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The Excellency of Hand English Viola da Gamba Duos Robert Smith Paolo Pandolfo S10186 E R Christopher Simpson (c. 1605-1669) John Jenkins The Excellency of Hand 1. Divisions for Two Viols in G major, VdGS 28 [6:29] 15. Divisions on a Ground in G minor, VdGS 23 [4:02] English Viola da Gamba Duos 2. Prelude No. 2 in D minor [0:18] Simon Ives 16. Ayre for Two Bass Viols No. 2 [2:46] John Jenkins (1592-1678) 3. Divisions on a Ground in D major, VdGS 21 [4:19] Robert Smith (b. 1980) 17. Prelude in A minor [0:59] Christopher Simpson Robert Smith & Paolo Pandolfo violas da gamba 4. Prelude No. 5 in A minor [1:00] Christopher Simpson 18. Division for Two Viols in A minor, VdGS 25 [3:52] John Jenkins 5. Divisions on a Ground in A minor, VdGS 19 [5:47] John Jenkins 19. Air with Divisions in C major, VdGS 12 [5:48] 6. Divisions on a Ground in C major, VdGS 13 [4:56] 20. Ayre for Bass Viols and Basso Continuo Simon Ives (1600-1662) in D minor, VdGS 32 [3:21] 7. Ayre for Two Bass Viols No. 1 [2:50] Christopher Simpson Christopher Simpson 21. Prelude No. 3 in F major [0:35] 8. Prelude No. 4 in F major [0:16] 22. Division for Two Viols in F major, VdGS 27 [5:26] 9. Division for Two Viols in F major, VdGS 26 [3:07] John Jenkins Total playing time [73:52] About Robert Smith: 10. Air with Divisions in C major, VdGS 11 [5:55] [5:19] ‘[...] you are constantly astonished by the variety of conversations 11. Divisions on a Ground in A minor, VdGS 20 going on within each musical dance. Smith’s approach to this Christopher Simpson specialist but diverting repertoire [...] is a judicious mix 12. Prelude No. 11 in B-flat major [1:25] of the scholarly and the pragmatic.’ Financial Times John Jenkins 13. Divisions on a Ground in A major, VdGS 18 [4:07] About Paolo Pandolfo: Christopher Simpson 14. Prelude No. 7 in G minor [1:01] ‘[…] one of the most brillant and poetic of the instrument’s current exponents’ Gramophone The Excellency of Hand as a starting point. This seemingly subtle is that that impression hasn’t changed much This manuscript tells us two interesting things. difference resulted in a strikingly different in the last 300 years, when in fact, ‘[…] all The first is that besides Jenkins himself, there The term division refers to a particular type musical language. that he did untill his declining age was lively, must have been at least one other gifted viol of improvisation or composition that active, decided, and cappriccioso. The private player in Norfolk to be able to play this flourished in England in the middle of the John Jenkins (1592-1678) probably spent the musick in England was in great measure difficult music. The second, and most seventeenth century. Simply put, division earlier part of his long, happy and healthy life supplied by him; and [his compositions] were important, thing it tells us is that the music involves splitting longer notes into in London, and the later part providing musical coveted becaus his style was new, and (for performers peppered their divisions with shorter ones and larger intervals into smaller services to various wealthy households in the time), difficult, for he could hardly forbear extra ornaments – adding trills, mordents ones. In order to ‘divide’ you need a subject, England. It appears Jenkins was well liked and devisions’. and runs in abundance. We can determine or theme, and this was most often a moved rather freely amongst his various this with three of the pieces in MS. 921, pre-existing vocal melody or a repeating patrons for example the L’Estrange and Why isn’t this busier side of Jenkins’s music as which have ornament signs written in, ground-bass. Think of almost any piece of Derham families in Norfolk, and later the well known as the ‘calmer’ side? Apart from possibly by Jenkins. The amount and music and you can make a division on it. family of Roger North in Cambridgeshire. the fact that Jenkins’ music was never variety of ornament signs is unique in this Although Jenkins held a position in the King’s published, it may have something to do with repertoire and really opens a window onto The English form of division was undoubtedly distinguished Private Musick at court after where he was working. Jenkins was teaching how this music was performed. Ornament influenced by a similar, sixteenth century, the Restoration in 1660, he was absent more and writing for amateur players at remote tables exist in other sources but without Italian practice known as diminution. In often than not. Nobody appeared to be country houses (even today it’s at least a direct instruction on how to implement Italian diminution, madrigals (polyphonic troubled by these absences though – perhaps three-hour journey from the L’Estrange manor them. It’s easy to imagine that a talented vocal pieces) were often used as the basis due to Jenkins’s affable nature and skills as a to London). North tells us that ‘All his earlyest student was playing the second viol part and for improvisation, with diminutions (or musician – and he was always paid nevertheless. and most lively compositions are sunk and Jenkins ‘the teacher’ wrote in the ornament divisions) being made upon one of the lost, and none remaine but those of his signs as an example of how to do it properly – voices, or in some cases across all voices Jenkins is best known as a composer for viol latter time, when he lived in country familys, Jenkins would likely not have needed to write (bastarda). We have several tutors from (or viola da gamba) consort and successfully and could compose no otherwise then to the ornaments in his own part. In our the time (e.g. Diego Ortiz, 1553; Riccardo left his own stamp on this medium inherited the capacity of his performers […] so the performances we tried to capture the spirit Rognoni, 1594) which explain how to from predecessors such as William Byrd, John whole force of a man is measured according of these ornaments and replicate them in all improvise in this manner, and many Coprario and Alfonso Ferrabosco II. However, to a member that is lamed.’ the divisions we played. written-out diminutions were printed and this recording concerns a much less visited survive today. side of Jenkins, the virtuoso division music for Most manuscripts containing Jenkins’s division Also likely is that this music was performed bass viols. Writing in 1728 (in The Musical music date from around the 1630s and 1640s. but never written down, in other words Where Italian diminution took melodic lines Grammarian), Roger North laments on Royal College of Music manuscript MS. 921, improvised; the improvisation of divisions to as its framework for improvisation the later Jenkins’s reputation, ‘His style is thought to be which has its provenance in the L’Estrange a ground is the subject of Christopher English division tended to take bass lines, slow, heavy, moving from concord to concord household, is a second viol part for some bass Simpson’s thorough 1569 instruction manual, with their associated harmonic structures, and consequently dull.’ Even more lamentable viol divisions and is in Jenkins’s own hand. The Division Violist. Christopher Simpson (c.1604-1669), published excellency both of his hand and invention, his instruction manual, The Division Violist. to the delight and admiration of those in 1659 and a revised edition, The Division Viol, that hear him. in 1665. It was the first of its kind published in True it is, that invention is a gift of England, for any instrument. The first words nature, but much improved by practice. of his method are: He that hath it not in so high a measure as to play ex tempore to a ground, may A viol in the hands of an excellent violist may give himself satisfaction in playing (no doubt) be reckon’d amongst the best of divisions himself or others have made musical instruments. To play ex tempore for that purpose; for here the excellency [improvised] to a ground is the highest of the hand may be shewed as well as in perfection of it: And this is the subject of the other, and the musick perhaps better, our present discourse. though less to be admired, as being more studied. Amongst several dedicatory poems in the introduction is one from John Jenkins who After describing how one improvises finishes: divisions with two or three viols together Simpson mentions his own compositions Pack hence ye pedants then, such as do bragg for this setting and suggests that young Of knowledge, hand or notes: yet not one ragg [...] musicians might find it useful to study You may’st desist; you’l find your trade decay: and imitate them adding ‘if you desire Simpsons great work will teach the world to play. written copies of that sort, none has done From Simpson we learn that it was considered so much in that kind, as the ever famous more admirable to improvise your own and most excellent composer, in all sorts divisions on the spot rather than compose of modern musick, Mr. John Jenkins.’ them beforehand. Here is a simplified version of his text on how to perform division on one At the end of Simpson’s treatise are found bass viol: two pages of preludes (from which the ones on this recording are taken) and a A Ground is written out on [2 sheets of] collection of divisions for one bass viol paper: one for the organ etc.; the other Ornaments in MS.