October 23, Wednesday, 9.30 pm
Igreja do Convento de Santa Clara do Funchal
André Ferreira, organ
Maria Bayley, harp and singing
It was during the second half of the sixteenth century that the Iberian Peninsula saw the harp gradually joiningd the organ – king of instruments – in the role of accompanist for both liturgical and secular music. The double-row harp, of which several original examples can still be found and which was used in Spain and Portugal, maintained its importance until the beginning of the eighteenth century. The harp and the organ were, therefore, used both interchangeably and together in the most varied musical contexts. This program presents a path through music explicitly intended “for keyboard and harp”.
The first known work with this characteristic is Alonso Mudarra’s Tento pera tecla u harpa, included in his books dedicated especially to music for vihuela (1546).
Luis Venegas de Henestrosa, a pioneer in the Spanish tablature press, includes in the title of his Libro de cifra nueva (1557) that it is written for keyboard, harp and vihuela, including descriptions of the application of this new notation to each of the instruments. A large part of the music we find in these volumes reflects the practice of intabulation: the adaptation of a vocal work – the ideal to be achieved at the time – for an instrument. We include, by this author, an ornamented chanson for two instruments on the original Belle sans paire by Thomas Crecquillon, as well as Francisco Fernández Palero’s version of Paseábase el rey moro, preceded by the possible original homonymous work by Luys de Narváez (c.1500- c.1550).
The same orientation is followed in Obras de música para tecla arpa y vihuela (1578) by Hernando de Cabezón, a compilation of pieces by him and his father, the famous organist Antonio de Cabezón, also printed in cifra. In this case, in addition to the original vocal and intabulation of Doulce mémoire, we included a purely instrumental piece: diferencias (variations) on the pavana italiana.
In Portugal, Manuel Rodrigues Coelho was the greatest representative of the continuation of this tradition, with his volume Flores de musica pera o instrumento de tecla, & harpa. From this Portuguese composer, we present one of his tentos, as well as the original by Orlande de Lassus, Susanne un jour, followed by its intabulated version by the organist, the first Susana grozada at 4. sobre a de 5.
Not to be forgotten is the central role that both the organ and the harp played as accompanying instruments – this being, in fact, their main role at the time, far above solo music. To illustrate this practice we chose two vocal works with basso continuo by Juan Hidalgo, composer and harpist at the Spanish Royal Chapel, who also played a keyboard instrument called the claviarpa, of which little is known.
Finally, a work from the collection of Diego Fernández de Huete (1702) – a volume para arpa de una orden, de dos ordenes, y de organo, using the same cipher started by Henestrosa – could not be missed. This book has the particularity of being written by a harpist, being more focused on that instrument, even presenting fingering instructions, but never excluding the possibility that the works could also be performed on a keyboard instrument.
Transversal to all above mentioned periods the ex tempore performance of ornaments and glosas (diminutions) in accordance with treatises from different periods will be presented throughout the concert.
— MARIA BAYLEY · ANDRÉ FERREIRA —
Programme
Alonso Mudarra (c.1510-1580)
¬ Tiento IX para harpa u órgano
Luis Venegas de Henestrosa
(c.1510-1570)
¬ Canción glosada para dos instrumentos
Luys de Narváez (c.1500-1552)
¬ Paseábase el rey moro
Francisco Fernández Palero (?-1597)
¬ Paseábase el rey moro
Antonio de Cabezón (1510-1566)
¬ Diferencias sobre la pavana italiana
Pierre Sandrin (c.1490-1561)
¬ Doulce mémoire
Hernando de Cabezón (1541-1602)
¬ Doulce mémoire
Manuel Rodrigues Coelho (c.1555-1635)
¬ Tento do oitavo tom natural
Orlande de Lassus (c.1532-1594)
¬ Susanne un jour
Manuel Rodrigues Coelho
¬ Susana grosada a 4. Sobre a de 5.
Juan Hidalgo (1614-1685)
¬ Tono al Santíssimo
¬ Rompa el aire
Diego Fernández de Huete
(c.1650-c.1711)
¬ Xácaras