Iconography Beryl Kenyon de Pascual Two contributions to dulcian iconography Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/em/article/XXV/3/412/612981 by guest on 01 October 2021 i The dulcian and voices in Flanders1 LEMISH painting of the Golden Age is a rela- F tively fruitful source of dulcian iconography.1 One thematic group of paintings which sometimes include a dulcian, among many other instruments, is that comprising allegorical representations of the sense of hearing or of music. Since the musical in- struments were an important symbolic feature of these paintings an attempt was made to represent them (or at least those in the foreground) accurately, perhaps to the extent of using actual instruments as models.3 The dulcian is not found in versions of such subjects by Jan Brueghel de Velours and collabora- tors, but is present in three pictures of the sense of hearing attributed to his son Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601-78) and his grandson Jan van Kessel (1626-79), possibly with collaborators.4 A partial 1 Theodoor Rombouts, The five senses (detail) (Ghent; view of a dulcian can also be seen in the painting of Museum voor Scheme Kunsten) The five senses by Theodoor Rombouts (illus.i), who took the opportunity to exhibit his technical virtuos- dans, possibly the city waits, playing a dulcian, a cor- ity in the lifelike representation of the objects por- nett, three shawms and a sackbut. A similar group trayed in the picture.5 Two other thematic groups features in at least four other paintings: a contempo- that include musical instruments as symbolic attrib- rary monogrammed painting, Archduchess IsabeUe utes are pictures of St Cecilia and of the Muses. The and Archduke Albert at the procession of the maids of painting of St Cecilia by Theodoor van Thulden, the Sablon, by Anthonis Sallaert (Turin, Galleria monogrammed and dated 1631 (illus.2),6 depicts Sabauda); an unsigned version of the latter (with cherub singers and instrumentalists, including a variations) in the Muse"e d'Art Anden, Brussels; an- dulcian player. other anonymous painting of the 1615 festivities, Perhaps the best-known example of Flemish dul- Archduchess IsabeUe knocking down the bird at the cian iconography, reproduced in the 5th edition archery ceremony of the Great Oath (Brussels, Muse'e (1954) of Grove's dictionary and in various histories d'Art Anden), attributed in the 18th century to of the bassoon, is Denis van Alsloot's 1616 picture of Sallaert; and another version of the latter in Gaas- the part of the Brussels 1615 Ommeganck procession beek Castle Museum. These procession paintings devoted to the religious orders and the clergy may be equated with the printed accounts of royal (Madrid, Prado). It contains a group of six musi- or noble festivities, sometimes illustrated with Beryl Kenyon de Pascual is an organologist resident in Spain. 412 EARLY MUSIC AUGUST 1997 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/em/article/XXV/3/412/612981 by guest on 01 October 2021 2 Theodoor van Thulden, St Cecilia (private colkction; photo: Sotheby's) engravings, that were published in many European turning. It bears quite a close resemblance to an countries in the i6th to 18th centuries. The Flemish anonymous dulcian displayed in the Museum fiir paintings were executed on commission with the Hamburgische Geschichte (Hamburg) and suggests aim of providing a decorative record of the events, in which the participants were the major factor.7 All notable persons present would have to have been in- cluded as well as each of the institutional groups forming the procession, such as the guilds, the clergy and musicians. Although the resulting canvases were large, the numerous human figures were perforce small; this was not conducive to the reproduction of fine detail, which would not, in any case, have been the artist's major concern. Nevertheless, van Als- loot's dulcian is an acceptable likeness. Like the in- strument in van Kessel's painting from the Hoog- (a) (b) (c) steder exhibition (see n.4 below) it has a widely 3 Three types of dulcian bell: (a) widely flared; (b) almost flared bell (see illus.3a) embellished with ornamental cylindrical; (c) gently flared EARLY MUSIC AUGUST I997 413 asstca Manchicourt Missa Veri Sancte Sj Motets • Chansons Eleven Concertos Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/em/article/XXV/3/412/612981 by guest on 01 October 2021 Anner Bylsma Taf'elmusik/Jcaunc'La mem Vivaldi SK 62] SK 62694 i A delightful programme of World premiere recordings of the work including RV. 151 'Alia rusti Pierre de Manchicourt (c. 1510 -1564), < Guide Rosette winners Tafelmusik with master to Philip II of Spain and teacher of Jeanne Lamon. Featuring award winner Celmens non Papa. The highlight of this disc Anner Bylsma on violoncello. is the sublime 'Missa Veni Sancte Spiritus'. Wilticlm '» Fricdcmann Bach Gisbrv Uoniuidt [Wclmusik ,»l SK 62731 Wifftehn Freitfman Bach istortc Onjans of Period performances of SK 62720 Austria SK'68262 \'ater Abralt Joseph Haydn's last A rare collection of the Gustav Leonhardt plays works of one of the Erbarme dicH Mem the music of Fischer, three string quartets by lesser known members S2K 68261 Pachelebel, Muffat, Lucy Van Dael, Jurgen One of the greatest Froberger and Kerll on of the Bach family choral works of the Kussmaul and Anner performed by Tafelmusik the organ of the seventeenth century Pramonstraten Abbey in Bylsma. with Charlotte Nediger here in a resplendent at the harpsichord Schlagel and the organ performance by La of the Augustinian keyboard. Capella Ducale, Musica monestary in Fiata and Roland Klosterneuburg. Wilson. SCHEME... BATH - BATH COMPACT DISCS BEDFORD - CLASSIC MUSIC BOGNOR REGIS - THE WOODS BRISTOL BRISTOL CLASSICAL DISC, RAYNERS CAMBRIDGE - HEFFER SOUND, MILLERS MUSIC CHELTENHAM - SOUND GOOD CHRISTCHURCH - TRAX COLCHESTER - COMPACT DISCOUNT CENTRE CROYDON - H & R CLOAKE EASTBOURNE - SEAFORD MUSIC EDINBURGH - JAMES THIN, MCALISTER MATHISION EXETER - OPUS MUSIC, SOLO MUSIC FINCHLEY - ARCADE MUSIC GLOUCESTER - AUDIOSONIC GUERNSEY - NO. 19 HAY-ON-WYE - HANCOCK AND MONKS LONDON - FARRINGDONS LEADENHALL MARKET, FARRINGDONS ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, LES ALDRICH, HARRODS, HMV 150 OXFORD ST. W1, HMV 363 OXFORD ST. W1, MDC CAMDEN TOWN, MDC ST. MARTINS LANE, MDC STRAND, MDC RATHBONE PLACE, MDC THURLOE ST., MDC CREED LANE, TOWER RECORDS PICCADILLY CIRCUS, TOWER RECORDS KENSINGTON, TOWER RECORDS WHITELEYS MILTON KEYNES - CHAPPELLS OF BOND STREET NEWCASTLE - WINDOWS NORWICH - PRELUDE RECORDS NOTTINGHAM - CLASSICAL CD OXFORD - BLACKWELLS MUSIC SHOP READING - HICKIES SALISBURY - COLLECTORS ROOM SOUTHSEA - ORPHEUS ST ALBANS - COMPACT DISCOUNT CENTRE TUNBRIDGE WELLS - CAMDEN CLASSICS, MUSIC CENTRE TRURO - CANTATA YORK - BANKS WINCHESTER - WHITWAMS the painter was acquainted with such instruments. The painter of the Brussels version of The maids of the Sablon, in contrast, merely 'borrowed' van Als- loot's group of instrumentalists, copying them with little skill or accuracy. The same applies to the paint- ing of the archery ceremony, where, for example, the dulcian is being played by remote control, i.e. with- out a crook! In the above-mentioned paintings of processions Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/em/article/XXV/3/412/612981 by guest on 01 October 2021 the wind musicians form a self-contained band. Of greater interest from the point of view of perfor- mance practice is another painting of a procession, Nicolas van der Horst's The pilgrimage of the Infanta Isabelle to Laken in 1622 (1623; illus.4). This picture records a religious procession in which instrument- alists are shown playing with, and probably doub- ling, singers of sacred music. Three instruments are involved—a cornett, a dulcian and a trumpet. One might have expected to find a sackbut—not a trum- pet—accompanying a choir, but the position of the front bow is that of a trumpet (the back bow is hid- 4 Nicolas van der Horst, The pilgrimage of the Infanta Isa- den). The possibility of ignorance on the part of the belle to Laken in 1622 (detail) (Brussels, Musle de la Ville) artist cannot be entirely excluded; van der Horst would not have been the first painter to have con- much longer than normal for a dulcian and is more fused the relative positions of bell and bow in these reminiscent of a bassoon's, but the thumb key one two instruments. The brass player, however, is not would expect on the upper part of a bassoon is actually playing but is singing from the same sheet of missing. On very close examination mere appears music as two choristers. Both the dulcian player and to be a dark line dividing the instrument lengthwise the cornettist are playing their instruments, the for- below the level of the crook, suggesting a jointed mer sharing a part with three choristers, the latter instrument Might this be a jointed dulcian or could with one. The group is completed by five more it even be the earliest attempt to depict a bassoon? singers sharing two parts. It is preceded by a group of Some organologists consider the initial features that tonsured clerics and choirboys, who are also singing, distinguished a bassoon from a dulcian to be not and is flanked by nuns with books. The use of sheets so much the sectional construction of the instru- of music supports the idea that singers and the shar- ment—examples of jointed dulcians were already to ing instrumentalist were performing the same part. be seen in late 16th-century iconography8—as the As in other procession paintings, the instrument- extension of the range down to Bl>' with the conse- alists are portrayed on a very small scale and van quent lengthening of the bell, which became a sepa- der Horst made no attempt to produce accurate rate joint, and the addition of a key for BH, among detail in the representation of the dulcian.