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William YOUNG (c.1610 -
1662)
An Englishman Abroad - Works for Viola da Gamba
Sonata Nona for 2 violins and bc in F [3:24]
Suite for 2 viole da gamba in g minor [11:50]
Sonata for violin, viola da gamba and bc in d minor [4:39]
Fantazie of 3 Parts for 3 viole da gamba No. 7 in d minor [4:43]
Prelude for lyra-viol [1:00]
Almain for lyra viol [2:36]
Sonata Terza for 2 violins and bc in g minor [7:33]
Divisions on a Ground for viola da gamba and bc in g minor [4:55]
Sonata for violin, viola da gamba and bc in D [5:25]
Suite for viola da gamba in d minor [8:19]
Sonata for violin, viola da gamba and bc in C [3:37]
Fantazie of Three Parts for 3 viole da gamba No. 5 in c minor [4:26]
Sonata for 2 viole da gamba in d minor [5:19]
Sonata Ottava for 2 violins and bc in G [4:43]
Hamburger Ratsmusik (Christoph Heidemann, Gabriele Steinfeld (violin),
Simone Eckert, Hermann Hickethier (viola da gamba), Ulrich Wedemeier
(theorbo), Michael Fuerst (harpsichord))/Simone Eckert
rec. 16-19 March 2009, Siemens-Villa, Berlin-Lichterfelde, Germany.
DDD
CPO 777 569-2 [72:44]
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Georg Muffat (1653-1704) is often considered the first real
'European' composer in history as he combined French, Italian
and German/Austrian elements in his compositions. It is probably
William Young who should be given the honour of being the first
'European' composer. His oeuvre shows elements of English, Italian
and German/Austrian styles. The present disc includes examples
of these various elements.
Very little is known about Young. We don't know when and where
he was born. Nothing is known about his formative years. It
is presumed that he had already established himself as a composer
before he left England. The reason for his departure could have
been religious. An English writer of the late 17th century states
that he was "bred in Rome", which means that he was raised as
a Catholic. Since the opportunities for Catholics were very
limited it is not surprising that he looked oversees for employment.
This is just what English composers of previous generations
had done: Peter Philips, John Bull. From around the middle of
the century until his death Young worked at the court of Innsbruck
in the service of Archduke Ferdinand Karl. How exactly he came
there is unknown. His appointment as a member of the court chapel
is remarkable, as almost all its members were Italians. Their
presence had a strong influence on Young's development. His
acquaintance with Italian music also came from a journey by
his employer whom he accompanied during visits to Parma, Modena,
Mantua and Florence. When King Charles II returned to England
after the Restoration Young also travelled back to his native
country. This could be a further indication that he shared the
King's Catholic faith. It is not known whether he looked for
a job. If that was the case it was to no avail as he soon returned
to Innsbruck, where he died two years later.
During his years in Innsbruck Young had gained a reputation
which reached far beyond the Austrian region. The Swedish queen
Christina, on her way to Rome after her conversion to Catholicism,
stayed some time in Innsbruck, and was highly impressed by Young's
playing. The French author Jean Rousseau ranked Young among
the leading gambists of Europe in his Traité de la
Viole (1687). The large number of copies of his compositions
bears witness to his reputation.
The subtitle of this disc is not correct: the programme comprises
much more than just music for viola da gamba. Hamburger Ratsmusik
also play sonatas with one or two violins. The three sonatas
for violin, viola da gamba and bc on this disc are the only
survivals for this scoring from Young's pen. These bear witness
to the German manner. The scoring was very common in Germany,
and the three sonatas are not that different from the sonatas
for the same scoring by, for instance, Buxtehude. Three sonatas
are scored for two violins and bc, all from the only collection
of music by Young which was printed in his lifetime. These sonatas
in particular bear witness to the influence of the Italian style.
The two Fantazies are for three viols which are treated
on an equal footing. They are rooted in the English consort
music and are stylistically close to Matthew Locke. Here the
upper part is played on the violin. This is a legitimate option
as consort music from around 1650 left it to the performers
to choose either the violin or the treble viol. A Prelude
and an Almain are for lyra-viol, or rather the viol 'played
the lyra way'. This was a far from exclusively English style
of playing. Even so, it was more widespread there than anywhere
else.
Lastly two suites are played. The Suite in g minor is
for two gambas and begins with a long pavan, followed by allemande,
air, sarabande and courante. The Suite in d minor for
gamba solo begins with a prelude, followed by allemande, sarabande
and a courante with variation. The French titles as such are
not an indication of a specific French influence. Such suites
were written in many countries in Europe, including England
and Germany. The gravitas of these suites shows their
basically German touch.
Hamburger Ratsmusik have made a large number of recordings especially
of lesser-known compositions for viola da gamba, often in ensemble
with other instruments. This disc is another jewel in their
crown. As far as I know this is the first disc entirely devoted
to the work of William Young. He was much praised as a player
and his oeuvre is a mixture of the various European styles then
in vogue.The recording was long overdue. Fortunately the performances
are outstanding. The contrasts within the sonatas are worked
out perfectly. The gambists produce a fine and passionate sound,
with perfect ensemble. The violin in the pieces for three viols
is played with just the right amount of restraint. These are
no baroque pieces, and therefore do not call for strong dynamic
shading.
The programme has been put together in such a way that there
is a maximum of variety. The quality of Young's music guarantees
much enjoyment anyway. This disc is a happy marriage of fine
music, sensitive playing and informative liner-notes.These help
the listener put the music into perspective. In short, this
is an important and exemplary production.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
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