From Linn Records Recorded at Toddington Church, Gloucestershire 28th - 30th October 2002 Further details about Passacaglia’s activities may be found at www.passacaglia.com. BACKGROUND: Joseph BODIN de BOISMORTIER (1689-1755) "Surprisingly enough the sweet-sounding recorder, which was so admired in the northern parts of the Rhine and across the channel in England, was not the main type of ‘flute’ favoured by French composers, Boismortier included. Boismortier was actually a transverse flute player, and much of his music favours this type of flute over the recorder. In accordance with contemporary practice, however, music for transverse flute can be played on voice flutes (recorders in D, with the same compass as the flute) or on treble recorders transposed up a minor third. This was very much part of Boismortier’s business plan - as a general rule all of his duets, sonatas, trios and quartets can be easily adapted for performance on the recorder. In this way, too, pleasing changes of texture and instrumentation are possible - a reflection of a time when many flute and oboe players were also competent players of recorder in all its forms. Translating literally as ‘Kindnesses’, Boismortier’s opus 45 Gentilesses work well in various instrumental combinations, particularly suiting instruments with rural or ‘folky’ associations. Such instruments had been fashionable in France ever since Marie Leczinska, the Queen of France, had displayed her skills publicly on the Vielle (hurdy-gurdy). It is conceivable that Boismortier’s work would have been performed at one of the many extravagant ‘countryside’ parties, held entirely within the grounds of a private park where the rich and well-bred could let their hair down - all within the limits of good manners and taste of course! At the same time, Boismortier understood how to compose trios in the Italian style, more in keeping with the instrumental music played in the salons of the aristocracy. Since the creation of the Concert Spirituel in 1725, which allowed the public to go to concerts (until then, a privilege of only the higher echelons of society), France had witnessed an increasing number of works, from both native and foreign composers, with an obvious stylistic debt to Italy. In the ensuing quarrel between the ‘ancients’ and the ‘moderns’ Boismortier realised that success lay in trying to connect both parties. The Sonate en Trio op 12/5 in E minor demonstrates this. In spite of the French movement titles (légèrement, lentement, etc), Boismortier uses key Italianate elements, most apparent of which is the emphasis on concise and memorable upper part melodies.The Sonate en trio op 29/3, originally written for oboes, flutes or violins in D major easily transcribes for recorders into G major, and even more obviously relies on an Italian model. In these four movements, Boismortier is imitating the best work of Corelli, with distinct vituosic leanings, and bold arpeggios and counterpoint in the upper parts. The opening Grave has no shortage of suspensions and harmonic dissonances, and the following Allegro is a witty, lively exchange between melodic parts, based largely around broken chord figures. An Affettuoso takes the place of a traditional slow movement, with written-out ornamentation, and includes one of Boismortier’s sytlistic ‘fingerprints’ - the seemingly careless changing of a single motif from major to minor in the space of a single bar. The final Giga gives the upper voice long fluid melodies in the second section, with typical ‘Bodininan’ sevenths and dissonances. We find similar features in the Sonate op 29/5 in E minor for two parts without bass, composed in the same year. Boismortier consistently excelled in this genre - for him, it was a way to illustrate in music the art of refined and galant conversation so prized by the French nobility in the early eighteenth century. His writing favours fugue-like themes and intricate counterpoint within fast movements, contrasting with sustained dissonances, ornamentation and imitation in the slow movements, all of it conceived within a concise musical framework. The richness and diversity of Boismortier’s work is a gift to chamber musicians looking to explore further the French baroque. Each instrument is written for with knowledge and accuracy, leaving us with a rich legacy of works which are only just beginning to be re-discovered." - Stéphan Perreau, 2003 Translated by Virginie Guiffray TRACKS: 1. Trio Sonata in G major Preludio (Grave) 2. Allemanda (Allegro) 3. Affettuoso 4. Giga (Allegro) 5. Sonata in D major Sicilienne 6. Gayement 7. Gracieusement 8. Gayement 9. Cinquième Suite in D minor Prélude 10. Bourée en Rondeau 11. Rondeau Gracieusement 12. Allemande (Gayement) 13. Gigue 14. Trio Sonata in E minor Legerement 15. Rondeau Gracieusement 16. Allemande (Gayement) 17. Lentement 18. Gigue 19. Suite in A major La Veloutée 02:01 20. L'Indeterninée 21. La Frenetique 22. La Brunette 23. Sonata in E minor Allegro 24. Allemanda (Allegro) 25. Adagio 26. Giga 27. Diverse Pieces de Violes in C Prelude (Lentement) 28. Allemande 29. Siciliene en Rondeau 30. Gentiesse in G major Gaiment 31. Gracieusement 32. Gaiment Annabel Knight: Alto recorder in F after Denner by F Von Huene (1989), Voice Flute after Bressan by F Von Huene (1999), Soprano recorder in C after Terton by F Von Huene (c.1984). One keyed baroque flute after H Grenser by R Cameron (1996) Louise Bradbury: Alto recorder in F after Denner by Von Huene (1993), Voice Flute after Bressan by Tim Cranmore (1995), Soprano recorder in C after Terton by Von Huene (1998). Alto recorder in F after Bressan by M Grinter (2002) Robin Bigwood: French double manual harpsichord after Blanchet by Anthony Gale (1993); Chamber Organ by Alan Gotto Reiko Ichise: Viola da Gamba after G Barbey by David Rubio (1988) Eligio Quinteiro: Theorbo by Lourdes Uncilla, El Escorial (1997); Baroque guitar by Carlos González, Paris (1999) This title is a Super Audio CD (Stereo). As a Hybrid disc, it will play back on all CD players. The SACD Multichannel layer can be accessed by compatible source components. |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
