The booklet of this disc includes a painting of Charles Mouton
who looks like an aristocrat and "exudes an aura of self-assured
ease", as Anthony Bailes writes in his liner-notes. This painting
is a good expression of the position of lutenists in France
in the 17th century. The lute was one of the most respected
instruments and their players were at the top of the musical
pyramid, so to speak. Music for the lute also has strong aristocratic
traits. In the first half of the 17th century the members of
the Gaultier (or Gautier) family had set the standard. Composers
of later generations had to measure up to them.
Bailes explains why the music of this period often has a rather
restrained character. He refers to the Burwell lute tutor from
c1670 which documents lute playing in the style of the Gaultiers.
Here it is characterised as "mediocrity", which, according to
Bailes, should be interpreted as "moderation, in the sense of
avoiding extremes. Deriving from the dictates of conformism
and controlled ritual so typical of French culture under Louis
XIV, Mouton's music adheres very much to these doctrines, exhibiting
neither violent harmonic surprise nor tasteless shows of virtuosity".
This same restraint often makes it hard for modern audiences
readily to appreciate French music.
The programme of this disc juxtaposes Mouton's music to the
oeuvre of the two Gallots. Jacques de Gallot, although of the
same generation as Mouton, is quite different. He also wrote
for three voices and includes more ornamentation. Harmonically
his music is much more adventurous than Mouton's. Bailes explaines
this with the Pieces in a minor which open the disc.
This suite includes some remarkable effects which were quite
unusual at the time. There are striking contrasts between the
various movements, for instance the introverted sarabande
La Pièce de huit heures which is followed by the
sparkling canarie Les Castagnettes. Gallot's compositional
style particularly appealed to non-French players. Bailes mentions
here the famous German Bohemian-born lute player and composer
Silvius Leopold Weiss. Gallot therefore can be considered an
important link between the French and German lute schools.
Towards the end of the 17th century the position of the lute
was undermined, especially due to the growing popularity of
the guitar. This also had its effects on the writing of lute
music. Composers started to arrange operatic pieces for the
lute, especially from Lully's operas. Bailes quotes again the
Burwell lute tutor which states that "it is a disgrace for the
lute to play country tunes, songs or corants of violins" and
"to make people dance to the lute is improper". The popularity
of Lully's operas was such, though, that lute composers had
to give in to modern fashion, and this explains that the Pieces
in C by Mouton include three transcriptions of fragments
from Lully operas. The Pieces in g minor by Pierre Gallot,
Jacques' nephew, consist entirely of Lully transcriptions, except
the opening prelude.
With the confrontation of music by Charles Mouton on the one
hand and the two Gallots on the other Anthony Bailes has created
a most compelling programme. It shows the pinnacle of the lute
repertoire in the second half of the 17th century and limns
the stylistic changes that in the end would lead to the lute's
demise. It is a worthy sequel to Bailes' previous disc at the
same label, devoted to the Gaultier family ("Apollon Orateur";
RAM 0904). Bailes' interpretation is also restrained and has
something aristocratic about it. His playing is extremely transparent
which makes all the voices clearly audible. The Burwell lute
tutor states: "[On] other instruments we sing, but on the lute
we speak". That is exactly what Bailes does, and in a very eloquent
manner.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Anthony Bailes (lute)
