Capriccio chromatico con ligature al contrario by Frescobaldi performed by Dale Carr @dalecarr6361

Dale Carr | Capriccio chromatico con ligature al contrario by Frescobaldi performed by Dale Carr @dalecarr6361 | Uploaded March 2024 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
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 1688

Fresobaldi 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 .

Courante in d minor by Louis Couperin performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman

$Walsingham variations by William Byrd, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman, 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, 1688 There are 2 major sources for this work, the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book & My Ladye Nevells 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 {https://youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=232} & most wonderfully in variation19 {https://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 {https://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 {https://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 {https://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 {https://youtu.be/ll1Wb_IBQbk?t=273} and again in variation 22 {https://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!$

Bergamasca by Girolamo Frescobaldi, performed by Klaas Veltman in Oosthuizen {NH} on August 2, 1995

$Sonata in b minor, op.58, by Chopin {2nd movement}, performed by Charles Farmer, on 2 February, 1965 Sonata in b minor, opus 58, by Chopin {2nd movement}, performed by Charles Farmer, piano, on 2 February, 1965, in Hertz Hall, University of California, Berkeley. Charles Farmer was a friend of mine in Berkeley in the 1960s. This performance was given in the series of noon concerts in the Music Departments Hertz Hall. Another friend of mine recently sent me a 7 reel-to-reel tape of the concert, and I had it digitized, then corrected the rather too heavy bass tones. Im no sound engineer, so I can only hope that the sound of this version of the performance will be found satisfactory. Here I have uploaded the 2nd movement; the rest will follow in due course. Charles died in 2019 in Portland OR. An obituary can be found @ https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/obituaries/2020/charles-farmer.html I do not know whether he had any survivors who might have a reason to object to the publishing of this recording; anybody with objections is invited to contact me. The 1st movement is here: https://youtu.be/0g_ofLXTL2c$

Hinno Aue maris stella by Girolamo Frescobaldi performed by Dale Carr in Pilsum on 5 May, 2007

Kyrie bwv672 - Christe bwv673 - Kyrie bwv674 ; from Clavierübung, dritter Theyl by J.S. Bach

Kyrie/Christe/Kyrie from Cavazzonis Missa Dominicalis performed by Dale Carr on 28 June, 1989

Toccata di durezze, e Ligature by Girolamo Frescobaldi, from Secondo Libro di Toccate

Gigue by Johann Jakob Froberger {1616-1667}, performed by Dale Carr in Groningen on 7 October 1989

O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, from J.S. Bachs Orgelbüchlein, performed by Dale Carr in Noordwolde

A Pavyon by Master Newman, performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975