Extended Program Notes for a Baroque Music Recital: Cultural Context and Performance Practice Decisions For the Glory of Earth and Heaven Secular and Sacred Works by Italian and French Baroque Composers Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 2:00 pm Joyce J. Cammilleri Hall at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute Marisa De Silva, soprano Natasha Marin, harpsichord with Kiley Hazelton, soprano Chen He, violin Jason Yoshida, theorbo Marylin Winkle, violoncello Program Secular Girolamo Frescobaldi (1613-1643) Michel Lambert (1610-1696) Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690) Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Se l’aura spira Cosi mi disprezzate Vos mépris chaque jour Par mes chants tristes et touchants Le repos, l’ombre, le silence Tout l’univers obéït à l’amour “Lumi potete piangere” from Venere sopra un scoglio Kiley Hazelton, soprano Jason Yoshida, theorbo Quel sguardo sdegnosetto Zefiro torna Kiley Hazelton, soprano Marylin Winkle, violoncello Jason Yoshida, theorbo Intermission Sacred Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1711-1772) Girolamo Frescobaldi (1613-1643) Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1748) selections from Pièces de clavecin avec voix ou violon op.5 1. Regna terrae, Cantate Deo 5. Paratum cor meum Chang He, violin “Balletto-Corrente-Passacagli” from Toccata d’intavolatura Maddalena alla Croce Gloria in excelsis Deo, C.99 Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Claudio Monteverdi's output, including madrigals, sacred works and operas, is integral to our understanding of late Renaissance and early Baroque music. For this program we present two works from his madrigals. Monteverdi spent his early years in Cremona, Italy, where his art “was nurtured in a musical environment that was more conservative than experimental,” in contrast to later in his career at the Gonzaga court in Mantua (1590-1613) where he “went on to accomplish some of the most important early advances in the development of opera.” (Buelow, 2004, 57) Together with his brother Cesare, Claudio Monteverdi contributed to the creation of seconda prattica. In the 1607 publication of Claudio’s Scherzi Musicali the brothers included a Declaration that became “one of the most famous manifestos in the history of Western music.” (Atlas, 1998, 619) They proposed a change in the hierarchal relationship between words and music from the earlier principles of prima prattica where counterpoint played a dominant role (exemplified by Zarlino’s 1558 Istitutioni harmoniche) to a new compositional approach, such as madrigals of Cipriano de Rore, where “harmony does not rule but is ruled, and the words are the mistress of the harmony.” (ibid.) Monteverdi spent the last decades of his life (from 1613 until his death in 1643) in Venice where he held a prestigious appointment as Maestro de Capella of the Basilica of S. Marco. It “forced a shift in his professional commitments away from court music in favor of the church,” (Whenham, 2007, 179) but he still produced a limited amount of secular music for important social events for which he was able to choose artistic collaborators. (Stevens, 1980, 402) Quel sguardo sdegnosetto and Zefiro torna are from the collection Scherzi musicali ciel aire, madrigali et ciaccona SV. 247. It was published in 1632 and provides an example of Monteverdi’s writing for solo voice during the late Venetian period. Quel sguardo sdegnosetto (No.2) was written to the text of Bartholomeo Magni, a Venetian printer who became the most active re-issuer of Monteverdi’s earlier secular works and the editor of his later ones. (Bornstein, 2012, 6) Defined in Monteverdi’s time as “aria,” this piece is a setting of strophic text for solo voice and continuo. It consists of three stanzas connected by instrumental ritornelli, with a changing strophic vocal line over the same bass. The printed vocal line has few written out melodic elaborations and no markings for ornaments. To help with performance practice decisions for this piece and similar 17th century repertoire, singers often turn to Caccini’s Le nuove musiche (1602), which, for the first time, codified ornaments and explained appropriate context for their use. Based on Caccini’s rules, one of the examples of ornament addition in our interpretation is the use of trillo on the last cadence of the piece for the word riso (laughter) that enhances expression of the text. Zefiro torna (No.9) is a ciaccona for two voices and continuo. It is a setting of Ottavio Rinuccini’s text that was inspired by Petrarch’s sonnet of the same title which Monteverdi set for five voices in his Book VI of madrigals in 1614. While the continuo part repeats a two-measure ground bass, Monteverdi takes full advantage of the text’s imagery to employ traditional wordpainting technique. The florid and virtuosic vocal lines are complete, with all elaborations written out by the composer. They depict “mountains” with ascending leaps in one voice, while the other voice moves in the opposite direction to portray “the valleys; ” “murmuring” is set to a wavy melodic lines, appogiaturas are used for “accents,” and a canon for “hair braided with garlands.” (Carter, 2002, 424) In both pieces, the continuo part consists only of the bass line, without other voices or figures to indicate the harmonies. Many of Monteverdi’s contemporaries were openly opposed to the use of figures, (Arnold, 1965, v.1, 66) but such practice inevitably led to potential problems for performers both in the past and in the present. As Francesco Bianciardi (1607) warned, “because if the consonances that have to be played aren’t written above the basses, and if the player doesn’t know the art of counterpoint or doesn’t have great experience in playing by ear, he will easily do more harm than good to the composition.” (8) To help remedy the situation, several treatises published at the beginning of the 17th century in Italy explained the fundamental rules of thoroughbass. These authors emphasized a proper knowledge of counterpoint and experience as major factors contributing to good musicianship and also provided some important practical guidelines that help us recreate performance practice of the day. The earliest source of such guidelines is a preface of Lodovico Viadana’s Il cento concerti ecclesiastici published in 1602. Among twelve points pertaining to performance practice, the second one is about the relationship between the vocal and basso continuo lines, stating that if the accompanist “wants to make some movements with the upper hand, as to florish the cadences, or some passages at occasion, he has to play such that the singer or the singers do not get covered or confused by too much motion.“ (6) This recommendation was corroborated in 1607 by Agazzari in the treatise Del sonare sopra’l basso con tutti li stromenti. Agazzari classified keyboard instruments as fundament, which guide and support the entire sound of all voices, as opposed to ornament instruments, “those ones which by counterpoint make the sound of the harmony more agreeable.” (5) Agazzari advised that “if there are much voices one must play full and double the stops. But if there are little one must reduce and play only little consonances; playing the piece more clearly and correctly, if possible without passages or arpeggios; but adding some double basses and avoiding mostly the high parts since these are normally taken by the voices, mostly sopranos and falsettos.” (ibid., 9) Another very important point is about the use of major third in cadences. “All the cadences, either middle or final, desire a major third, but some people do not sign them. But for better security, I advise you to put the figure, especially at the cadences in the middle.” (9) Some rules about proper voice leading can be found in Bianciardi’s 1607 Breve Regola per imparar’a sonare sopra il Basso con ogni sorte d’Instrumento. When talking about direction of voices, he emphasized that, “above all, because the harmony is born from different sounds ordered in contrary motion, it is important to ensure that when the Bass rises, another part descends; and that when it descends, that another part rises.” (7) All the above mentioned as well as additional resources were used in making performance practice decisions for our concert. Text and Translations Zefiro torna Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti Return O Zephyr, and with gentle motion l’aer fa grato e’il pié discioglie a l’onde make pleasant the air and scatter the grasses in waves e, mormoranda tra le verdi fronde, and murmuring among the green branches fa danzar al bel suon su’l prato i fiori. Make the flowers in the field dance to your sweet sound. Inghirlandato il crin Fillide e Clori Crown with a garland the heads of Phylla and Chloris note temprando lor care e gioconde; with notes tempered by love and joy, e da monti e da valli ime e profound from mountains and valleys high and deep raddoppian l’armonia gli antri canori. and sonorous caves that echo in harmony. Sorge più vaga in ciel l’aurora, e’l sole, The dawn rises eagerly into the heavens and the sun sparge più luci d’or; più puro argento fragia di Teti il bel ceruleo manto. scatters rays of gold, and of the purest silver, like embroidery on the cerulean mantle of Thetis. Sol io, per selve abbandonate e sole, But I, in abandoned forests, am alone. l’ardor di due begli occhi e’l mio tormento, The ardour of two beautiful eyes is my torment; come vuol mia ventura, hor piango hor canto. As my Fate wills it, now I weep, now I sing. Quel sguardo sdegnosetto Quel sguardo sdegnosetto That haughty little glance, lucente e minaccioso, bright and menacing, quel dardo velenoso that poisonous dart vola a ferirmi il petto, is flying to strike my breast. Bellezze ond'io tutt'ardo O beauties for which I burn, e son da me diviso by which I am severed from myself: piagatemi col sguardo, wound me with your glance, Sanatemi col riso. but heal me with your laughter. Armatevi, pupille Arm yourself, o eyes, d'asprissimo rigore, with sternest rigor; versatemi su'l core pour upon my heart un nembo di faville. a cloud of sparks. Ma 'labro non sia tardo But let lips not be slow a ravvivarmi ucciso. to revive when I am slain. Feriscami quel squardo, Let the glance strike me; ma sanimi quel riso. but let the laughter heal me. Begl'occhi a l'armi, a l'armi! O fair eyes: to arms, to arms! Io vi preparo il seno. I am preparing my bosom as your target. Gioite di piagarmi Rejoice in wounding me, in fin ch'io venga meno! even until I faint! E se da vostri dardi And if I remain vanquished io resterò conquiso, by your darts, feriscano quei sguardi, let your glances strike me – ma sanami quel riso. but let your laughter heal me. Monteverdi. Quel sguardo sdegnosetto Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) Girolamo Frescobaldi’s works include a variety of vocal and instrumental compositions; however, his fame and legacy were founded on his skills as a keyboard player and his contribution to the keyboard repertoire. (Anderson, 1994, 35) Frescobaldi spent his early years in Ferrara where he absorbed musical influences of the court of Alfonso II d’Este. Praised from an early age for his musical talent, Frescobaldi had the opportunity to develop under the guidance of Luzzasco Luzzaschi, a keyboard virtuoso and composer at the service of Duke Alfonso. Through the influence of Luzzaschi, who studied with Cipriano de Rore, Frescobaldi was exposed to both the idiomatic keyboard style and the seeds of seventeenth-century seconda prattica, a style that originated in works by Rore and Luzzaschi and was further developed by Monteverdi. (Hammond, 1983, 10) Other influences included Ferrarese and visiting musicians, such as the renowned vocal group Concerto delle donne, Gesualdo de Venosa, Luca Marenzio, Claudio Merulo and John Dowland. (idib., 9) After leaving Ferrara, Frescobaldi held (with some interruptions) the position of organist at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome from 1608 until his death. Balletto-Corrente-Passacagli are from the appendix of small pieces added to the 1637 reprint of the first book of Toccate d’intavolatura di cimbalo et organo (first published in 1616 in Rome by Nicolo Borbone). While Toccatas fully demonstrate Frescobaldi’s mastery of the keyboard style with variety of textures, rhythms, embellishments, large sectional organization, and expressive figurations, Balletto-Corrente-Passacagli exhibit simpler writing and no marked or written out ornamentations. Valuable remarks on proper performance can be found in the four prefaces to Frescobaldi’s keyboard works published in 1615, 1616, 1624 and 1635. (Hill, 2005, 56) Se l’aura spira, Cosi me disprezzata and Maddalena alla croce are from Primo libro d’arie musicali per cantarse published in 1630 during several years that Frescobaldi spent in Florence (1628-1634). As Hammond (1983) noted, the content of the book “is an indication that Frescobaldi had traveled far from the musical tradition of Ferrara.” (77) The arie of the collections fall into four main categories: works in continuous recitative style, arie entirely in melodic style (either strophic or with written-out stanzas), works mixing the two styles, and settings on bass-patterns. (ibid., 265) Sonetto spirituale Maddalena alla croce may have been inspired by the 1618 Maddalena chiedendo a pie del duro legno of Andrea Falconieri. It exemplifies Frescobaldi’s treatment of recitative style, with a melodic line that follows the rhythm of the text and a special emphasis added to affective words by melodic or harmonic inflections. (ibid.) Se l’aura spira represents another category, an aria in entirely melodic style with written-out varied stanzas. Cosi me disprezzate, an Aria di passacaglia, demonstrates a different approach to the passacaglia pattern than some of Frescobaldi’s earlier publications. Here, he enhanced emotional variety of text by treating an ostinato pattern with great freedom and allowing different figurations and substitutions. The dramatic triple meter sections based on the passacaglia pattern are juxtaposed with free recitative. (ibid., 214) Text and Translations Maddalena alla croce A pié della gran croce, in cui languiva At the foot of the great cross on which lay Vicino a morte il buon Giesù spirante, Good Jesus in agony, close to death, Scapigliata così ppianger s’udiva His faithful and desolate lover, La sua fedele addolorata amante. Her hair disheveled, was heard to weep. E dell’humor, que da’begli occhi usciva India or Atlas, as long as life has existed, E dell’or della chioma ondosa, errante have never delivered pearls or gold finer Non mandò mai, da che la vita è vita than the tears that fell from her fair eyes Perle, od oro più bel l’India, ò l’Atlante. Or the gleam of her wavy and scattered locks. Come far (dicea) lassa, ò Signor mio, ‘O my Lord,’ she said, ‘how can you puoi senza me quest’ ultima partita? make this final departure without me? Come morendo tù, viver poss’io? How can I live, if you die? Che se morir pur vuoi, l’anima unita ‘If you truly wish to die, my Reeemer, my God, Ho teco (il sai, mio Redentor, mio Dio) my soul, as you know, is joined with yours; Però teco haver deggio e morte, e vita. With you I must share both death and life.’ Se l’aura spira Se l’aura spira tutta vezzosa, When the breeze blows most sweetly La fresca rosa ridente stà And the fresh rose stands smiling La siepe ombrosa di bei smeraldi The shady hedge of emerald green D’estivi caldi timor non hà Has no fear of summer’s heat A’balli, a’balli liete venite Ninfe gradite, Come, come and dance, you nymphs fior di beltà, Or che sì chiaro So light and charming, flowers of beauty; il vago fonte Now that the stream, clear and fair, Dall’alto monte al mar sen và Makes its way from the mountains to the sea. Suoi dolci versi spiega l’augello, The birds deploy their sweet songs E l’arbuscello fiorito stà And the flowering bushes are covered in bloom; Un volto bello all’ombra accanto, Let one fair face alone, close by the shade, Sol si dia vanto d’haver pietà Be proud of having shown compassion. Al canto, al canto ninfe ridenti, come, come and sing, you laughing nymphs, Scacciate i venti di crudeltà And drive away the winds of cruelty. Così mi disprezzate Così mi disprezzate? Così voi mi burlate? Tempo verrà, ch’amore farà di vostro core Quel, che fate del mio, Non più parole, addio! How can you spurn me so? How can you make fun of me like this? A time will come when love will do to your heart what you are now doing to mine. Not a word more, farewell! Datemi pur martiri, burlate i miei sospiri, negatemi mercede, oltraggiate mia fede, ch’in voi vedrete poi quel che mi fate voi. Cause me great suffering, mock my sighs, deny me mercy, outrage my faith, for then you will see in yourself what you are doing to me. Beltà sempre non regna, E s’ella pur v’insegna a dispregiar mia fè, credete pur a me, che s’oggi m’ancidete doman vi pentirete. Beauty does not always reign; If it should lead you to despise my faith, then believe this: If you should kill me today, you would repent of it tomorrow. Non nego già ch’in voi Amor ha i pregi suoi, ma sò ch’il tempo cassa beltà che fugge, e passa Se non volete amare, Io non voglio penare I do not deny that love’s prizes dwell in you, but I know that time pursues fugitive and transient beauty. If you do not wish to love, I do not wish to be hurt. Il vostro biondo crine le guance purpurine veloci più che maggio tosto saran passaggio Prezzategli pur voi ch’io riderò ben poi. your blond hair and crimson cheeks will pass and be gone more rapidly than the month of May. Treasure them greatly, For I shall laugh well later. Frescobaldi. Balletto-Corrente-Passacagli Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690) Giovanni Legrenzi was a prominent 17th century composer in Northern Italy. Born near Bergamo, he later spent a decade working there as an organist. The second half of his career took place in Venice where he eventually became Maestro di cappella at S. Marco. Legrenzi was “a major contributor to opera and sacred music,” composed “significant instrumental music” (Buelow 2004,108) and was “the most important composer of oratorio working in Venice during the latter part of the 17th century.” (Anderson, 1994, 87) Out of Legrenzi’s nineteen operas, which were extremely popular during the composer’s time, only a few survive to our day. One of these surviving operas is La divisione del mondo, which was commissioned by Marquis Guido Rangoni. It was set to the libretto by Giulio Cesare Corradi and premiered in 1675 at the Teatro San Salvador in Venice. The opera was immensely successful in part due to the use of elaborate stage machinery, dazzling visual effects, and expensive costumes. It went through more than a dozen productions before the end of the 17th century. (Nagler, 1959, 269) Lumi potete piangere is the opening scene of the third act of the opera. It is written on an ostinato bass repeating descending chromatic line, a quintessential musical representation of the lament. Text and Translation Lumi, potete piangere Lumi, potete piangere Eyes, you can cry non riderete più you don’t laugh anymore. Il cor che lieto fu The heart which used to be happy, nel duol si sente à frangere in grief feels it heartbroken. Lumi, potete piangere Eyes, you can cry. Legrenzi. Lumi, potete piangere Michel Lambert (1610-1696) Michel Lambert was an influential musician of his time, respected as a composer and sought after as a performer and singing teacher. He started working at the court of Louis XIV in 1651, and later served as a Maitre de Musique de la Chamber du Roi. While Lambert’s output includes ceremonial music, the greater part of his work consists of airs de cour (court airs). This genre started to develop in France in the late Renaissance and became a predominant type of secular composition in the courts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Airs de cour were typically performed in an intimate setting, such as in a drawing room or a small outdoor concert. By the second half of the 17th century, their form was well established as a setting of a text almost invariably consisting of love poetry for a solo voice and basso-continuo. Typically, airs consisted of two stanzas: the first simple and slow moving, to present the text as clearly as possible, while the second served as a virtuoso display, with a faster tempo, written-out diminutions and very little harmonic or melodic connection to the first section. (Caswell,1968, ix) The four airs in this program, Vos mépris chaque jour, Par mes chants tristes et touchants, Le repos, l’ombre, le silence and Tout l’univers obéït à l’amour, are from the 1689 manuscript of the collection Sixty airs for voices and continuo. Alternative versions of these airs for a different number of voices are preserved in 1689 publication by Ballard. Tout l’univers it is a setting of a poem by Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695) from the 1669 collection Les amours de Psyche. The lyrics of the other three airs are by anonymous authors. The vocal part is fully written out with several markings for ornamentation, and the accompaniment is given as a figured bass, a practice that became well established outside Italy by the middle of the 17th century. Michel Lambert did not provide a chart of ornaments, nor did he leave any theoretical writing. But we know from the composer’s contemporary accounts that his music was praised for its grace and elegance, as well as sensitivity for declamation. In his vocal works he allowed the text to unfold in a natural manner. (Sadler, 2002, 620) One of the most important writers on the airs de cours vocal style is Benigne de Bacilly (16251690), whose work is especially significant in the area of the French ornamentation. (Caswell, 1968, vii) In his 1668 treatise Remarques curieuses sur l’art be bien chanter (A commentary upon the art of proper singing), Bacilly referenced many of Lambert’s airs to demonstrate the proper realization of ornaments. While giving many examples of where adding ornaments and diminutions is appropriate, Bacilly emphasized that “The object of a good singer is always to preserve the expression of the words, and this is accomplished by permitting certain appropriate part of the melody to be sung in their simple form.” (ibid., 106) Though Bacilly favored theorbo as the accompanying instrument, he also listed the harpsichord and the viol as possible alternatives, even though they “haven’t the grace and accommodation found in the theorbo.” (ibid., 11) Several sources are available to harpsichordists to assist them with decisions about texture, position, register and arpeggiation of the chords, doubling of the melody or bass notes, rhythmic alterations and ornamentation. The primary theoretical sources closest to the airs in our program are: Guilliame-Gabliel Nivers’ L’art d’accompanger sur la basse-continue pour l’orgue et le clavecin (1689); Jean-Henry d’Anglebert’s Les Principes de l’accompangnement from Pieces de clavecin (1689) ; Denis Delair’s Traite d’accompagnement pour le theorbe, et le clavecin (1690); and Saint Lambert’s Les Principes du clavecin (1702 ) and Nouveau traite de l’accompagnement de clavecin, de l’orgue ,et des autres instruments (1707). With some exceptions, there seems to be a preference for texture with bass in the left hand, three note chords in the right hand and a contrary motion of the hands (Fuller, 1989, 122; Saint Lambert, 1707, 58). In chord progressions it is advised that “the accompaniment should always move by the smallest intervals possible-and sometimes not move at all.” (ibid.) Considering the possibilities offered by the “short-octave” that became popular at the end of the 17th century and the extensive use of the low register in solo keyboard repertoire, it’s possible to occasionally double bass notes an octave lower. Discussion of ornamentation plays an important role in all the treatises; although “the trend of the day, as corroborated by Delair and d’Anglebert, was towards a richly textured and florid basso continuo,” (Mattax in Delair, 1991,12) Delair emphasized that, “It is out of the question to allow the instrument to stand out when accompanying; rather, one should only support the voice one accompanies.” (ibid.,68) Text and Translations Vos méspris chanque jour Vos méspris chanque jour Your scorn each day me causent mille alarmes, causes me a thousand alarms, mais je chéris mon sort, yet I cherish my fate, bien qu’il soit rigoureux: though it is severe: Hélas! Si dans mes maux Alas! If in my ills je trouve tant de charmes, I find so many charms, je mourrois de plaisir I would die of pleasure si j’estois plus heureux. if I were happier. Par mes chants Par mes chants By my songs tristes et touchants, sad and touching, vous connoisse: Iris you know, Iris, la douler qui me presse: the pain that is pressing me: Mes ennuis sont cruel, My troubles are cruel, rien ne peut les bannir, nothing can banish them, et je ne chante pas and I do not sing pour charmer ma tristesse, to charm my sadness, mais plustonst pour l’entretenir. but more to maintain it. Le repos, l’ombre, le silence Le repos, l’ombre, le silence The rest, the shadow, the silence, Tout m’oblige en ces lieux Everything obliges me in these places À faire confidence to speak de mes ennuis les plus secrets. of all my most secret worries. Je me sens soulagé dy conter mon martyre, I feel relieved by recounting my agony, je ne le dis qu’à des forets; I am only telling it to the forests; mais, enfin, c’est toujours le dire. but telling it nonetheless. Tout l’univers obeït à l’Amour Tout l’univers obeït à l’Amour, All the universe obeys Love: Belle Phillis, soumettez-lui votre âme. Beautiful Phyllis, submit your soul to it, Les aitres dieux à ce dieu font la cour, the other gods court this god, et leur pouvoir est moins doux que sa flamme. and their power is lesser than his flame. Des jeunes coeurs c’est le supreme bien, For young hearts, it is the supreme good, Aimes, aimez; tout le reste n’est rien. Love, love; all the rest is nothing. Lambert. Par mes chants tristes et touchants Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1748) Louis-Nicolas Clérambault first established a reputation as an organist at the service of Madame de Maintenon, the second wife of Louis XIV. After her death, he continued to work at the school for young girls from poor nobility that she founded, The Maison Royale de SaintLouis, where he was responsible for the organ, composing music, and directing choir. It was during that tenure that he developed his vocal compositional style. Clérambault gained greatest success and popularity with his cantate francaise (French chamber cantatas) (Buelow, 2004, 185), characterized by simplicity, gentle inflexions, ornamental subtlety, and delicacy of expression. (Anderson, 1994, 171) Hymne des anges gloria in excelsis Deo, C.99 is from the first book of Motets for one, two, and three voices composed between 1712 and 1745. Its manuscript is located at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. The contrasting sections of this motet exhibit some of Clérambault’s characteristic features present in his cantatas and are also related to French tradition of representing emotions in music. Emotions, or passions as they were called during Baroque era, played very prominent role in French arts and rhetoric. In his 1649 treatise Les Passions de l’ame (The passions of the soul), René Descartes explained the nature of fundamental passions and classified them as either agitated, modest, or neutral. (Gordon-Seifert, 2011, 61) These categories also applied to the musical representation of the passions by composers. (ibid., 64) Primary passions, such as le desespoir (despair), le pouvoir (power, courage), les feux de l’amour (burning love), la douleur (sorrow or pain), la langueur (languor), la douceur (tenderness), and le contentement (happiness) dominated French 17th century vocal repertoire and were given special musical treatment. (ibid., 60) The opening and closing sections of Gloria exhibit features corresponding to the representation of le contentement, such as the major mode and regular rhythm. The slow lyrical sections in the middle are examples of la douceur characterized by the minor mode, bass line moving by seconds, and melodic contour comprised of short motives that imitate sighs. (ibid., 95) Text and Translation Glória in excélsis Deo Glória in excélsis Deo Glory to God in the highest et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis and on earth peace, goodwill to all people. Laudámus te, We praise thee, Benedicimus te, we bless thee, Adoramus te, we worship thee, Glorificamus te, we glorify thee grátias ágimus tibi propter we give thanks to thee magnam glóriam tuam, for thy great glory. Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis, Lord God, heavenly King, Deus Pater omnipotens. God the Father Almighty; Dómine Fili unigénite, Jesu Christe Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, qui tollis peccáta mundi, that takest away the sins of the world, miserére nobis; have mercy upon us, qui tollis peccáta mundi, Thou that takest away the sins of the súscipe deprecatiónem nostram. world receive our prayer. Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris, Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, miserére nobis. have mercy upon us. Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dóminus, For thou only art holy’ thou only art the Lord; tu solus Altíssimus, Jesu Christe. Thou only, Christ, with the Holy Ghost, cum Sancto Spiritu, in Glória Dei Patris. Art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen. Clérambault. Hymne des anges gloria in excelsis Deo Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1711-1772) Jean-Joseph de Mondonville moved from the south of France to Paris in his early twenties. There he established himself among leading musical figures by gaining the patronage of Madame de Pompadour and entering into the service of Louis XIV. A brilliant violinist, he held several important posts, including those at the Chapel Royal and at the Concert Spirituel, the first public concert series in Europe. He was equally successful in dramatic, instrumental, and sacred compositions, with his grands motets earning him a post of Maitre de musique de la Chapelle. Mondonville was a younger contemporary of another dominant figure of the High French Baroque, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and the works of the two composers were often compared during their lifetime. One of Mondonville’s most important contributions was the introduction of obligato (written-out) keyboard parts. (Cyr, 2015, 1) As opposed to the previously dominant practice where continuo accompaniment was improvised from the bass, Mondonville’s Pieces de Clavecin en sonates avec accompagnement de violon published in 1738 contained a fully written-out keyboard part with a violin accompaniment. In 1741, Rameau acknowledged Mondonville’s sonatas as inspiration for the publication of his own Pièces de clavecin en concerts, harpsichord pieces with violin (or flute) and a viol (or a second violin). This new genre that “ushered the keyboard sonata into France,” (Anthony, 1997, 309) became increasingly popular in Europe and England and is considered a precursor to the piano trios and quartets of the Viennese classics. (Cyr, 2015,1) Regna terrae, cantate Deo (no.1) and Paratum cor meum (no. 5) are from the Pièces de clavecin avec voix ou violon op.5 published in 1748. It is a collection of nine sacred motets for harpsichord with violin or soprano voice set to Psalm texts. It is possible that the collection was written for Anne-Jeanne Boucon whom Mondonville married that year. AnneJeanne was a student of Rameau and a talented harpsichordist and singer who could perform keyboard and vocal parts, while the optional violin part could be played by Mondonville. (Marchand, 2007, 11) In the foreword to the publication, Mondonville provided an ornament chart, performance practice instructions, and suggestions on how to best approach learning the pieces to “overcome all difficulties.” He recommended to first work on Paratum (no. 5) or Benefac Domine (no.3) and to study the parts separately starting from the vocal line. That should help the performer to “observe with attention” all the details and ornaments that the composer “took care to mark,” and also “to distinguish in turn the phrases which are in the French taste,” with more syllabic passages with short ornaments, from “those which demand the Italian taste,” with more virtuosic texture of longer passages sung over a single syllable. The title “Pieces for harpsichord with voice or violin” is explained as follows: “I felt that this arrangement would be of particular interest to people who combine talent on both harpsichord and voice, since they could perform this type of music alone. People who play the harpsichord but who have no voice could have the vocal part played on violin. In the absence of both violin and voice, the accompaniment alone will suffice.” Hence, none of the motets have any sections where violin and voice are written together as harmony. Considering the density of the texture and profusion of ornaments, the next line is of importance: “When the voice, the violin, and the harpsichord are united (which is possible between two persons), the sound of the voice and the violin should be proportioned to the strength of the harpsichord, so that each part is distanced.” In accordance with the composer’s instructions, in our performance, we strive for a balance between vocal, violin, and harpsichord parts and avoid simultaneously doubling the melody in all parts. Text and Translations Regna terrae, cantate Deo Regna terrae, cantate Deo, Your kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, Psallite Domino. Sing psalms to the Lord. Psallite Deo, qui ascendit Sing psalms to God, who has ascended Super caelum caeli ad orientem. Over the heavens in the east. Paratum cor meum Paratum cor meum Deus, My heart is prepared, O God, Cantabo, et psalmum dicam. I will sing songs, and I will always sing praise. Mondonville. 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