An unfortunate statement 18Sep09 | 0

“Much in [J.S. Bach's] music can no longer appeal to the feeling of our time. Bach did not know about the innumerable stages of passion, sorrow and love, and never thought that one could reproduce them in music.”

E. d’Albert (ed.), Preface to Das Wolhtemperierte Klavier, [Theil 1] (Stuttgart, 1907)

C.P.E. Bach & the Versuch 13Feb09 | 1

This afternoon I open the letter-box and find that sort of annoying note from the Post Office: “we’ve been there with the parcel you’ve been waiting for… but there was nobody at home”… Luckily,  in The Netherlands they use to leave them at the neighbors (and by chance we received yesterday another parcel for them!). So finally, no waits, no lines in the Post Office: “the CarlPhilipp” has arrived! [1]

I was kind of afraid with the book because (I must admit it) it was the first time I ordered a second hand one online… But it is in perfect condition: just a pair of pencil lines and looks of having lived in the shelf of a public library. And with a nice ecologic packing, as BetterWorldBooks promised: no plastic anywhere!

We are now in Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)’s Month. Last Tuesday, Satoko led the usual group-lesson together with Siebe’s presentation. And next 25th we all will play in the voorspeel…

Also, because of CarlPhilipp’s “fault”, we are in the clavichord month. So by now I am re-educating my little fingers with the first of the Probe-Stücke included in the Versuch. Much fun!

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[1] BACH, C.P.E. (1753/1762): Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, i (Berlin, 1753/R, 2/1787); ii (Berlin, 1762/R, 2/1797). English translation MITCHELL, W.J. (ed.): Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments. New York, 1949.

“Symphonie” by Schulz 31Oct08 | 0

“The allegros of the best chamber symphonies contain great and bold ideas, free handling of composition, seeming disorder in the melody and harmony, strongly marked rhythms of different kinds, powerful bass melodies and unisons, concerting middle voices, free imitations, often a theme that is handled in the manner of a fugue, sudden transitions, and digressions from one key to another [...] strong shadings of the forte and piano, and chiefly of the crescendo, which, if it is employed at the same time as a rising and increasingly expressive melody, can be of the greatest effect. Added to this comes the art of connecting all voices in and with one another so that their sounding at the same time allows only one single melody to be heard, which requires no accompaniment, but to which each voice contributes its part. Such an allegro is to the symphony what a Pindaric ode is to poetry.”

J.A.P. Schulz, “Symphonie” in Allgemeine Theorie der schönen Künste, ed. J.G. Sulzer (Leipzig, 1771-74) [1]

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[1] Quoted in CHURGIN, B.: “The Symphony as Described by J.A.P. Schulz (1774): a Commentary and Translation”, Current Musicology, 29 (1980), pp.7-16.

Flute music online 04Oct08 | 0

Maybe some years ago this discovery would have been even more interesting (at least, concerning me as flute player), but I are equally happy with it: a collection of flute music (original editions and manuscripts!) available online. Thanks to the last entry of the blog that Sara Martín (my former flute teacher some time ago) devotes to her student in the Conservatorio de Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), where she informs them about a site with two-flutes arrangements, and in which useful links I have found this reference:

The Giedde Collection (named after its founder, W.H.R.R. Giedde, amateur flutist and music collector) in the music department fo the Royal Library in Copenhagen is a fairly comprehensive collection, mostly of flute music from the second half of the 18th century.

Titelbladet til Dandse for Studenterforeningen

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Giedde published 12 English Dances for harpsichord (Copenhague, 1788).

(clik in the picture to access the full text)

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Of the 1,230 items in the collection, 665 are printed. The rest are in manuscript, including the anonymous works. Most of the composers represented are German or Italian, many belonging to the Mannheim School or the Neapolitan School. Others represent the so called “gallant style”. With the exception fo the works of A. Corelli and A. Scarlatti which appear to be the oldest specimen of the collection, the acquisitions have been fairly up to date, all more or less within the latter part of the 18th century. They relfect clearly the musical taste of the day, with a variety of composers from all over Europe.

The Danish publishers seem to have concentrated more on the great foerign masters (Haydn, Pergolesi and Sarti) which economically must have had its obvious advantages. Among the foreign prints the Hummel editions, both Berlin and Amsterdam, are by far the most frequent. There are various Hoffmeister (Vienna) prints as well. The French prints are numerous and among these Boyer is the most prevalent name.

Consult the catalogue (REX-BASE).

More information in the introduction to Inge Bittmann’s catalogue. [1]

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[1] BITTMANN, I. (1976): Catalogue of Gieddes music collection in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. [Egtved]: Edition Egtved.

Scores archive opening 22Sep08 | 0

One of the ideas that inspired me to open this site was the possibiliy of sharing the music I usually transcribe for my personal use, and offering it to other performers.

So… today I open this Archive with a Vivaldi cantata:

All’ombra di sospetto (Cantata para Canto Solo con Flauto Traverso) RV 678 (*)


If you are interested, just download it in pdf or consult the list of composers. I also recommend you to take a look in my Editorial Policy (where you will also find the abreviations that I normally use in the Critical Commentary).

New editions and revisions will be published through this blog, so don’t miss them!

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(*) following RYOM, P. (2007): Antonio Vivaldi: thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke (RV). Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel.

who said...

"[Beethoven] went in his usual (I might say, ill-bred) manner to the instrument as if half-pushed, picket up the violoncello part of Steibelt's quintet in passing, placed it (intentionally?) upon the stand upside down and with one finger drummed out a theme of the first few measures. Insulted and angered, he improvised in such a manner that Steibelt left the room before he finished, would never again meet him and, indeed, made it a condition that Beethoven should not be invited before accepting an offer."

F.W. Wegeler & F. Ries, Biographische Notizen über Ludwig van Beethoven (Koblenz, 1838)

"[...] the king [Charles II of Spain] eagerly asked me if I had heard Matheuchi sing, when he would come, and if he was impertinent or not, and as if there were no army in the world, nor Milanese state, completely forgot such matters, but this is not surprising given that all his ministers, or most of them, have had the same experience [...]"

Letter of Carlos Felipe Spinola y Colonna to the duke of Medinaceli (1698)

"I was in St Alban's Abbey and I was intrigued: they were building a new organ and I went up to - I suppose it must have been - the verger and I said, 'Is the organ baroque?' And he said, 'No, it's in perfectly good order.'"

John Tavener, The Music of Silence, A Composer's Testament (Faber ISBN 0571200885)

"The Second Harpsichordist will go only to the last rehearsal, sending the Third One to the previous, who won't read more high Clef than Soprano, trying to play without using the Thumbs, don't follow the Numbers, play always the Sixth, don't meet up with the Master, and close all the second Parts of Arias with major thirds, etc. etc. etc."

Benedetto Marcello, Il teatro alla moda (1720)