SFEMS PRESENTS Ciaramella 1517—German MUSIC BEFORE AND AFTER THE REFORMATION Songs of love, lust, and devotion NOVEMBER 17–19 2017 PALO ALTO | BERKELEY | SAN FRANCISCO 2 SFEMS PRESENTS 2 Ciaramella Adam and Rotem Gilbert, Directors Adam Gilbert, shawm, recorder, bagpipe; Rotem Gilbert, shawm, recorder, bagpipe; Malachai Komanoff Bandy, shawm, viol, hurdy-gurdy, bagpipe; Adam Bregman, sackbut, recorder, cornamuse; Aki Nishiguchi, shawm, recorder, cornamuse; Jason Yoshida, vihuela, guitar, percussion 1517: German Music Before and after the Reformation Bransles double Michael Praetorius (1571–1621) Gavottes Praetorius Maria salve virginum Conradus Rupsch der Singer (ca. 1475–1530) Hymnizemus regi altissimo Rupsch? Nun bitt wir den haÿligen gaÿst Rupsch Annavasanna Conrad Paumann (ca. 1410–1473) Mater sancta dulcis Anna Anon. German, ca. 1500 Mit ganczem willen Paumann Mein traut geselle Anonymous Zart lieb Anonymous Es taget vor dem Walde Ludwig Senfl (1486–1542) In Gottes Namen fahren wir Paul Hofhaimer (1459–1537) In Gottes Namen fahren wir Isaac In Gottes Namen fahren wir Finck Ach, was will doch mein hertz Anon. Köln (ca. 1530) Ach, was will doch mein hertz Heinrich Isaac (ca. 1450–1517) Nigra sum sed formosa Heinrich Finck (1445–1527) Ach lieve Herr Gilbert, over 15th-c. Melody Ach reine zart Anonymous In feurs hitz Anonymous Le Petit Rouen Adam K. Gilbert, over 15th-c. Tenor INTERMISSION 16 SFEMS Dance Suite from Danserye Tielman Susato (ca. 1510–after 1570) Ronde IV Ronde VI/ Salterelle Ronde IX Preambel Hans Neusidler (ca. 1508–1563) Was wird es doch Ludwig Senfl (1486–1542) Variations over “Wil nieman singen” Melody after Ludwig Senfl Variations over “Mein junges Leben hat ein Ende” Adam K. Gilbert Variations over Praetorius’ Pavane d’Espagne Gilbert Gaillarde Susato Canarios Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710) Buffons/Volte Praetorius Friday, November 17, 2017, 8:00 p.m. | First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto Saturday, November 18, 2017, 7:30 p.m. | St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Berkeley Sunday, November 19, 2017, 4:00 p.m. | St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco CANDLELIGHT AND STARLIGHT with the Whole Noyse and special guest, percussionist Peter Maund Kick off your holiday season with our beloved candlelight con- cert! Bring the whole family for a festive, meaningful Christmas journey around the world and through the centuries, including a world premiere commissioned by SFBC. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 4:00 PM SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 4:00 PM Calvary Presbyterian Church, 855-4SF-BACH (855-473-2224) 2515 Fillmore St. (at Jackson), SF www.sfbach.org Tickets from $10, Kids are Free SFEMS 17 n 2 PROGram NOtes 2 The year 1517 ushered in the Protestant with In feuers hitz to suggest shared author- Reformation, marked the death of composer ship. Henricus Isaac, and saw the publication of Jo- hannes Reuchlin’s The Art of the Kabbalah, a The Glogauer Liederbuch was collected by work that profoundly influenced sacred and Martin von Rinkenberg, the Abbot of Żagań musical symbolism. Both before and after that in Silesia. Evidence suggests that Rinkenberg watershed year, German lands resounded with copied the manuscript himself, until he was dis- song and dance. Amidst all the tumult, Ger- abled by a stroke in 1482, close to the date of man musicians enjoyed reputations as some of the last watermark in the manuscript. Heinrich the finest composers and performers of the era. Finck’s Nigra sum sed formosa, a four-voice set- ting from the biblical Song of Songs, is one of the The Lochamer Liederbuch contains a trea- final compositions copied into the book. Finck sure trove of German melodies from the mid follows common German practice of setting the fifteenth century. This manuscript possibly re- chant to notes of equal value, with outer voices flects a Jewish musical culture, for it contains a paraphrasing the chant in florid imitation. Yiddish inscription in Hebrew letters, “For my most beloved Barbara.” The anonymous Mein Three monumental manuscripts—Munich traut geselle is one of few three-voice settings in 3154 (“Kodex Leopold”), Leipzig 1494 (“Apel Lochamer, which contains mainly monophonic Kodex”), and Berlin 40021—preserve a wealth melodies, like the popular song of disillusioned of German music from around 1500, including love, Zart lieb wie süß. works by Henricus Isaac, Heinrich Finck, and the lesser known Conrad Rupsch der Singer, The second part of the Lochamer Liederbu- whose Nun bitt wir den haÿligen gaÿst and Maria ch includes the 31 organ intabulations of Con- salve virginum suggest that he could easily have rad Paumann’s Fundamentum organisandi. Born studied with either Isaac of Finck. Adjacent to blind, Paumann was one of the most respected Maria salve virginum, unattributed Hymnize- organists of his day, and his settings of German mus regi altissimo is so close to in style that we lieder like Mit ganczem willen provide insight think it is also likely by Rupsch. In Gottes Na- into the rich tradition of contrapuntal improvi- men fahern wir, one of the favorite chorale tunes sation in fifteenth-century Germany. Paumann both before and after the Reformation, was set also composed florid versions of French chan- by Finck, Isaac, and Paul Hofhaimer, Isaac’s sons, albeit with corrupt titles. For example, colleague and friend and organist to Hapsburg the oddly named Annavasana actually sets the Emperor Maximilian I. French chanson “En avois”. Almost all of the songs in our program The anonymous Zart lieb wie süß enjoyed are Tenorlieder, in which outer voices dress the special popularity, surviving in a three-voice main melody held in the Tenor voice. Isaac’s setting in the Schedel Liederbuch and in the Ach, was will doch bears striking resemblance to melody of a sacred Polish hymn. As a student an anonymous version that sounds suspicious- and doctor, Hartmann Schedel copied many ly like the handiwork of Ludwig Senfl, Isaac’s songs into this manuscript, with scribal er- most famous pupil. Senfl’s Was wird es doch rors that reveal gaps in his musical training. sets a beautiful soaring melody to a dark text, Schedel’s collection shares a number of songs perhaps appropriate in a song about hypocrisy, in common with the Glogauer Liederbuch. The in which sweet smiles hide evil glances. His Es anonymous In feuers hitz so brennet mein Herz taget vor dem Walde begins with the sound of a survives in the Glogauer Liederbuch with the trumpet, announcing that the lovers must part sacred contrafactum Mole gravati criminum. before daylight reveals their tryst: “The day is Ach rein zart shares enough traits in common breaking in the woods, the hares will be jump- 18 SFEMS ing shortly, wake up Käterlein, you are mine.” arrangements of popular dances in his Danserye Parallels to this aubade or morning song range remain some of the greatest hits of Renaissance from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the music. Their unusual compositional style prob- Everly Brothers hit, Wake Up, Little Susie. Our ably originated in Susato’s desire to make the variations over Wil niemand singen are inspired music fit on a variety of wind consorts. We have by Senfl, for this charming little folk song sur- been unable to resist playing these dances on vives only because he set it to polyphony. bagpipes. Our pipes are based on paintings by Pieter Breughel and Albrecht Dürer. Our small Dance played an especially important role bagpipes are based on engravings from Michael in Renaissance society. The basse danse earned Praetorius’ Syntagma musicum, an illustrated its name from its low gliding step that cultivat- dictionary of musical instruments. Their cy- ed a sense of effortless ease. The manuscript of lindrical bores create a sweeter buzzing sound, Marguerite of Austria preserves many of these earning them the moniker “hummelchen” (“lit- dance melodies on black parchment with gold tle bumble bee”). staves and silver notes. Despite its popularity, the only surviving polyphonic setting of Le pe- Praetorius left a large body of sacred compo- tit rouen survives is found in a German manu- sitions for magnificent court choirs in Wolfen- script from the sixteenth century. Our version büttel and Dresden. Yet he is remembered most adds polyphonic voices in a range of fifteenth- for Terpsichore, his toe-tapping compendium century styles—fauxbourdon, florid parallel of Renaissance dances that open and close our tenths, ostinato patterns, and as a simple chord- program. His Pavane d’Espaigne inspires our al dance—a short history of fifteenth-century set of variations over this Spanish ground. We counterpoint in one song. also add variations to Mein junges Leben hat ein Ende, one of the great moral songs of the Dutch Born in Cologne, Tielman Susato earned Reform tradition. Outlining major and minor his reputation in Antwerp as a successful instru- scales, its melody echoes a text that bids farewell mentalist, music publisher, and composer. His to both joys and sorrows. —Adam Knight Gilbert 2 ABOut CiarameLLA 2 Praised for performing intricate fifteenth- Directed by Adam and Rotem Gilbert, century counterpoint “with the ease of jazz from the Early Music Program at USC Thorn- musicians improvising on a theme,” Ciara- ton School of Music in Los Angeles, the en- mella brings to life medieval and early Re- semble performs at major festivals throughout naissance music from historical events and the United States, Italy, and Germany. Perfor- manuscripts. Its members are united by the mances have included the Cleveland Museum conviction that every composition conceals a of Art, Bloomington Early Music Festival, rich story waiting to be unlocked through his- Oberlin’s Baroque Performance Institute, the torical research and speculative performance. Lute Society of America, the American Musi- Founded on a core of winds—shawm, sack- cological Society in Seattle, and on early music but, recorder, organ, and voice—Ciaramella series in Cleveland, San Francisco, San Diego, takes its name from the Italian shawm and Houston, Arizona, Early Music in Columbus, from a fifteenth-century song about a beauti- Salt Lake City, Seattle’s Early Music Guild, ful girl whose clothes are full of holes.