O muse, comt nv voort - Dutch songs of love and freedom
1550 - 1750
anon
O Lief v derven [2:17]
Jan VANDER NOOT (c1538 - c1596)
Ghelyck den dagheraet [2:00]; Van de ioncheit [4:46]
Dirk Volckertsz. COORNHERT (1522-1590)
Ter liefden van een Maghet [2:37]
Nicolaes VALLET (c1583-after 1642)
Psalm 12: Behoud, o Heer [Salvum Deus] (lute solo) [2:28]
Jan VAN HOUT (1542-1609)
Opt Ontset van Leyden [3:43]
Willem Reijersz. DE LANGE (fl c1570-1605)
Helena antwoort tot Paris [3:48]; Helena schrijft tot Menelaus
[2:42]; Thisbe claeght over de doot van Piramus [2:12]
Gerbrand Adriaensz. BREDERO (1585-1618)
O Parl en puyck der vrouwen! [3:00]
Dirck Raphaelsz. CAMPHUYSEN (1586-1627)
Ick hoor trompetten klincken [2:01]
Adriaen VALERIUS (c1575-1625)
Myn ziele treur [3:46]
Pieter Cornelisz. HOOFT (1581-1647)
Indien men poocht mijn hart [3:28]; Sterflijck geslacht, uw suchten
schorst [3:28]; Naere nacht van benaude drie jaeren [3:20]
Joost VAN DEN VONDEL (1587-1679)
Princelied [2:33]; Geusevesper [2:22]; Simeons Lofzang [1:17]
Nicolaes VALLET
Prélude (lute solo) [1:13]
Jan Jansz. STARTER (1594-1626)
Doen Daphne d'overschoone Maeght [4:16]
Willem Godschalk VAN FOCKENBROCH (1640-1670)
Indien ick daght ô schoone son! [2:08]
Jacob Campo WEYERMAN (1677-1747)
Sa! Dan laat ons rustig raazen [2:08]; Een Zamenspraak tusschen Damon
en een jong juffertje [1:27]
Duo Seraphim (Margot Kalse (mezzo); Ellen van Munster (lute))
rec. 19-21 October 2008, Oud-Katholieke Kerk of Delft, The Netherlands. DDD
ALIUD ACD HJ 040-2 [64:42]
From the middle of the 16th century music-making at home was a popular and
widespread pursuit in the Netherlands. There were no royal or aristocratic
courts with court chapels, and in the Protestant Churches only congregational
psalm singing was allowed. So in the privacy of the home and in public places
like taverns music was made and became a significant activity.
Part of the repertoire were songs, often so-called contrafacta where
existing music was overlaid with new texts. In the second half of the 16th
century and in the 17th century poetry blossomed in the Netherlands. Many
poems give indications as to the melodies to which they could be sung. But
these are mostly not printed which makes it difficult to be sure which music
was intended.
Over the last couple of decades much research has been done, and right now
a database of melodies and texts is available. Experts have compared texts
and melodies on the basis of number and length of lines and the metrical structure.
As a result a number of poems can be sung. For this disc Margot Kalse has
done some research of her own: "[F]or beautiful texts I have tried to find
fitting tunes, and for beautiful tunes fitting, interesting texts".
This disc offers a selection from the large number of song books which were
published in the Netherlands from the middle of the 16th century to the early
18th century. Most pieces date from the first half of the 17th century, when
the Netherlands were in the midst of their 'Golden Age'. Some of the best
poets of the time are represented, like Joost van den Vondel and Pieter Corneliszoon
Hooft.
The songs span a wide variety of subjects. Some deal with love, often written
for a specific woman, others are of a religious or political nature. In the
poems there are references to mythology and word-games. Some of them are explained,
but Margot Kalse, who has written the liner-notes, could have been more forthcoming.
And in the interest of foreign purchasers of this disc some explanation of
the political connotations in several songs would have been very helpful.
Even some Dutch readers may not understand what these songs are about as the
knowledge of their country's history is often limited.
The music is also various: most melodies or songs are of French or Italian
nature. And again, the notes in the booklet are rather sparse. It is mentioned
that Hooft's poem Sterflijck geslacht, uw suchten schorst (O mortal
race, do stop your sighs) [track 14] is sung to the tune Cessez, mortels
de souspirez, but the composer is not mentioned. It is Pierre Guédron,
a composer of many airs de cour in 17th century France. In fact, this
poem is an adaptation of the text Guédron used, but that is also not
mentioned.
Some melodies are of a truly international nature. The first item, for instance,
is sung to the tune Doulce mémoire, one of the most famous chansons
of the 16th century. And track 7, Helena antwoort tot Paris (Helena
answers Paris) is sung on the melody of Tant que vivray, a famous French
chanson. There are also sacred tunes. Track 2 uses the melody of the rhymed
version of the Magnificat as it was composed in the circles of the Huguenots
and included in the Genevan Psalter. From this collection also come the melodies
of tracks 6 and 8, Psalms 48 and 128 respectively. And in track 16 we hear
the original melody of what today is the Dutch national anthem, Wilhelmus
van Nassouwe.
The disc ends with two songs from the early 18th century which are of a quite
different character. They are written by Jacob Campo Weyerman, one of the
main literary representatives of the Enlightenment in the Netherlands. He
was especially known for his satirical writings, and Sa! Laat ons dan rustig
raazen is a specimen of that genre. The text is from a magazine, and as
the liner-notes tell "Weyerman introduces an armchair that speaks about its
occupants. Here we meet a 'podagrist', one who suffers from the gout but is
nonetheless on a drinking bout, following the advice of a drunken doctor."
Margot Kalse studied Dutch, and specialized in Renaissance literature at Leiden
University. She knows her way around this kind of repertoire, and has no problems
with the correct pronunciation of the 17th-century texts. She gives very fine
interpretations of the songs, and most performances seem complete. I am less
happy with her pretty consistent use of a slight vibrato. But it doesn't diminish
my enthusiasm for this disc which brings together first-rate texts and beautiful
tunes. Elly van Munster delivers good support on the lute and contributes
two fine solo pieces.
The programme notes are indeed rather sparse, but the booklet contains all
lyrics with an English translation. Since only few composers have been mentioned
I have only given the names of the poets in the track-list (names enclosed
in brackets), except the composers of the lute pieces.
Johan van Veen
Dutch poems from the late 16th to the early 18th century on melodies of the
time ... see Full Review