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Dale Carr | Toccata no.5, for organ, from Frescobaldi's 2nd book of toccatas {1637}, performed by Dale Carr @dalecarr6361 | Uploaded January 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Toccata no.5, for organ, from Frescobaldi's 2nd book of toccatas {1637}, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ {1702} in the Der Aa-Kerk in Groningen on 20 September, 1991

Frescobaldi's subtitle, in English: on the pedals for the organ, and without. This suggests that the use or omission of pedals is the player's choice, so I have omitted the pedal in part of the piece.

Just as Frescobaldi's harpsichord toccatas invite a flourish at the opening, so does this organ toccata. And just as some tied notes in the harpsichord works seem to allow for repeating the note - or vice versa - at the judgment of the player, so I have allowed myself a similar discretion in this piece.

The long pedal tones each dictate a limited harmonic range in each individual section; the composer exploits this limitation with the greatest possible variety. Frescobaldi seemed to enjoy setting himself a compositional challenge, as here, or elsewhere e.g. by avoiding stepwise movement, or by resolving all the dissonances incorrectly, or by repeating the 4-note bass line 100 times.

The performance used the plenum of the rugwerk.

Toccata no.5, for organ, from Frescobaldis 2nd book of toccatas {1637}, performed by Dale Carr

Pavan in g minor by Gibbons, performed by Dale Carr in 1995 on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman

Fantasia auf die manier eines Echo, by Sweelinck, performed by Dale Carr in Krewerd on 3 June, 1984

$2 organ works of Heinrich Scheidemann, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in Noordbroek 2 organ works of Heinrich Scheidemann {~1595-1663} Præambulum in F & Herr Christ, du Einig Gottessohn Performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ {1696} in Noordbroek {province of Groningen} on 7 May, 1996 Scheidemann, a pupil of Sweelinck, presided over the organ of the Catharinenkirche in Hamburg, a 4-manual instrument that had been rebuilt and enlarged by Gottfried Frietzsch in 1630-1631. His organ works are characterized by a great clarity of structure, which can easily be obscured by a too elaborate registration. In the præambulum I took the risk, using both manuals and the pedals, and changing registration in the course of the piece. RW (r.h.) 8,4P,2 (later +Scherp, later - Scherp) HW (l.h., echo) 8H,4O Ped 16Bo,8P,4O The registration of the chorale arrangement of Herr Christ, du Einig Gottessohn is more straightforward: an ornamented chorale melody played on a solo manual with accompaniment on the other manual & the pedals. RW (r.h.) 8G,4P,Ses HW (l.h.) 8P,4O Ped 16Bo,8P More of this organ can be heard @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v_mY9i_DwE & @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu45jlPN7uw$ $Pavan of 3 pts by Thomas Tomkins performed by Dale Carr on a harpsichord by Hendrik Broekman 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, 1688 with chinoiserie and soundboard painting by Sheridan Germann Tomkinss 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 Tomkinss 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 {https://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 {https://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 {https://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 {https://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 isnt heard as an interruption, but more as an extension. Toward the end {https://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 {https://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 @ https://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 Bachs Kunst der Fuge, https://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 {https://youtu.be/TQ2oVZgq_dM?t=26} and makes possible the final cadence. For a more extensive discussion of the importance of this c𝄮, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ2oVZgq_dM Of these 3 final cadences I think that Tomkins’s is the most striking. .$

Christe, Du Lamm Gottes, by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr in Noordbroek, 7 May 1996

$An die ferne Geliebte, Beethoven; performed by James Fankhauser, tenor, and Barbara Shearer, piano 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, Berkeley The 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. Its 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 {https://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 : https://youtu.be/x9GIaaQ1LNM?t=619 Quoted material can also be heard in Schumanns Frauenliebe und -leben op.42 #6 : Süsser Freund, du blickest mich verwundert an, here performed by Elly Ameling with Dalton Baldwin : https://youtu.be/jjhDcJStHAY?t=163 And also in his string quartet no.2, op. 41/2 : https://youtu.be/UDoX_yRwpGo?t=1003 My apologies for the rather too heavy piano sound : its an old recording for which I cant take full responsibility. But the wonderful performance demands to be heard.$ $Suite in F major : Courante, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661} performed by Dale Carr on 25 April, 1987 Suite in F major : Courante, by Louis Couperin {~1626-1661} ; performed by Dale Carr in the church in Middelbert {Groningen} on 25 April, 1987, on a harpsichord made by Hendrik Broekman in 1975 The Bauyn MS. contains several choices for the courante of the F-major suite; the general opinion is that the player may choose which and how many of each dance type to play, and that the allemande, courante, sarabande, & chaconne or passacaglia are generally included, though other types may well be omitted. One of the most intriguing aspects of Couperins courantes is the complex rhythmic divisions within each measure ; the accents in one voice often contradict those in another. This is not indicated by accent marks, but becomes clear when studying individual voices in relation to the harmony. The triple meter offers ample opportunity for rhythmic variation: to give a simple example, one voice may be divided into 3+3 beats, and another into 2+2+2, or 3+1+2. The harpsichord was tuned to a=~415Hz, in meantone. The plectra were crow quills. Tha allemande from this concert can be heard @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXU_KkBDz8$

Prélude non mesuré in F major by Louis Couperin performed by Dale Carr on 17 October, 1972

Flow, my Teares by John Dowland {~1563 - 1626} ; a short study

Fuga sopra il Magnificat pro Organo pleno con Pedale, BWV733, by Johann Sebastian Bach

Lyke as the dolefull dove, by Thomas Tallis, played by Dale Carr on the organ in Krewerd in 1984

Toccata no.5, for organ, from Frescobaldi's 2nd book of toccatas {1637}, performed by Dale Carr @dalecarr6361