Rest of the documentation 1/2 The virginal, or virginals, which gave its name to an important era of English keyboard music, has been traced back at least to the middle of the 14th century in several European countries. It was the quiIled keyboard instrument n10st widely used in England from the 16th until the 18th century. In contrast to the harpsichord, which is now more frequently met with, and the spinet, its body is oblong in shape, with the strings running obliquely to the player. The keyboard is fitted on one of the long sides, either (more rarely) toward the left, so that the strings are plup,:ed near the bridge - resulting in a bright sound rich in overtones - or toward the right, so that the strings are plucked further away from the bridge, so that the sound is darker. With a standard compass of four octaves 8-foot tuning is customary, so that music sounds as written. Virginals were made first and foremost in the Netherlands, . with instruments produced by the Ruckers family of Antwerp becoming particularly famous. During the 17th century they were also made to an increasing extent in England. Rarer and more valuable were the so-caIled double virginals; such an instrument consisted of two virginals, one above the other and capable of being coupled; the upper, second instrument was generally tuned an octave higher (4-foot), and was therefore smaller in size. The origins of the word "virginal" are not known for certain. Two alternative explanations are often mentioned: the derivation may be from "virgula" (Latin), i. e. jack, which in a quilled instrument is a small piece of wood struck by the end of the key to propel the quill upwards to pluck the string - in this case the name is a reference to the instrument's mechanism. The other explanation of the term "virginal" is that this was a favourite instrument with young ladies, as it was with the "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I, although the term was in use before her birth. The dates of birth and death of the composers from Byrd to his pupil Tomkins cover the golden age of English virginal music. The use of this fashionable name does not, in fact, mean that all keyboard pieces so described were intended solely for the virginal and were invariably performed on it. Until the middle of the 17th century "virginal" was used as a generic term for all quilled keyboard instruments. Only a little earlier than that indications of registration sometimes appeared in written music, so that such pieces were evidently considered suitable for performance on an organ as alternative to the virginal. Musicians of the time of Byrd and Bull also envisaged .their music being played on harpsichords, most of which were made in Antwerp or in Italy. The works of William Byrd represent one of the highlights of English music, in more than the period around 1600. His highly developed art of variation and his delight in exploiting the instrument's capabilities are evident from several pieces in the present recording. In the Variations on "The Hunt's Up" twelve sections of equal length (each consisting of 16 bars in present-day notation) are fashioned above an ostinato bass. After a tranquil opening the music grows to a complex structure marked by ingenious dovetailing and imitation of all the parts; passages of exuberant virtuosity provide variety. Finally calmly flowing melodies lead back to a return of the opening mood.
Folies - what have you done here?!?!? I've been looking for this online for 15 years or more (I owned the LP). I'm almost crying here with happiness. Once again many thanks.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery oh me too! I was playing the grimaldi harpsichord in nürnberg few years ago: one great experience and truely unforgettable. thankyou again :-)
Rest of the documentation 2/2 At that time the technique of varying a melodic or harmonic model was a favourite means for the formal shaping of lengthy musical structures. It often formed the basis for popular dances of the day, whether separate or brought together into suites. The two pieces by Byrd entitled "Passamezzo" are in several respects revealing. A passamezzo was originally an Italian dance, which had been cultivated in other European countries from the middle of the 16th century; the origins of its name are stilluncertain - possibly it has a choreographic or musical basis (e. g. Italian "pass'e mezzo" - a pace and a half). In suites it replaced the pavan, with which it has certain characteristics in common (a slow, paced dance in duple time). This relationship is evident in Byrd's "Passamezzo Pavan". The composition of a passamezzo was based on particular harmonic models (recognizable from the ostinato bass), on one of which the twO pieces .included here were founded: the so-called · "Passamezzo Antico". The Passamezzo Galliard which follows differs by virtue of its livelier triple rhythm, and in its amalgamation of two different dances it is unique. During the 8th section an old English tune, "The Lusty Gallant", is heard above the Passamezzo. The pairing of pavan· and galliard, common at the time, is represented as well by the two pieces by John Bull. Their additional titles are at once of an artistic and historical nature: the name "Queen Eli zabeth" . is possibly a reminder of the Queen's death (1603), and may thus give a clue to the date of its composition; the word "chromatic" refers not to the whole piece but to brief sections during the course of its two sequences of variations above ostinato basses - during the second section 'of the Pa van there are chromatic rising and falling figures, in imitation; the Galliard contains only brief chromatic figures in its third section. Also notable in both pieces are syncopated and dovetailed dotted passages. The origins of the names pavan and galliard are also uncertain. "Pavan" may be a corruption of the Latin "Pavo", peacock, but it is more likely to derive from the Italian Pava (= Padua). The name "galliard", which has been in use since the late Renaissance, may refer to the gaiety of the music and dance (Italian "Gagliardo"). Composers of the virginal period wrote variations not only on abstract harmonic models but also and with particular pleasure, on popular tunes. The j~xtaposition of several sets of variations on the same melodies by different composers provides clues to their personalities, and to different variation techniques. In the variations by Giles Farnaby on the song "Why Ask You" the tune is easily recognizable in every section of the work; as in Haydn's "Emperor" Quartet written centuries and many stylistic periods later the the~e itself remains largely unaltered; it appears alternately in the treble and middle part. The bass part is a free version of the underlying harmonic pattern. John Bull's twO sets of variations on this same tune differ radically from Farnaby's piece. The eightbar melodic model consists of two passages equal in length, which are repeated with figuration. In the seven and three sections of the two sets of variations by Bull the real binding factor is an ostinato harmonic model above prominent bass notes; the theme itself is presented, but after that its melodic features are scarcely ever perceptible. Instead the various sections are marked by characteristic ideas - for example (in the first piece) play with scales in thirds (No.3) or syncopation (No.4), and in the second piece the introduction of typical keyboard fi gures such as series of leaps in thirds and sixths (No.2). The sequence of these three sets of variations, however, brings out very clearly how a common bass figure can be worked out in different ways; in Farnaby's piece it is usually disguised and only hinted at, in Bull's first series of variations it turns up with a more pronounced rhythm and melody, and in his second series it has turned into a vital element, such as one often comes across in dance music. Arnold Werner-Jensen, translator: John Coombs
In Passamezzo Galliard, I cannot find the variation he plays between 4 and 5 in my sheet (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book -John Alexander Fuller-Maitland (1856-1936) ), wondering what version he was using, maybe not the version from FVB.
I am sorry to say but I had a dilemma. Colin Tilney played it correctly but the vinyl was so much wrecked at this point that I could leave it in and everybody got disturbed and taken out of the music, or I could cut 4 or 8 bars to keep the music in the flow. It once happened before with the J. Sebestyén recording (Old Hungarian Dances) where I mentioned it at the track. Here I did not do so and now I regret it because I would not think that anybody would take the effort to read the sheet music along with the acoustic music. It is good that you mention it, so it makes sense to make a remark by the track in the future when vinyl is beyond repairmen and I have to cut a small piece, to explain that a small fraction is missing. So artists like you are no longer puzzeled. So sorry.
ok, nice explanation, however, in this case, he is playing something besides the score(from Fitzwilliam), and doesn't seem to be wrong! maybe another version of this same piece from other source but Fitzwilliam, I think!
It is a nice offer, however I had lots of work to cut the scratches and damaged parts in the vinyl to make it acceptable once more. I think I succeeded in doing so except for the 4 bars which you cannot hear because it is hard to detect they are missing. So thanks for the generous offer but I rather stick to it as a finished project.
I believe he is playing from My Ladye Neville's Virginal Booke. Also there is a Musica Brittanica series that has published all the alternatives. Sorry about reading this 6 years later! Cheers
Rest of the documentation 1/2
The virginal, or virginals, which gave its name to
an important era of English keyboard music, has
been traced back at least to the middle of the 14th
century in several European countries. It was the
quiIled keyboard instrument n10st widely used in
England from the 16th until the 18th century. In
contrast to the harpsichord, which is now more
frequently met with, and the spinet, its body is
oblong in shape, with the strings running obliquely
to the player. The keyboard is fitted on one of the
long sides, either (more rarely) toward the left, so
that the strings are plup,:ed near the bridge - resulting
in a bright sound rich in overtones - or
toward the right, so that the strings are plucked
further away from the bridge, so that the sound is
darker. With a standard compass of four octaves
8-foot tuning is customary, so that music sounds as
written.
Virginals were made first and foremost in the
Netherlands, . with instruments produced by the
Ruckers family of Antwerp becoming particularly
famous. During the 17th century they were also
made to an increasing extent in England. Rarer and
more valuable were the so-caIled double virginals;
such an instrument consisted of two virginals, one
above the other and capable of being coupled; the
upper, second instrument was generally tuned an
octave higher (4-foot), and was therefore smaller in
size. The origins of the word "virginal" are not
known for certain. Two alternative explanations
are often mentioned: the derivation may be from
"virgula" (Latin), i. e. jack, which in a quilled instrument
is a small piece of wood struck by the end of
the key to propel the quill upwards to pluck the
string - in this case the name is a reference to the
instrument's mechanism. The other explanation of
the term "virginal" is that this was a favourite instrument
with young ladies, as it was with the
"Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I, although the term was
in use before her birth.
The dates of birth and death of the composers from
Byrd to his pupil Tomkins cover the golden age of
English virginal music. The use of this fashionable
name does not, in fact, mean that all keyboard
pieces so described were intended solely for the virginal
and were invariably performed on it. Until the
middle of the 17th century "virginal" was used as a
generic term for all quilled keyboard instruments.
Only a little earlier than that indications of registration
sometimes appeared in written music, so that
such pieces were evidently considered suitable for
performance on an organ as alternative to the virginal.
Musicians of the time of Byrd and Bull also
envisaged .their music being played on harpsichords,
most of which were made in Antwerp or in Italy.
The works of William Byrd represent one of the
highlights of English music, in more than the period
around 1600. His highly developed art of variation
and his delight in exploiting the instrument's capabilities
are evident from several pieces in the present
recording. In the Variations on "The Hunt's Up"
twelve sections of equal length (each consisting of 16
bars in present-day notation) are fashioned above an
ostinato bass. After a tranquil opening the music
grows to a complex structure marked by ingenious
dovetailing and imitation of all the parts; passages
of exuberant virtuosity provide variety. Finally
calmly flowing melodies lead back to a return of the
opening mood.
Thank you so much for publishing this wonderful recording on TH-cam!! 🙏🎼♥️
Folies - what have you done here?!?!? I've been looking for this online for 15 years or more (I owned the LP). I'm almost crying here with happiness. Once again many thanks.
Don't cry but just enjoy the treasures that may not be forgotten for future generations
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery oh me too! I was playing the grimaldi harpsichord in nürnberg few years ago: one great experience and truely unforgettable. thankyou again :-)
this is good!
Rest of the documentation 2/2
At that time the technique of varying a melodic or
harmonic model was a favourite means for the formal
shaping of lengthy musical structures. It often
formed the basis for popular dances of the day,
whether separate or brought together into suites.
The two pieces by Byrd entitled "Passamezzo" are
in several respects revealing. A passamezzo was originally
an Italian dance, which had been cultivated
in other European countries from the middle of the
16th century; the origins of its name are stilluncertain
- possibly it has a choreographic or musical
basis (e. g. Italian "pass'e mezzo" - a pace and a
half). In suites it replaced the pavan, with which it
has certain characteristics in common (a slow, paced
dance in duple time). This relationship is evident in
Byrd's "Passamezzo Pavan".
The composition of a passamezzo was based on
particular harmonic models (recognizable from the
ostinato bass), on one of which the twO pieces .included
here were founded: the so-called · "Passamezzo
Antico". The Passamezzo Galliard which follows
differs by virtue of its livelier triple rhythm, and in
its amalgamation of two different dances it is unique.
During the 8th section an old English tune, "The
Lusty Gallant", is heard above the Passamezzo. The
pairing of pavan· and galliard, common at the time,
is represented as well by the two pieces by John Bull.
Their additional titles are at once of an artistic and
historical nature: the name "Queen Eli zabeth" . is possibly
a reminder of the Queen's death (1603), and
may thus give a clue to the date of its composition;
the word "chromatic" refers not to the whole piece
but to brief sections during the course of its two
sequences of variations above ostinato basses - during
the second section 'of the Pa van there are chromatic
rising and falling figures, in imitation; the Galliard
contains only brief chromatic figures in its third section.
Also notable in both pieces are syncopated and
dovetailed dotted passages.
The origins of the names pavan and galliard are also
uncertain. "Pavan" may be a corruption of the Latin
"Pavo", peacock, but it is more likely to derive from
the Italian Pava (= Padua). The name "galliard",
which has been in use since the late Renaissance, may
refer to the gaiety of the music and dance (Italian
"Gagliardo").
Composers of the virginal period wrote variations
not only on abstract harmonic models but also and
with particular pleasure, on popular tunes. The j~xtaposition
of several sets of variations on the same melodies
by different composers provides clues to their
personalities, and to different variation techniques.
In the variations by Giles Farnaby on the song "Why
Ask You" the tune is easily recognizable in every
section of the work; as in Haydn's "Emperor" Quartet
written centuries and many stylistic periods later the
the~e itself remains largely unaltered; it appears
alternately in the treble and middle part. The bass
part is a free version of the underlying harmonic
pattern. John Bull's twO sets of variations on this same
tune differ radically from Farnaby's piece. The eightbar
melodic model consists of two passages equal in
length, which are repeated with figuration. In the
seven and three sections of the two sets of variations
by Bull the real binding factor is an ostinato harmonic
model above prominent bass notes; the theme
itself is presented, but after that its melodic features
are scarcely ever perceptible. Instead the various
sections are marked by characteristic ideas - for
example (in the first piece) play with scales in thirds
(No.3) or syncopation (No.4), and in the second
piece the introduction of typical keyboard fi gures
such as series of leaps in thirds and sixths (No.2). The
sequence of these three sets of variations, however,
brings out very clearly how a common bass figure
can be worked out in different ways; in Farnaby's
piece it is usually disguised and only hinted at, in
Bull's first series of variations it turns up with a more
pronounced rhythm and melody, and in his second
series it has turned into a vital element, such as one
often comes across in dance music.
Arnold Werner-Jensen, translator: John Coombs
Thank you for including these helpful and informative notes.
In Passamezzo Galliard, I cannot find the variation he plays between 4 and 5 in my sheet (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book -John Alexander Fuller-Maitland (1856-1936) ), wondering what version he was using, maybe not the version from FVB.
I am sorry to say but I had a dilemma. Colin Tilney played it correctly but the vinyl was so much wrecked at this point that I could leave it in and everybody got disturbed and taken out of the music, or I could cut 4 or 8 bars to keep the music in the flow. It once happened before with the J. Sebestyén recording (Old Hungarian Dances) where I mentioned it at the track. Here I did not do so and now I regret it because I would not think that anybody would take the effort to read the sheet music along with the acoustic music.
It is good that you mention it, so it makes sense to make a remark by the track in the future when vinyl is beyond repairmen and I have to cut a small piece, to explain that a small fraction is missing. So artists like you are no longer puzzeled. So sorry.
ok, nice explanation, however, in this case, he is playing something besides the score(from Fitzwilliam), and doesn't seem to be wrong! maybe another version of this same piece from other source but Fitzwilliam, I think!
I have a rip of this vinyl too, and I haven't found a defect in those files. Do you want me to send them to you as replacement for the damaged track?
It is a nice offer, however I had lots of work to cut the scratches and damaged parts in the vinyl to make it acceptable once more. I think I succeeded in doing so except for the 4 bars which you cannot hear because it is hard to detect they are missing. So thanks for the generous offer but I rather stick to it as a finished project.
I believe he is playing from My Ladye Neville's Virginal Booke. Also there is a Musica Brittanica series that has published all the alternatives. Sorry about reading this 6 years later! Cheers