RECORDING OF THE MONTH
La Chasse Royale - Keyboard Manuscript of Antoine Selosse
CD 1
anon
Variations on La Folia in d minor [10:59]
Ciaccona in C** [4:51]
John BULL (1562?-1628)
The King's Hunt in G [4:07]
anon
Toccata in g minor** [4:11]
Suite in C [6:54]
Suite in F [11:00]
Chaconne in C [5:07]
John ROBERTS? (fl 1650-1670)
Suite in G [4:17]
anon
Courante and Variation in g minor [3:24]
anon & John ROBERTS?
Suite in D [4:24]
CD 2
anon
Toccata for the Vox Humana in C** [2:22]
The Hunting Lesson in G** [4:26]
Fuga Ite missa est in D** [3:23]
Toccata for the Cornet and Echos in C** [1:09]
Bergamasca in G** [1:06]
Chaconne in F** [1:35]
Suite in D** [5:25]
Allemande in F [1:06]
Allemande and Variation in g minor [2:43]
Allemande in c minor 'fitt for the manicorde'* [3:30]
Allemande in c minor 'fitt for the manicorde'* [3:08]
Allemande and Variation in F [3:22]
Terence Charlston (clavichord*, harpsichord, organ**)
rec. 14 June 2009, St Botolph's, Aldgate (**); 3-4 September 2009, Holy Trinity
Church, Weston, Hitchin, UK. DDD
DEUX-ELLES DXL1143 [59:19 + 33:30] 
The title of this set, "La Chasse Royale", is the French translation
of "The King's Hunt", one of John Bull's most famous keyboard pieces.
I assume it was chosen because this piece is included in the manuscript which
is the subject of this recording. That it has been translated into French
has a specific reason as well: the manuscript was once owned by a certain
Antoine Selosse, who seems to have lived in England in the second half of
the 17th century, but apparently was of Flemish origin and whose name indicates
that he was French-speaking.
The present owner of the manuscript, Dr. Peter Leech, describes in detail
his research to identify this person and also the next owners of this collection
of keyboard pieces. His notes in the booklet read like a kind of detective
story, with an open end as not all questions can be answered. There seems
to be little reason to doubt that the first owner was a Catholic. In the manuscript
he uses a pseudonym (Padre Antonio Mason), which was common among Catholic
priests in Britain. Dr. Leech was able to find a person with the name of Antonius
Selossius or Antoine Selosse, who was a professor of music at the English
College of Saint Omer from 1659 until his death in 1687. He was born in 1621
at Tourcoing in Flanders. "He entered the novitiate of the English Jesuit
Province at Watten, near St Omers, in 1658 and was one of several members
of the Selosse family who gravitated towards the Jesuit order from the late
sixteenth century until the early 1700s." Moreover, an Antoine Selosse
was an organist in Liège from 1651 until 1657, and was probably the same person
as the Selosse after whom the manuscript is named.
If this Selosse is indeed identical with the Flemish organist this could explain
the inclusion of keyboard pieces which are French, German or Italian in style.
Some of the compositions are also clearly intended for the organ, in particular
those with a liturgical character. The assumption that the first owner was
indeed a Catholic is supported not only by his use of a nickname. There is
also the fact that the third piece on the second disc is a fugue on the 'Ite
missa est' from the mass and that the latter part of the title has been made
illegible, probably to conceal its origins. Otherwise, most pieces in the
manuscript lack titles. The titles in the track-list are given by Terence
Charlston, who in his notes indicates which titles are original. The first
item of the second disc only bears the title 'Vox Humana' which indicates
that it is specifically intended for the organ. Most dances are performed
here as part of a suite; some of them have a title like 'courante and variation'
(Suite in C; CD 1) or 'allemande' (Suite in G; CD 1). On the
basis of stylistic considerations the latter suite and the allemande from
the Suite in D (CD 1) are attributed to John Roberts, an English keyboard
player and composer.
Most compositions in the manuscript are anonymous; only John Bull as the composer
of The King's Hunt is known with certainty. It is possible that some
pieces may have been written by Antoine Selosse himself, in particular the
liturgical works. These were clearly intended for the organ, but otherwise
the choice of the keyboard is left to the performer. That will always be a
matter of debate. The second item of CD 2, The Hunting Lesson, is played
here at the organ, and as well as it sounds I would have preferred a performance
at the harpsichord. There are strong reminiscences of Bull's piece, and I
don't think anyone would consider playing this at the organ. The Ciaccona
in C (CD 1, track 2) would probably be better played at the harpsichord
as well. The two Allemandes in c minor on the second disc are interesting.
They also appear in a manuscript owned by Christopher Hogwood, and there they
are entitled "fitt for the manicorde". This was the term used for
the clavichord, and it on this instrument that Terence Charlston has chosen
to perform these two pieces. This is intriguing as usually very little - if
any - English keyboard music of the late 17th century is performed on the
clavichord. It would have been nice if some of the other items had also been
played on this instrument.
As English keyboard music of the Restoration period receives little attention
by the record industry this production is an important addition to the repertoire.
The music is of very good quality, and the continental origin of some pieces
make this collection all the more remarkable. It greatly adds to our knowledge
of the repertoire played in England in the second half of the 17th century.
Terence Charlston is the ideal interpreter. He has a special interest in unknown
compositions as his recordings of music by Albertus
Bryne and Carlo
Ignazio Monza show. The latter made "Recording of the Month"
and Charlston has done it again. He provides engaging and technically impeccable
performances, and his notes on interpretation are illuminating. The recording
is immaculate and the booklet exemplary.
Charlston plays three beautiful instruments. The harpsichord is the copy of
a double-manual instrument by Ruckers of 1624, the clavichord the copy of
a double-fretted instrument after Donat which dates from around 1700 and is
in the Leipzig Museum of Musical Instruments. The organ is one of the oldest
instruments in England and was originally built around 1702. So all these
instruments are built close to the time the manuscript was put together. They
are tuned in a kind of meantone temperament which allows for some spicy harmonies.
You are well advised to turn the volume of your CD player or headphones down
in the tracks played at the clavichord. Only in this way you will be able
to enjoy the instrument's natural soft and delicate sound.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Terence Charlston has done it again: another fine recording of unknown but
high-quality repertoire.