L'arpa di Partenope - Harp Music from Early Baroque Naples
Margret Köll (arpa doppia)
rec. 2012, Evangelische Brüdergemeinde, Berlin-Neukölln, Germany. DDD
ACCENT ACC24192 [56:27]
The harp is one of the oldest instruments in history. It
has often been considered a 'royal' instrument, especially because
King David played it, as is recounted in the Old Testament of the Bible. In
the Middle Ages it played an important role, especially in the accompaniment
of singers. At the end of the 16th century it started to rise to even more
prominence, not only for accompaniment, but also as a solo instrument in music
of considerable virtuosity. In this development Naples played a key role.
Here several significant builders and players of the arpa doppia were active,
some of whom are mentioned in the booklet to Margret Köll's disc.
Few of the harpists of those days have left any compositions. It is telling
that the large majority of the pieces Köll selected for her recording were
taken from collections of keyboard music. Sometimes a title includes an indication
that it was conceived for the harp (Trabaci, Toccata II, & Ligature
per l'Arpa), but the fact that such pieces are included in books
of keyboard music shows that they could also be played on a keyboard instrument.
Sometimes alternatives were indicated in the titles. That is the case, for
instance, in the collection of music by Antonio de Cabezón which was published
posthumously under the title Obras de musica para tecla, arpa y vihuela
(1578).
One of the few composers of music specifically intended for the harp is Giovanni
Leonarda dell'Arpa; about 15 pieces from his pen were included in anthologies.
Io navigai un tempo is one of them; it is an intabulation of a villanella.
Such intabulations were characteristic of the prima prattica. Considering
Carlo Gesualdo's interest in experiments with forms and harmony it
is hardly surprising that he called dell'Arpa's style "somewhat
old-fashioned". Compare this piece - and also Venga quel bel Narcisso,
an intabulation by Giovanni Domenico da Nola - with Gesualdo's Gagliarda
del Principe di Venosa, the only extant instrumental piece from his pen.
With its frequent chromaticism and dissonants it is the counterpart of the
madrigals from his last two books.
The same sense of experiment comes to the fore in the compositions by Giovanni
de Macque, Giovanni Maria Trabaci and Ascanio Mayone. The former was in the
service of the Gesualdo household for a number of years, but Gesualdo certainly
must have known the others. De Macque's Durezze, e ligature
is an example of a piece which demonstrates the composer's interest
in harmonic experiments, and so is his Seconde Stravaganze as is
the case with all pieces of the time with the word stravaganze in
their title. It means "extravagance" and that is exactly how such
pieces must have been experienced by people who had grown up with the strictly
organized counterpoint of the prima prattica. Another new element
of the seconda prattica was the composing of instrumental music which
was not based on vocal models, such as toccatas and gagliardas. The toccata
was a form rooted in the practice of improvisation which was the main skill
expected of any player of keyboard, harp or plucked instruments. However,
that does not mean that vocal music was banned from instrumental music. Trabaci's
virtuosic divisions on the madrigal Ancidetemi pur by Jacques Arcadelt
prove otherwise. Mayone based a ricercar on the cantus firmus of
a vocal work by Constanzo Festa (c1485/90-1545).
The inclusion of music by Spanish composers makes sense. Since 1503 Naples
was part of the Spanish Empire, and De Macque became maestro of the
Chapel of the Spanish Viceroy in 1599. In the booklet Chiara Granata addresses
the origins of some forms of Italian music in Spain. "Dances with ornamentation
(glosas) formed the starting point for the Italian tradition of instrumental
musical forms with variations, and the polyphony of the tientos served
as a model for intabulated chansons." Hence the inclusion of Tiento
del primer tono and Para quien crie yo cabellos by De Cabezón.
The Spanish rule of Naples ended only in the early 18th century, and until
that time Spanish music continued to influence music life in Naples, and outwards
from there to Italy at large. It especially resulted in a quick dissemination
of the Spanish guitar for which various Italian composers started to write,
both music for guitar solo and songs with accompaniment of the Spanish guitar.
The pieces by Ribayaz can serve as examples of music for the Spanish guitar;
the performances by Margret Köll show that they can be perfectly played on
the harp.
This disc is a fine introduction to the Italian music for the harp and its
versatility. Margret Köll is an experienced interpreter who has taken part
in many recordings of 17th-century repertoire. Here she shows her qualities
as a soloist. She is a brilliant and stylish player who convincingly brings
out the specific features of the various pieces in her programme. The many
twists and turns in the 'extravagant' compositions come off
very well.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
Contents
Giovanni Maria TRABACI (1575-1647)
Toccata II, & Ligature per l'Arpa [3:23]
Carlo GESUALDO da Venosa (1566-1613)
Gagliarda del Principe di Venosa [1:47]
Ascanio MAYONE (1565-1627)
Toccata Prima [4:10]
Giovanni DE MACQUE (1550-1614)
Durezze, e ligature [5:09]
Giovanni LEONARDO dall'Arpa (c1525-1602)
Io navigai un tempo [1:21]
Giovanni Domenico DA NOLA (1510-1592)
Venga quel bel Narcisso [2:18]
Giovanni DE MACQUE (1550-1614)
Seconda Gagliarda [1:59]
Antonio DE CABEZÓN (1510-1566)
Para quien crie yo cabellos, romance [2:32]
Tiento del primer tono [2:31]
Diferencias sobre la Pavana Italiana [3:36]
Francesco LAMBARDO (1587-1642)
Toccata [2:18]
Giovanni Maria TRABACI (1575-1647)
Ancidetemi pur, per l'Arpa [5:43]
Ascanio MAYONE (1565-1627)
Ricercar sopra il Canto fermo di Constantio Festa [3:44]
Giovanni DE MACQUE (1550-1614)
Seconde Stravaganze [2:16]
Ascanio MAYONE (1565-1627)
Partite sopra Fidele [2:42]
Lucas Ruiz DE RIBAYAZ (1650-?)
Achas [1:48]
Bacas [2:08]
Ruggiero [1:43]
Xacaras [1:51]
Espanoletas [3:18]
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