From the middle of the 16th century music-making at home was
a popular and widespread pursuit in the Netherlands. There were
no royal or aristocratic courts with court chapels, and in the
Protestant Churches only congregational psalm singing was allowed.
So in the privacy of the home and in public places like taverns
music was made and became a significant activity.
Part of the repertoire were songs, often so-called contrafacta
where existing music was overlaid with new texts. In the second
half of the 16th century and in the 17th century
poetry blossomed in the Netherlands. Many poems give indications
as to the melodies to which they could be sung. But these are
mostly not printed which makes it difficult to be sure which
music was intended.
Over the last couple of decades much research has been done,
and right now a database of melodies and texts is available.
Experts have compared texts and melodies on the basis of number
and length of lines and the metrical structure. As a result
a number of poems can be sung. For this disc Margot Kalse has
done some research of her own: "[F]or beautiful texts I have
tried to find fitting tunes, and for beautiful tunes fitting,
interesting texts".
This disc offers a selection from the large number of song books
which were published in the Netherlands from the middle of the
16th century to the early 18th century. Most pieces date from
the first half of the 17th century, when the Netherlands were
in the midst of their 'Golden Age'. Some of the best poets of
the time are represented, like Joost van den Vondel and Pieter
Corneliszoon Hooft.
The songs span a wide variety of subjects. Some deal with love,
often written for a specific woman, others are of a religious
or political nature. In the poems there are references to mythology
and word-games. Some of them are explained, but Margot Kalse,
who has written the liner-notes, could have been more forthcoming.
And in the interest of foreign purchasers of this disc some
explanation of the political connotations in several songs would
have been very helpful. Even some Dutch readers may not understand
what these songs are about as the knowledge of their country's
history is often limited.
The music is also various: most melodies or songs are of French
or Italian nature. And again, the notes in the booklet are rather
sparse. It is mentioned that Hooft's poem Sterflijck geslacht,
uw suchten schorst (O mortal race, do stop your sighs) [track
14] is sung to the tune Cessez, mortels de souspirez,
but the composer is not mentioned. It is Pierre Guédron,
a composer of many airs de cour in 17th century France.
In fact, this poem is an adaptation of the text Guédron
used, but that is also not mentioned.
Some melodies are of a truly international nature. The first
item, for instance, is sung to the tune Doulce mémoire,
one of the most famous chansons of the 16th century. And track
7, Helena antwoort tot Paris (Helena answers Paris) is
sung on the melody of Tant que vivray, a famous French
chanson. There are also sacred tunes. Track 2 uses the melody
of the rhymed version of the Magnificat as it was composed in
the circles of the Huguenots and included in the Genevan Psalter.
From this collection also come the melodies of tracks 6 and
8, Psalms 48 and 128 respectively. And in track 16 we hear the
original melody of what today is the Dutch national anthem,
Wilhelmus van Nassouwe.
The disc ends with two songs from the early 18th century which
are of a quite different character. They are written by Jacob
Campo Weyerman, one of the main literary representatives of
the Enlightenment in the Netherlands. He was especially known
for his satirical writings, and Sa! Laat ons dan rustig raazen
is a specimen of that genre. The text is from a magazine, and
as the liner-notes tell "Weyerman introduces an armchair that
speaks about its occupants. Here we meet a 'podagrist', one
who suffers from the gout but is nonetheless on a drinking bout,
following the advice of a drunken doctor."
Margot Kalse studied Dutch, and specialized in Renaissance literature
at Leiden University. She knows her way around this kind of
repertoire, and has no problems with the correct pronunciation
of the 17th-century texts. She gives very fine interpretations
of the songs, and most performances seem complete. I am less
happy with her pretty consistent use of a slight vibrato. But
it doesn't diminish my enthusiasm for this disc which brings
together first-rate texts and beautiful tunes. Elly van Munster
delivers good support on the lute and contributes two fine solo
pieces.
The programme notes are indeed rather sparse, but the booklet
contains all lyrics with an English translation. Since only
few composers have been mentioned I have only given the names
of the poets in the track-list (names enclosed in brackets),
except the composers of the lute pieces.
Johan van Veen
Track listing
Anon
O Lief v derven [2:17]
Jan VANDER NOOT (c1538 - c1596)
Ghelyck den dagheraet [2:00]; Van de ioncheit [4:46]
Dirk Volckertsz. COORNHERT (1522-1590)
Ter liefden van een Maghet [2:37]
Nicolaes VALLET (c1583-after 1642)
Psalm 12: Behoud, o Heer [Salvum Deus] (lute solo) [2:28]
Jan VAN HOUT (1542-1609)
Opt Ontset van Leyden [3:43]
Willem Reijersz. DE LANGE (fl c1570-1605)
Helena antwoort tot Paris [3:48]; Helena schrijft tot
Menelaus [2:42]; Thisbe claeght over de doot van Piramus
[2:12]
Gerbrand Adriaensz. BREDERO (1585-1618)
O Parl en puyck der vrouwen! [3:00]
Dirck Raphaelsz. CAMPHUYSEN (1586-1627)
Ick hoor trompetten klincken [2:01]
Adriaen VALERIUS (c1575-1625)
Myn ziele treur [3:46]
Pieter Cornelisz. HOOFT (1581-1647)
Indien men poocht mijn hart [3:28]; Sterflijck geslacht,
uw suchten schorst [3:28]; Naere nacht van benaude drie
jaeren [3:20]
Joost VAN DEN VONDEL (1587-1679)
Princelied [2:33]; Geusevesper [2:22]; Simeons
Lofzang [1:17]
Nicolaes VALLET
Prélude (lute solo) [1:13]
Jan Jansz. STARTER (1594-1626)
Doen Daphne d'overschoone Maeght [4:16]
Willem Godschalk VAN FOCKENBROCH (1640-1670)
Indien ick daght ô schoone son! [2:08]
Jacob Campo WEYERMAN (1677-1747)
Sa! Dan laat ons rustig raazen [2:08]; Een Zamenspraak
tusschen Damon en een jong juffertje [1:27]
Duo Seraphim (Margot Kalse (mezzo); Ellen van Munster (lute)) 
[64:42] 
