main motives {g#-a-b-c-b}, in shorter notes [𝅘𝅥𝅯} but the same harmonic tempo. The longer melodic line here {g#-b-a-g-f-e} bears a strong resemblance to that of the 1st strain, and brings us to a cadence in C, the chord with which Dowland began his 2nd strain. Presently a sequence youtu.be/TzQJLAkmDeA?t=114 rising harmonically and melodically by 3rds {c-a-e-c-g-e-b in the bass, similarly in the top voice} reminds the listener strongly of the new material introduced by Dowland in his 2nd strain. Sequences usually have the function of leading toward a certain musical goal. The present sequence leads to the highest note of the pavan so far, d; in this aspect it also resembles Dowland’s song.The 3rd strain youtu.be/TzQJLAkmDeA?t=132 is remarkable for its simplicity & its subtlety. The top voice begins with a-g-f-e in 𝅗𝅥, the lowest voice running in parallel 10ths. The soprano e jumps up an 8ve to the highest note of the piece, following Dowland’s structure. There follows another descending line of 𝅗𝅥, d-c-b-a, again with the lowest voice in parallel 10ths, except that here {as in the 1st strain but more extensively} Gibbons has delayed the bass notes consistently by a 𝄿. I do not know of another piece with this invention.Before continuing the descending 𝅗𝅥, Gibbons inserts 2 notes, b & d youtu.be/TzQJLAkmDeA?t=161 , the 2 notes that directly follow the highest note {“Hap-pie, hap…”} in Dowland’s song. The final descent in 𝅗𝅥, c-b-a-g, is this time in canon with the alto and with the bass in parallel 10ths. It closely echoes the end of the 1st strain, particularly in the final long notes of the top voice, c-b-a-g-e-c#. The closing line of the bass is a-g-f-e, the same as the opening of Dowland’s melody. I suspect that Gibbons took pleasure in combining the 2 main elements of Dowland’s song in the last line of his pavan.
Flow, my Teares by John Dowland {~1563 - 1626} ; a short study Dale Carr 2022-12-27 | Flow, my Teares by John Dowland {~1563 - 1626} ; a short studyIn order to concentrate the attention of my listeners on the melody, which I discuss below, I've recorded only the soprano & the bass on my harpsichord. This recording is intended more as a music lesson than as a performance, but I hope the performance will be adequate for the purpose.Dowland's song, the international smash hit of the early 1600s, is in the form of a pavan, a slow dance in duple meter and in 3 sections. The melody uses an extremely limited range of melodic motives without ever seeming to run the risk of repetitiveness.The 1st & 3rd sections use almost exclusively 2 descending melodic 4ths, which are presented at the outset: a-g-f-e {the 1st 4 notes}, a perfect 4th, and c-b-a-g# {the next 4 notes}, a diminished 4th. These are used in free alternation and with differing melodic accents, passing tones, extensions: an astounding variety taken from a severely limited catalog of material. {Please don't be put off by the technical terms. They're just a way of describing in words what you see and hear.}The 2nd section begins with c-b-a-g -- without the #, followed by a-g#-a-f-e, these being variants of the 2 main 'subjects'. Then "new" material is introduced, which however has been foreshadowed in the 1st section {"exilde forever ..."}. This new material, which is used in close imitation by melody and bass, is based on an upward leap of a 3rd, d-f, f-a, a-c, which is later expanded to g-b-d and d-f-a, as it were piling the 3rds directly on each other. The section rises to a new melodic height, reaching the note d, before subsiding again, using the 4th c-b-a-g# to conclude.The 3rd section begins with this same 4th, but 1st in retrograde, then twice in the normal form. After a dramatic pause a new high note, e, is presented. The words here, "Happie, happie" also use new material involving 2 new 4ths, e-b & d-a. These 4ths are not filled in melodically like the others, but are disjunct. The conclusion of this section reverts to the 4th c-b-a-g# {twice}.
