*_Pamela Cook wrote as documentation for this recording 1/1_* It remains a mystery to me that so little biographical information is available about Carlos Seixas. He was born in Coimbra, June 11, 1704, and died in Lisbon, August 25, 1742. He studied with his father, Francisco Vaz, who as the organist of Coimbra cathedral. Carlos inherited his father's post, but kept it only from 1718 until 1720, leaving to become organist of the Royal Chapel in Lisbon when he was only sixteen years of age. In 1721, Domenico Scarlatti was appointed director of the Royal Chapel, having been summoned to the Portuguese Court to teach Princess Maria Barbara the harpsichord. For the next eight years, the two great musicians worked together in the same chapel. Then, in 1729, when Maria Barbara married the Prince of Asturias, Scarlatti went with her to the court at Madrid. It is at this point in Seixas life that biographical information trickles away. He was twenty-five and had only thirteen more years to live. No doubt, his keyboard playing was enormously influenced by the great Scarlatti, but his compositions remained surprisingly personal. Although Carlos Seixas was one of Scarlatti's prize apprentices, he by no means followed blindly in the footsteps of the great master. Seixas' writings remained quite faithful to the folk songs and dances of Portugal and they are often an attempt toward a more developed sonata form than the AABB Scarlatti sonata. Many of the Portuguese's pieces are in three movements, including an Allegro, Adagio, and Minuet. These sonatas are usually a charming combination of simple Portuguese melodies and the beginnings of the Style Gallant. One is almost reminded by them of very early Mozart. Another sort of piece often written by Seixas is the ferocious, bloody, virtuoso sonata. These are severe, driving, and technically most exacting. (Scarlatti confessed that he could teach the brilliant Portuguese nothing more at the keyboard .) I should also include in this category the dramatic, slow sonatas, recalling the singer-guitarist form so prevalent in Portugal and in Spain. On side two of this recording, the E minor sonata, next to last, illustrates this style. Frei Jacinto was a Portuguese contemporary of Scarlatti and Seixas. His D minor Sonata on this recording and one other sonata in the same key are the only pieces yet discovered by this gifted composer. After reading through all of the Portuguese keyboard music many times, I came to the conclusion that the pieces of the Style Gallant sound best played on an early Mozart fortepiano, while the Iberian brilliant and brooding works sound best on the harpsichord. For this reason, I have included none from the former category on this recording. In all of these compositions, the keyboardist is presented with only the barest of skeletons for a score. A great deal of realization and ornamentation must be added by the player. This adds further to the characteristic spontaneity of Seixas' writings. As a matter of fact, these writings were so casually put down that one sometimes wonders about certain passages being a copyists mistake. I don't think they are. We should remember that Seixas died at the age of thirty-eight. He was mainly interested in changing the accepted forms of composition, rather than in perfecting the past. These pieces should be savoured as miniatures. They are not so much transcendent as translucid - morsels to charm and dazzle. PAMELA COOK
Of all of the videos I've watched on your channel, this is my absolute favourite! I have a serious soft spot for 1960's Musical Heritage Society records especially any thing harpsichord or Baroque.
Thank you, Harpsichord Vinyl Gallery for another spectacular upload. 😊 Every album you share with us through your channel is special and a delightful treat for all of us to enjoy. 🍰
I am glad you like it. My harpsichord mate in the village could not listen to the music for more than 5 minutes. Inferior recording technique, and Seixas was never one of his favorite composers in the first place. It would be time that Pieter-Jan Belder records the entire existing repertoire of Seixas, since he is a great fan of the instruments used by Pieter-Jan. I really like this recording and all the embellishments she incorporated in these pieces.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery That's a shame your friend didn't like this recording. But everyone has their own tastes. I enjoyed this recording as well, but I understand where some people wouldn't like this one in particular. I love the harpsichord, any instrument and interpretation is fine by me.
@@Mattostar-z2d Yep, I have somewhat the same attitude. I always hear positive and extraordinary things in any harpsichord recording. My mate in the village is rather strict, no modern harpsichord music and if possible HIP-instruments by particular players. (The Ruckers copies by Titis Crijnen as used by Pieter-Jan Belder for the complete Fitzwilliam Virginal book and the Louis Couperin recording by Laurence Cummings played on an instrument based on the Colmar Ruckers are his clear favorites). But most of the time, we have a lot of fun about players and instruments.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Oh wow! He does sound like a very purist in the sense of the harpsichord performance and construction of the instruments. He must think Neupert and other builders like that are the devil.
I found your channel by searching for Buxtehude harpsichord works. After reading your thoughts about your vinyl collection "Going to waste" I felt deeply sad, here in my homeland (Brazil) It's hard to find any good classical music Vinyls or any classical music physical records in general. My dream is to play this wonderful instrument before I return to dust, but, when Brazil became an independent nation the Harpsichord was already being replaced. The few who survived were dumped doubt to the lack of specialized personnel to mantain and repair the old instruments. Thank you very much for your work! Seixas was also not very known during his lifetime, but nowdays his work is being recognized. I hope the same applies to your noble efforts! God Bless!
We hope you will enjoy the music. It is a bit sad that there is no infrastructure left for practicing the harpsichord any longer in Brazil. Might these recordings and their stories lift your mood just a little bit and our mission is accomplished once more 🙂
Such a wonderfully brilliant composer… And it's a pity that so few truly keyboard masters perform his music. ... The best recordings being all from your channel ... 💝💝💝 Thank you so very much for your wonderful and very important work ... 🌹TY
It was once more Robert Tifft who closed the early 1970s gap between North America and Europe. I have never seen or heard this recording, but the playing of Mrs Cook has such an impact on me. It sounds so dazzling, with daring improvisations, extra notes, 'wrong Iberian notes' that reminds of gypsy or flamenco styles and on other moments reflective tenderness. I really don't understand why this has never made it to digital media. As far as I know, there are plenty of recordings of music by Seixas. On my bookshelf alone, there are 8 CDs (including one for clavichord by Brauchli). But there are still issues. Every performer plays the same very well-known sonatas. Maybe the rest is of far less quality? I don't know. Further on, the oeuvre of Seixas is limited. He died when he was 38 years old. And many pieces by Seixas were lost. Quoting the slipcase of Ketil Haugsand Virgin Veritas release : '[...] his keyboard music circulated widely in copies. The lack of any authentic autograph manuscripts by Seixas is probably due to the terrible destruction caused by the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, thirteen years after his death from rheumatic fever on 25 August 1742. Of the 700 'tocatas' (keyboard sonatas) credited to him by Diogo Barbosa Machado in his Bibliotheca Lusitana (1741-59), only about 100 survive, all in copies made after Seixas's death.'
Living in Europe, I never heard this recording before, either and was impressed, not so much by the recording technique, but the inventive way of playing these pieces.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Exactly. She plays the harpsichord with such energy and plays as if the instrument is an extension of herself and it feels very convincing. I believe it's important that harpsichordists explore the technical and expressive possibilities of the instrument even if it may raise the eyebrows of some.
@@harrymckeithen3474 It is fun to do, and I have some years of experience. That is the easy part. Most work was already done by the owner of the recording. To scan everything and clean up this recording from the early 1970s, so there are no clicks and plops to be heard in the end result. You might call it an intercontinental collaboration.
In Lisbon, Seixas met Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti, who was working in Portugal from 1719 to 1728 as appointed director of the court cathedral. In an account by José Mazza in his Diccionario biographico de Musicos portugueses e noticia das suas composições of 1780, the king's brother, Dom António, arranged for Scarlatti to give Seixas harpsichord lessons. Scarlatti, immediately recognizing Seixas' talent, replied, "You can give me lessons." Wikipedia. 💖
Seixas is a very talented and sadly ignored Portuguese harpsichordist. We c find some common points with Scarlatti, but his music is somehow more dense.
*_Pamela Cook wrote as documentation for this recording 1/1_*
It remains a mystery to me that so little biographical
information is available about Carlos Seixas. He was born
in Coimbra, June 11, 1704, and died in Lisbon, August
25, 1742. He studied with his father, Francisco Vaz, who
as the organist of Coimbra cathedral. Carlos inherited
his father's post, but kept it only from 1718 until 1720,
leaving to become organist of the Royal Chapel in Lisbon
when he was only sixteen years of age. In 1721, Domenico
Scarlatti was appointed director of the Royal Chapel,
having been summoned to the Portuguese Court to teach
Princess Maria Barbara the harpsichord. For the next eight
years, the two great musicians worked together in the same
chapel. Then, in 1729, when Maria Barbara married the
Prince of Asturias, Scarlatti went with her to the court at
Madrid. It is at this point in Seixas life that biographical
information trickles away. He was twenty-five and had
only thirteen more years to live. No doubt, his keyboard
playing was enormously influenced by the great Scarlatti,
but his compositions remained surprisingly personal.
Although Carlos Seixas was one of Scarlatti's prize
apprentices, he by no means followed blindly in the footsteps
of the great master. Seixas' writings remained quite
faithful to the folk songs and dances of Portugal and they
are often an attempt toward a more developed sonata form
than the AABB Scarlatti sonata. Many of the Portuguese's
pieces are in three movements, including an Allegro,
Adagio, and Minuet. These sonatas are usually a charming
combination of simple Portuguese melodies and the beginnings
of the Style Gallant. One is almost reminded by
them of very early Mozart.
Another sort of piece often written by Seixas is the
ferocious, bloody, virtuoso sonata. These are severe, driving,
and technically most exacting. (Scarlatti confessed that
he could teach the brilliant Portuguese nothing more at
the keyboard .) I should also include in this category the
dramatic, slow sonatas, recalling the singer-guitarist form
so prevalent in Portugal and in Spain. On side two of
this recording, the E minor sonata, next to last, illustrates
this style.
Frei Jacinto was a Portuguese contemporary of Scarlatti
and Seixas. His D minor Sonata on this recording and one
other sonata in the same key are the only pieces yet
discovered by this gifted composer.
After reading through all of the Portuguese keyboard
music many times, I came to the conclusion that the pieces
of the Style Gallant sound best played on an early Mozart
fortepiano, while the Iberian brilliant and brooding works
sound best on the harpsichord. For this reason, I have
included none from the former category on this recording.
In all of these compositions, the keyboardist is presented
with only the barest of skeletons for a score. A
great deal of realization and ornamentation must be added
by the player. This adds further to the characteristic
spontaneity of Seixas' writings. As a matter of fact, these
writings were so casually put down that one sometimes
wonders about certain passages being a copyists mistake.
I don't think they are. We should remember that Seixas
died at the age of thirty-eight. He was mainly interested
in changing the accepted forms of composition, rather
than in perfecting the past.
These pieces should be savoured as miniatures. They
are not so much transcendent as translucid - morsels to
charm and dazzle.
PAMELA COOK
Of all of the videos I've watched on your channel, this is my absolute favourite! I have a serious soft spot for 1960's Musical Heritage Society records especially any thing harpsichord or Baroque.
Thanks, I forwarded your message to Robert Tifft, who did all the work to clean up this recording and let it shine again.
My mom had this album many years ago. This composer was new to me at the time. Sadly he died so young.
Your mom must have had good taste. Seixas died of _rheumatic fever_ whatever that might be, it does sound very painful to me.
Thank you, Harpsichord Vinyl Gallery for another spectacular upload. 😊 Every album you share with us through your channel is special and a delightful treat for all of us to enjoy. 🍰
I am glad you like it. My harpsichord mate in the village could not listen to the music for more than 5 minutes. Inferior recording technique, and Seixas was never one of his favorite composers in the first place. It would be time that Pieter-Jan Belder records the entire existing repertoire of Seixas, since he is a great fan of the instruments used by Pieter-Jan. I really like this recording and all the embellishments she incorporated in these pieces.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery That's a shame your friend didn't like this recording. But everyone has their own tastes. I enjoyed this recording as well, but I understand where some people wouldn't like this one in particular. I love the harpsichord, any instrument and interpretation is fine by me.
@@Mattostar-z2d Yep, I have somewhat the same attitude. I always hear positive and extraordinary things in any harpsichord recording. My mate in the village is rather strict, no modern harpsichord music and if possible HIP-instruments by particular players. (The Ruckers copies by Titis Crijnen as used by Pieter-Jan Belder for the complete Fitzwilliam Virginal book and the Louis Couperin recording by Laurence Cummings played on an instrument based on the Colmar Ruckers are his clear favorites). But most of the time, we have a lot of fun about players and instruments.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Oh wow! He does sound like a very purist in the sense of the harpsichord performance and construction of the instruments. He must think Neupert and other builders like that are the devil.
@@Mattostar-z2d Yep, he is perfect at rejecting all Pleyels, Ammers, Neuperts etc. like most purists do.
I found your channel by searching for Buxtehude harpsichord works. After reading your thoughts about your vinyl collection "Going to waste" I felt deeply sad, here in my homeland (Brazil) It's hard to find any good classical music Vinyls or any classical music physical records in general. My dream is to play this wonderful instrument before I return to dust, but, when Brazil became an independent nation the Harpsichord was already being replaced. The few who survived were dumped doubt to the lack of specialized personnel to mantain and repair the old instruments. Thank you very much for your work! Seixas was also not very known during his lifetime, but nowdays his work is being recognized. I hope the same applies to your noble efforts! God Bless!
We hope you will enjoy the music. It is a bit sad that there is no infrastructure left for practicing the harpsichord any longer in Brazil. Might these recordings and their stories lift your mood just a little bit and our mission is accomplished once more 🙂
28:56 CRAZY!
A dazzling Pamela Cook makes you fasten your seatbelt indeed
Such a wonderfully brilliant composer… And it's a pity that so few truly keyboard masters perform his music. ... The best recordings being all from your channel ...
💝💝💝 Thank you so very much for your wonderful and very important work ... 🌹TY
It was once more Robert Tifft who closed the early 1970s gap between North America and Europe. I have never seen or heard this recording, but the playing of Mrs Cook has such an impact on me. It sounds so dazzling, with daring improvisations, extra notes, 'wrong Iberian notes' that reminds of gypsy or flamenco styles and on other moments reflective tenderness. I really don't understand why this has never made it to digital media.
As far as I know, there are plenty of recordings of music by Seixas. On my bookshelf alone, there are 8 CDs (including one for clavichord by Brauchli). But there are still issues.
Every performer plays the same very well-known sonatas. Maybe the rest is of far less quality? I don't know. Further on, the oeuvre of Seixas is limited. He died when he was 38 years old.
And many pieces by Seixas were lost. Quoting the slipcase of Ketil Haugsand Virgin Veritas release : '[...] his keyboard music circulated widely in copies. The lack of any authentic autograph manuscripts by Seixas is probably due to the terrible destruction caused by the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, thirteen years after his death from rheumatic fever on 25 August 1742. Of the 700 'tocatas' (keyboard sonatas) credited to him by Diogo Barbosa Machado in his Bibliotheca Lusitana (1741-59), only about 100 survive, all in copies made after Seixas's death.'
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Thanks a lot for the wonderful replay ... 🌹TY
Mi álbum favorito ❤❤❤
fabulous!
Immediately captivating. This needs more views and recognition.
Living in Europe, I never heard this recording before, either and was impressed, not so much by the recording technique, but the inventive way of playing these pieces.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Exactly. She plays the harpsichord with such energy and plays as if the instrument is an extension of herself and it feels very convincing. I believe it's important that harpsichordists explore the technical and expressive possibilities of the instrument even if it may raise the eyebrows of some.
Splendid! Thanks for introducing me to Carlos Seixas, Pamela Cook and this magnificent music. The upload is superb. Many, many thanks.
Hopefully you will enjoy this recording as much as I do (it was no part of my personal collection, so I only heard it two days ago).
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Then your upload is even more amazing!
@@harrymckeithen3474 It is fun to do, and I have some years of experience. That is the easy part. Most work was already done by the owner of the recording. To scan everything and clean up this recording from the early 1970s, so there are no clicks and plops to be heard in the end result. You might call it an intercontinental collaboration.
I love her playing Thank you
It seems she ignores established conventions and plays it her way. I really like that approach.
In Lisbon, Seixas met Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti, who was working in Portugal from 1719 to 1728 as appointed director of the court cathedral. In an account by José Mazza in his Diccionario biographico de Musicos portugueses e noticia das suas composições of 1780, the king's brother, Dom António, arranged for Scarlatti to give Seixas harpsichord lessons. Scarlatti, immediately recognizing Seixas' talent, replied, "You can give me lessons." Wikipedia. 💖
Thanks for the additional information.
Las Tocatas !!!!!que emisión gracias mil. 😘🌹🎶🎶🎶🇮🇷
Las sontas. 🎶🎶🎶🎶🖐️
3:52, acord music williams hollywood in film enemigo a las puertas
Seixas is a very talented and sadly ignored Portuguese harpsichordist. We c find some common points with Scarlatti, but his music is somehow more dense.
Me gusta ,oero es demásiado largo me van a interrumpir gracias.
the numer 5 , is a replic crazy organist en france, apocaliptic
🙂
Hubbard built a revival instrument?!?!?
La tecnica es fabulosa ,me gusta mucho no conocer esta musica. 🏅💌