William BYRD (1539/40-1623)
Complete Fantasias for Harpsichord
Praeludium (FVB 117) (attr Byrd) [1:26]
Fantasia No. 2 in G (MB XXVIII,62) [9:20]
Praeludium to the Fancie in a minor (MB XXVII,12) [0:50]
Fantasia in a minor (MB XXVII,13) [8:12]
Praeludium in C (MB XXVII,24) [1:02]
Fantasia in C (MB XXVII,25) [6:14]
Fantasia in g minor (MB LV,55) [4:16]
Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la in G (MB XXVIII,64) [9:22]
Ut, mi, re (MB XXVIII,65) [8:03]
Doric Music (MB XIV,59) (? John Bull 1562/63-1628) [1:54]
Fantasia in d minor (MB XXVIII,46) [5:39]
Praeludium (MB LV,3) (attr Byrd) [1:14]
Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la in F XXVIII,58)* [4:33]
Praeludium in g minor (MB XXVII,1) [0:41]
Fantasia in G (MB XXVIII,63) [5:08]
Fantasia No. 1 in C (earlier version: MB XXVII,26) [9:35]
[MB: Musica Brittannica; FVB: Fitzwilliam Virginal Book]
Glen Wilson, Naoko Akutagawa* (harpsichord)
rec. 13-16 May 2010, Kloster Bronnbach, Wertheim, Germany. DDD
NAXOS 8.572433 [77:30]
Without exaggeration William Byrd can be considered one of the greatest composers
of keyboard music in history. In English history he is second to none. This
disc with the Fantasias from his pen is an impressive demonstration of his
skills as a composer for the keyboard. Which instrument is the best way of
performing them is largely a matter of preference. Some Fantasias could probably
also be performed at the organ, and the virginals is also a good alternative.
Glen Wilson plays a copy of a harpsichord by the Flemish builder Ruckers,
and that suits the repertoire on this disc quite well.
From the 16th century until well into the 18th the Fantasia was a popular
genre in keyboard music. It has no fixed form, and finds its origin in improvisation
which was a basic skill of all keyboard players. This explains that Fantasias
can strongly differ from one composer to the other, but also within the oeuvre
of a single composer. The latter is demonstrated on this disc. What they have
largely in common is that they comprise various sections of contrasting character.
Byrd's Fantasias usually begin with a fugal episode. After that we hear homophonic
sections, episodes of imitative polyphony and virtuosic passagework. In some
Fantasias a song is quoted, such as in the Fantasia in C which closes
this disc, quoting "Sick, sick, in grave I wish I were". Two songs are quoted
in Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la in F: first we hear "The woods so wild"
which was often used for variations in English keyboard music, and later "The
shaking of the sheets". This piece is a so-called Hexachord Fantasia
in which the six notes in the title are played throughout the piece. In this
particular Fantasia these notes are played in the treble from start to finish
"by a beginner", as Glen Wilson writes in his liner-notes. In this recording
that part is played by Naoko Akutagawa - not a beginner, by the way: she has
several excellent recordings to her name.
The other Hexachord Fantasia is Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la in G which
includes some strong dissonances. Glen Wilson comes up with an explanation
of this piece's content of which I don't know how much it is based on speculation
from his side. In this case he sees the Fantasia as a reference to the marriage
of Mary Stuart, the birth of her son (the later King James I) and the murder
of her husband. This would make this piece rather controversial, considering
that Byrd was a Catholic, living under the reign of the firmly protestant
Elizabeth I. This piece is immediately followed by Ut, mi, re, which
- like the previous piece - is included in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book,
as a kind of 'postlude' - probably not an appropriate description of a piece
which is almost as long as the preceding Fantasia.
The Fantasia in d minor is an example of a piece which could probably
also be played at the organ, considering its "solemn mood", as Wilson writes,
and also as it begins with a quotation of the opening motif of the Marian
antiphon Salve Regina. It is preceded by Doric Music which is
anonymous but is attributed to John Bull, who was one of Byrd's pupils. It
is full of strong dissonances and is used here as a kind of prelude. In various
cases Wilson has done the same, in tracks 3 and 4, 5 and 6 and 14 and 15.
In the first case this is indicated by Byrd himself as the title of the Praeludium
to the Fancie in a minor suggests.
This is a most fascinating disc which sheds light on one of the genre's of
Byrd's large keyboard oeuvre. There is no lack of recordings of his keyboard
music, but a programme which is devoted to the fantasia is particularly illuminating
as it shows the versatility within this genre. Glen Wilson delivers brilliant
and engaging performances. How much he is involved with this music is also
clear from his liner-notes which are at least challenging, even if his interpretations
of some Fantasias' content may seem speculative. For instance the song he
claims to be quoted in Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la in F: "The shaking of
the sheets" is characterised as a "frank dance of death". Searching at the
internet I learned that this song also is known with other titles, and probably
also other texts. I wonder whether this implies that there are other plausible
explanations for its inclusion in this piece.
One interesting part of his notes deserves mention: when Philip II of Spain
married Mary Tudor he brought some of his musicians with him, among them the
keyboard player Antonio de Cabezón. "Cabezón was one of the
first to employ the thoroughly balanced four-part texture in keyboard music
which had barely been seen in England before then, and which suddenly appears
there, fully-fledged, with Byrd". Apparently the English composers of the
time didn't live and work as much in a "splendid isolation" as one may think.
Wilson also mentions the possibility of Byrd having been in Italy, which could
explain the "elaborate Italian figuration" in some of his works.
The quality of music, performance, instrument and programme notes makes this
a splendid release.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
The quality of music, performance, instrument and programme notes makes this
a splendid release.