The end of the monarchy and the establishment of the Commonwealth
under Cromwell caused a rift in English musical history. Music
in cathedrals was forbidden and the court ceased to exist. Musicians
and composers sought refuge in the homes and private chapels of
the aristocracy. Public theatrical entertainment also had come
to an end, so people sought different ways of entertaining themselves
with music. One of the ways to do so was to play music at home.
As a result there was a growing market of music which was suitable
for amateurs to play. John Playford made cleverly use of this
as he established his own printing house. It was the same Commonwealth
which gave him the opportunity to start his business as music
printer. The end of the monarchy also meant the abolition of court
monopolies on printing and publishing. One of his first collections
was The Dancing Master, printed in 1651, and containing
popular tunes and country dances.
The
collection 'The Division Violin', which was printed in 1684,
is something different. It mostly contains so-called divisions,
variations on a certain melody over a 'basso ostinato': a repeated
bass pattern. This was an international genre, but was especially
popular in 17th-century England. And it remained popular well
into the 18th century, as the collection was often reprinted,
the last time in the 1730s. This explains the inclusion of composers
who were only in their teens when the first edition was printed,
like John Eccles (b.1668) or just 20, like Daniel Purcell.
The
specific mentioning of the violin in the title of this collection
is something noteworthy. In the first half of the 17th century
the violin was played almost exclusively at court, and mostly
by musicians from the continent. It was after the Restoration
that foreign masters introduced the newest playing techniques
and compositional styles in England. It was one of the effects
of Charles II returning to the throne. He had been in France
and was strongly influenced by what he had heard there. French
and Italian musicians came to England and caused astonishment
and excitement with their virtuosic playing. One of them was
Nicola Matteis.
'The
Division Violin' contains pieces by another virtuoso, Thomas
Baltzar, who came from Germany and had also been at the court
of the Swedish Queen Christina. He came to England during the
Commonwealth and played in private circles, before entering
Charles II's Private Music in 1660. The variations on 'John,
come kiss me now' are probably the result of a kind of playing
contest with the English violinist Davis Mell. Baltzar's playing
contained double-stopping as one can hear in the last of his
divisions. Another technique which was new to England was the
scordatura, a way of "detuning the violin, replacing the
standard fifths with any possible interval", as Rachel
Harris explains in the booklet. This technique can be heard
in the last item on the programme, 'Reading's Ground', by Valentine
Reading. This was originally a chaconne with 50 variations from
a collection of 16 anonymous suites for scordatura violin which
is attributed to Reading. These pieces not only give an idea
of the growing influence of continental tastes but in addition
show that at least some amateurs must have been very skilled
players.
The
collection also contains simpler, more folk-like pieces. Examples
are 'Tollet's Ground' by John Tollet and the anonymous 'The
Duke of Norfolk, or Paul's Steeple'. The disc opens with a piece
by Edward Finch, called 'The Cuckoo'. Don't be afraid, we don't
get a whole series of cuckoo imitations here. The call of this
bird is only quoted in the first movement. It is absent in the
next two, slow and moderately fast respectively. Interesting
are the Divisions by Anthony Poole, an English musician - probably
a gambist by profession - who had been studying at the English
College in Rome and was ordained as a priest. His divisions
also show the influence of continental playing technique as
they include double-stopping. One of the last divisions is a
dialogue between violin and viola da gamba.
These
two instruments are equals in 'A Division for 2 Trebles on a
Ground' by Robert Smith. The violin plays solo without basso
continuo in the Almond by Thomas Baltzar. Chaconnes were one
of the most popular genres in the 17th century, and Daniel Purcell's
Chacone is a fine specimen, in which quiet and more virtuosic
variations alternate. Also famous was the Folia; this is the
subject of Michel Farinel's 'Division on a ground'.
A
bit of a mystery is 'A Solo by Sign.r. Corelli'. This short
piece is not known from any printed collection of Corelli. It
could have been written by someone else in the style of Corelli,
who after all was hugely popular in England. Also a mystery,
it seems, is a composer with the name of Frecknold: he is not
mentioned in the programme notes and there is also no entry
in New Grove.
This
is not the first time I have heard Rachel Harris. Elsewhere
I have reviewed her splendid recording of violin sonatas by
Johann Christian Hertel (the father of Johann Wilhelm). This
new disc fully lives up to my expectations. Ms Harris shows
her impressive technical skills in the more virtuosic pieces,
but she also deals very well with the more 'popular' items.
'Tollet's Ground', for instance, seems to imitate the playing
of folk fiddlers, and Rachel Harris gives a very good account
of it. I noticed a differentiated approach to tempo (Finch),
articulation and dynamics which make the divisions very enthralling.
And the artists have a very good sense of rhythm which is of
crucial importance in this repertoire.
The
programme has been well put together. There is a nice variety
between the more 'serious' and the more folk-like pieces. Also
nice is the various scoring of the basso continuo. In the Division
by Frecknold, for instance, the violin is supported by the viola
da gamba only. In the piece by 'Corelli' it is only the harpsichord
which accompanies the violin and in Daniel Purcell's Chacona
just the archlute. The support of the continuo group is very
sensitive and follows the violin very closely, resulting in
an ideal balance between treble and bass line.
In
short, this is an excellent, captivating and highly entertaining
recording which sheds light on an interesting chapter of English
music-making in the late 17th century. The title says 'The Division
Violin - Part 1'. Can we expect a disc devoted to Part 2? I
very much hope so.
Johan
van Veen
