Deux-Elles

AFFECTUOSO Virtuoso Music from the Eighteenth Century

Taro Takeuchi and English with Judy Tarling • Terence Charlston

Straube Merchi Handel Geminiani J.C. Bach Affectuoso: Virtuoso Guitar Music Merchi came from Brescia, settled in for various instruments and was turned imported from Germany. Most of the from the Eighteenth Century Paris in 1753, and worked in London in into a song several times. The setting early makers were German, it is similar to the 1760s. recorded here was published by the Abbé instruments such as the Hamburg bell- Joseph Carpentier in his third Recueil or cithrinchen and various types In eighteenth-century England there were Merchi’s virtuoso set of thirty variations de menuets, allemandes, et contredanses of cittern from Saxony and Thuringia, two types of instrument called ‘guitar’, on ‘La folia’, the traditional chord (Paris, 1771). and there seems to be no connection with quite different from each other. The sequence with an associated melody the seventeenth-century English cittern. Baroque guitar, with a long neck, shallow popularized by Corelli’s violin sonata Carpentier intended his collection for One of the most prominent German waists, a flat or slightly curved back, and op. 5, no. 12, comes from his Guide the ‘cythre, ou guitthare allemande’, but makers in London, John Frederick five courses or pairs of gut strings, was des écoliers de guitarre (Paris, 1761). stated that it could also be played on Hintz (1711-72), even claimed to have extremely popular during the Restoration This collection requires the traditional the ‘’ and the Spanish (i.e. gut- invented it – which probably meant that period, played by Charles II, James II and five-course instrument but uses staff strung) guitar. By ‘cythre’ he seems to he adapted it from the German types and many members of the aristocracy. Along notation instead of tablature, notating have meant an instrument related to the popularized it in England. with other hand-plucked instruments, the music in the treble clef to be read an other type popular in eighteenth-century it lost ground to the harpsichord in the octave lower, as with later guitar music. England. ‘’ is a confusing The English guitar quickly became very early eighteenth century, though there The other piece played on the Baroque name for it since the instrument is derived popular, particularly among upper-class was a revival of interest in the middle of guitar on this CD is a famous minuet from the cittern rather than the guitar; women. It was easy to play (most of the century, part of a contemporary craze by Francesco Geminiani, originally it usually has a small, almost circular its music was in C major), easy to tune for unusual or exotic instruments of all published as the last movement of his body, a flat back, and six courses of metal (many instruments were equipped with kinds. It was promoted largely by Italian Concerto Grosso in C minor, op. 2, no. strings; it too was normally provided metal levers rather than pegs, adjusted professional players such as Gabriele 2 (1732), and arranged with keyboard with staff-notation music in the treble with a watch key), and made the player Leoni and Giacomo Merchi, who played variations by the composer in his Pièces clef. The English guitar became suddenly look elegant and graceful. Ann Ford, in London concerts, taught amateurs, de clavecin (1743). It was very popular popular in the middle of the 1750s, and who published a treatise on it around and published tutors and music for it. in England and France: it was arranged there is considerable evidence that it was 1761, wrote that ‘the Attitude this

Page 1 Page 2 Instrument most naturally throws the However, not all English guitar music harmonic inflections from time to time. London’s German musical community; Performer in, is very graceful’, forming was ‘trifling’. Rudolf Straube, a German The first of the three pieces for solo guitar Bach would have known him from his the sinuous ‘Line of Beauty’ described lutenist and harpsichordist who had is a miniature version of the keyboard childhood in Leipzig. As the publication’s in William Hogarth’s Analysis of studied with J. S. Bach in Leipzig and fantasias of C. P. E. Bach, with sudden title indicates, the guitar takes the leading Beauty – an attitude well illustrated came to England around 1758, published melodic and harmonic contrasts; Straube role, following the example of Bach’s by Thomas Gainsborough’s famous some elaborate and difficult English even uses Bach’s symbol for sonatas for obbligato keyboard and portrait of her. Not surprisingly, those guitar pieces in his Three Sonatas for the bebung to indicate vibrato. TheTempo di violin, though there are passages where making and teaching other instruments Guittar (London, 1768), some of which Minuet starts as an innocuous dance but the two instruments engage in equal became alarmed. The Essex parson John have a continuo part for harpsichord develops into a substantial movement in dialogue or play in sixths and thirds. The Brown wrote in 1758 that the guitar, or violoncello; he presumably taught the second section, with some elaborate last movement is a lively gigue. Much a ‘trifling’ instrument ‘generally now the instrument in London. His three- passage-work. TheLargo returns us of the English guitar repertory consists taught in the most ignorant and trifling movement Sonata with continuo, no. to the singing and soulful world of of simple arrangements of popular manner’, had replaced the ‘noblest’ 1 of the 1768 collection begins with a C. P. E. Bach. tunes, and a good example is the version instruments, the and , and mellifluous Largo containing some florid of the famous minuet from Handel’s was even threatening the harpsichord. Italianate ornamentation. Then follows Much of the important English guitar Water Music published in John Preston’s Charles Burney told a story of how the an Allegro Moderato poised between repertory has a continuo part, but the Complete Instruction for the Guitar harpsichord maker Jacob Kirckman the musical world of J. S. Bach, with violin was an alternative accompaniment (London, c.1780); an anonymous minuet safeguarded his livelihood by giving contrapuntal entries at the beginning of instrument. One of the most substantial serves as a trio. Preston was an important English guitars to ‘girls in milliners’ the sections, but with passage-work for works for this scoring is J. C. Bach’s maker of English guitars, and claimed to shops, and to ballad singers, in the the guitar outlining the simple chords Sonata in C major, published as A Sonata have invented the watch-key mechanism streets’ and taught them to play it, ‘which of the galant style. The concluding set of for the Guitar with an Accompaniment – a claim also made by Hintz. soon made the ladies ashamed of their variations, based on a tuneful air, mostly for a Violin (London, c.1775). It is not frivolous and vulgar taste, and return to explores one type of decoration per known for whom it was written, though - Peter Holman the harpsichord’. variation, but throws in a few surprise Straube is a possibility as a member of Page 3 Page 4 Rediscovering the music and this era were mainly for domestic use, of this sonata reminds me of the last pieces on this CD as I wish to make a the instruments several outstanding composers wrote variation of the Goldberg Variations recording of it. Instead, I recorded his very high-quality pieces – some of them Quodlibet by J. S. Bach. We were fortunate Menuet Affectuoso on Spanish guitar. I It has been quite a while since I issued are technically quite demanding. On this to be able to record with an original 1766 found this Menuet in Joseph Carpentier’s my first solo CD FOLIAS“ ! Virtuoso CD you will hear some of the best guitar Jacob Kirckman harpsichord owned by book for Cythre (the French version guitar music from the 17th-century” music from this specific epoch. Christopher Hogwood. This harpsichord of an English guitar). The title page on the Deux-Elles label. I am extremely yields a very colourful tone and we were suggests one can also play these pieces pleased I can now release this recording On this recording I present five important able to draw the most out of it. on Spanish guitar. As the French cittern of 18th-century guitar music with the composers, all of whom were active in is normally tuned to A major (unlike same company. 18th-century Britain. Perhaps Giacomo Merchi figured largest the common English one), all pieces can in the late 18th century guitar scene as be comfortably played on the Spanish There are roughly two types of guitars Rudolf Straube may well be the most both virtuoso performer and prolific guitar because of the tuning similarity. extant in the second half of the 18th outstanding exponent for the English composer. For this recording, I chose This Menuet in A minor possesses a deep century. One is the gut-strung Spanish guitar. In his 1768 collection of works for his long Folia variations for Spanish melancholic character. guitar and the other is a metal-strung guittar, Straube carefully distinguished guitar. Unlike many earlier baroque English guitar that I shall call guittar, or his own compositions from those of guitar versions of the Folia (you can Quite a few opera arias and orchestral English guitar, in these notes. I have been others. One can immediately see that listen to some examples on my FOLIAS! works by G. F. Handel were transcribed playing both types of guitar since I was a his pieces are of a higher standard; his CD), this one has no battente rasgueado for the guittar in the 18th century. Here music college student. writing is idiomatic and very evocative. (strumming), but rather many patterns of I perform a well-known Menuet from his I have chosen three solo pieces by him. batterie (broken chord/arpeggio). Water Music and add another Menuet I spent many hours in the British Museum by an anonymous composer for the trio. researching original guitar tutors and I also include his Sonata for guittar with Francesco Geminiani published his This anonymous Menuet is found in music from the Georgian period. These harpsichord accompaniment, where the excellent English guitar book The Art many sources. For instance its title varies sources were mostly published in London two metal strung instruments blend of Playing Guitar or Cetra in 1760. as Menuet Allemand, French Minuet and and Paris. Although guitar pieces from sonorously together. The final movement However, I did not include his guittar The Stadholders Minuet. Page 5 Page 6 Among many surviving ensemble pieces beautifully decorated with tortoiseshell inimitable charming character of a young this recording to the memory of James for guittar, the Sonata for Guittar and and various kinds of timbers. I used gut Georgian lady. Tyler, a great performer and scholar of the Violin by J. C. Bach stands on its own for and wound-on silk strings, following early guitar who passed away just a few its charm and intimacy. The composition historical practice. This Spanish guitar has The Perry guittar on which I played the months after this recording was made. reveals a natural, idiomatic understanding a deep, warm sound and much clarity. I solo pieces by Straube is bigger than the I have been inspired by his playing, and of the English guitar. tuned it to A-387 as I believe guitars were Preston, with a string length of 47cm. guided by his research. still often tuned to a lower pitch in the I tuned it a third lower to A major. It In addition to my research, I examined latter part of the 18th century. Although has one of the earliest historical worm - Taro Takeuchi many original 18th-century guitars some of the era started to use gear tuning machines, and an ivory in several museums, including the single stringing, I chose double stringing fingerboard. The sound is both sonorous Victoria & Albert, the Ashmolean and except for the first course. Also I used and crystal–like. I feel very lucky to own the Horniman. Also, I have collected a octave stringing on the fourth and fifth this guittar, as Perry was an excellent good number of them over the years, courses. The low pitch and double courses craftsman. He worked for the Royal including five-course Spanish guitars by on this guitar sounded best to my ear. Court in Dublin and only a few of his Lambert, Cousineau, Mast, Marchal, and instruments survive. On both guittars I English guitars by Preston, Perry, Zumpe, The Preston instrument has the most performed with historical metal strings Hoffman and . They are all lovely typical English guitar shape and size by Malcolm Rose. instruments, each with its own special with a short string length of 43cm, and character. is tuned to C major (A-415). I used it for I would like to thank Patrick Naylor of the ensemble pieces and the Menuet by Deux-Elles, my musical colleagues Judy On this recording I played a Spanish Handel. This guittar is very pretty with and Terry, fantastic producer John Taylor, guitar by Lambert, and English guitars a tortoiseshell fingerboard and a brass guitar restorers Sasha Batov and Chris by Preston and by Perry from my watch key tuning mechanism. The sound Egerton, and Dr. Holman for the liner own collection. The Lambert guitar is may be a little modest but it captures the notes. Finally, I would like to dedicate

Page 7 Page 8 Instruments Biography that Shaped the Guitar were received with English guitar (Guittar) by Thomas critical acclaim and high praise. Taro Perry, Dublin, c.1760 (tracks 1-3) Taro Takeuchi was born in Kyoto, Japan. presently lives in London, where he has English guitar (Guittar) by John After completing his degrees in law and an excellent collection of original early Preston, London. c.1770 (tracks 5-11) music in Tokyo, he came to England to guitars as well as authentic traverse , Baroque guitar by Jean Nicolas Lambert study lute and early guitar with Nigel which he enjoys playing as a hobby. workshop, Paris, c.1765 (tracks 4, 12) North at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since leaving college, he has “...As to Taro Takeuchi, Baroque guitar been in great demand as a soloist and playing doesn’t come better than this in any ensemble player, and has toured most respect...” — Gramophone European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, USA and Japan. As “...the music takes wings and flies. There a continuo player he has worked with is real urge to clap at the end...” — Early The Parley of Instruments, The English Music News concert, The Royal Opera House, The Orchestra of Age of Enlightenment, Berliner Philharmonic, as well as Sir Simon Rattle, Rachel Podger and Nigel Kennedy. He has made numerous recordings for Deux-Elles, EMI, Hyperion, Harmonia Mundi, BBC and others. Taro Takeuchi plays all types of and early guitars, and specializes particularly in double Violin by Benoit Fleury, Paris, 1759 strung early guitars, including 5-course (tracks 5-7) Baroque guitar, English guitar (guittar) Harpsichord by Jacob Kirckman. and 6-course Spanish guitar. His solo London,1766 (tracks 9-11) recordings FOLIAS! and The Century http://www.crane.gr.jp/~tarolute/english.htm Page 9 Page 10 Deux-Elles AFFECTUOSO DXL1146 Virtuoso Guitar Music from the Eighteenth Century

Taro Takeuchi Baroque guitar and English guitars with Judy Tarling violin • Terence Charlston harpsichord

Rudolf Straube (1717 – 178?) George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759) Suite for Guittar 8 Menuet 3:16 1 Moderato (Fantasie) 3:34 Complete Instruction for the Guitar, John Preston, 2 Tempo di Minuet 6:35 London c.1770 3 Largo 4:27 Rudolf Straube Three Sonatas for the Guittar, London 1768 Sonata I for Guittar and Harpsichord Accompaniment Giacomo Merchi (1730 – after 1789) 9 Largo 4:49 4 La Folia di Spagna con Variationi 15:49 10 Allegro Moderate 3:56 Le Guide des Ecoliers de Guitarre, Paris, 1761 11 Allegretto con Varia 9:16 Johann Christian Bach (1735 – 1782) Three Sonatas for the Guittar, London 1768 Sonata for Guittar and Violin Accompaniment 5 Allegro 6:16 Francesco Geminiani (1687 – 1762) 6 Andante 4:19 12 Menuet Affectuoso 6:10 7 Gigue 2:26 Joseph Carpentier: IIIeme Recueil de Menuets, A Sonata for the Guitar with an Accompaniment for a Allemandes, et Contredanses, Paris 1771 Violin, London, c.1775

Recording Producer John Taylor Booklet Notes Peter Holman, Taro Takeuchi Design - Frank Parker, A Creative Experience Cover image by Edith Hipkins, oil on canvas, 1883. Copyright of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Recorded in Holy Trinity Church, Weston, 18th, 19th and 20th July 2010. C P 2011 Deux-Elles Limited, Reading, UK. www.deux-elles.co.uk