West Sussex Organists' Association

Articles by John Collins

Anniversaries 2010 - Anniversaries 2008 - Anniversaries 2007, Part 1 - Anniversaries 2007, Part 2 -
18th century English organ music - Important New Editions of Old English organ music

Anniversaries 2010.

In 2010 there are several composers for organ from the 16th to 18th centuries whose anniversaries can be commemorated, albeit that some of the dates are certain; many of the names listed here will not be well-known but their compositions are well worth exploring and many are suitable for both liturgical and recital use. Although the dances and variations were destined primarily for the harpsichord and clavichord they would have also been played on the domestic chamber organ — even performance on a church organ can sound most effective when using carefully selected stops based on clarity rather than thick Diapasons. From the 16th century onwards publishers had an eye for commercial exploitation and frequently included multiple instrumental possibilities on the title pages! This list makes no claim to completion, but the compiler has copies of almost everything here, although it is entirely possible that some items are out of print and would have to be consulted in libraries.

Antonio de Cabezón 1510-66 Leading Spanish composer for keyboard of 16th century, several of his works (including 14 tientos, some fifteen hymns, two short diferencias or variations) were published in Venegas de Henestrosa‘s Libro de Cifra Nueva 1557, which includes important comments on performance practice including ornaments and fingering; modern edition by Anglés in two volumes (Groen‘s catalogue mentions a reprint in 4 volumes) for Monumentos de la Música Española. The posthumous Obras de Música para Tecla, Arpa y Vihuela, published by his son Hernando in 1578, (which also includes invaluable comments on performance practice) contains much liturgical music; after four duos and five pieces in three parts headed ”for beginners• there follow 11 Hymns, sets of four Versos, four Fabordones, six (on the second, third and fifth Tones) or seven verses on the Magnificats and four Kyries on each of the eight Tones, in addition to 14 tientos, 9 diferencias (Variation sets), a setting of Duinsela and over 40 glosadas (Intabulations) in up to 6 parts including four by Hernando, one by Juan de Cabezón and one anon. Modern edition in 3 volumes excluding the glosadas is edited by Higinio Anglés and published by Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. A new edition is in preparation edited by C. Astronio for Ut Orpheus. The Glosadas have been edited by Maria Ester Sala for Union Musical Ediciones. A few pieces in MS 242 at Coimbra published in Portugaliae Musica vol XIX have tentatively been assigned to de Cabezón, although the ascription to A.C. may well have meant Antonio Carreira, the leading Portuguese organist of the 16th century.

Ercole Pasquini ca1560-1620. Organist in Verona and Rome, from which post he was apparently dismissed in 1608. He left over 30 pieces in MSS (none autograph) including six toccatas (some with interesting rhythmic patterns in the note groupings), ten canzonas, one fuga, sets of variations including Ruggiero, two on Romanesca and two Pass è Mezzi, an intabulation of Ancor che co‘l partire, a sonata, a gagliarda, and the earliest known examples of two durezze and two corrente. Collected edition by W Shindle published by American Institute of Musicology, Corpus of Early Keyboard Music 12.

Peter Philips ca1560-1628 Spent much time in Italy, Spain, France and Belgium, where he died in Brussels. Left some 34 compositions, including pavans, galliards, three fantasias, 15 intabulations of madrigals and a set of 10 verses on Veni Sancte Spiritus. Nineteen pieces, mainly dances and intabulations, are to be found in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book vol 1. A further eight pieces including an almande, pavana, fantasia, four intabulations and the setting of Veni Sancte Spiritus are edited by John Harley for Stainer and Bell Early Keyboard Music K40. The complete keyboard works edited by David Smith are in Musica Britannica vol 75.

Hieronymus Praetorius 1560-1629 was organist of the Jakobikirche in Hamburg. He left a large corpus of organ music in the Visby MS, of which the eight Magnificat cycles bear his name. Ascribed to hymn with some certainty from the same MSS are 19 Hymn Cycles (of Latin Hymns) and 10 Kyrie Cycles as well as 4 Sequence Cycles, a setting of Psalm 113, of the German Magnificat using the Tonus Peregrinus, and two recently discovered lengthy Chorale Fantasias, on Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam and Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist. All of these pieces have been edited by Klaus Beckmann in three volumes for Schott ED9581-9583.

Johann Benn ca1590-1660 worked in Messkirch (Baden) and Luzerne, and left seven Ricercare and two Canzonas in an MS now in the BL. A modern edition by R. Schächer is published by Cornetto Verlag CP342

Pedro de Tafalla 1606-1660 was organist at El Escorial, Spain, where his three known compositions for organ are preserved. They include a Tiento lleno on the 2nd Tone, a medio registro alto on the 2nd Tone and a Tiento de dos tiples on the 7th Tone. They have been published recently by Ediciones Escurialenses in Música para ógano (siglo XVII) volume 1-1, which also includes works by Diego de Torrijos and Cristóba1 de San Jerónimo, available from Tritó, Barcelona.

Henri Dumont 1610-84 Born in Belgium, Dumont became organist in Paris and left 17 pieces including 11 allemandes, 1 courante, 1 pavane and 4 Préludes. Modern edition P. Bonfils. Éditions Musicales de la Schola Cantorum et de la Procure Générale de Musique, L‘organiste Liturgique 13.

Bernardo Pasquini 1637-1710 Organist in Rome and teacher of Zipoli, Casini, Geog Muffat, composer of over 200 pieces for keyboard conserved in four main MSS, covering all the main genres (17 suites, a few individual dance movements, about 30 short Arias, over 35 Toccatas, two Capriccii, a Fantasia, three Canzone), 1 Fuga, four Ricercare (one of which runs to 345 bars), four sonatas and 22 variations including four passacagli) and including over 300 Versos and 14 Sonatas for one and a further 14 for two instruments with just a figured bass. Available in seven volumes edited by Maurice Brook Haynes published by American Institute of Musicology, Corpus of Early Keyboard Music 5 - this edition is unfortunately very unreliable but does group the works by genres. The far more accurate new Italian edition in seven volumes, which, after volume one which contains an Introduzione and Pastorale, and 60 Versetti, all taken from a newly discovered MS in Bologna, follows the haphazard groupings of the (mainly autograph) MSS is available from Libreria Musicale. A facsimile edition of the Landsberg MS has been edited by Emer Buckley in 2 parts + CD for published by Anne Fuzeau Classique.

Alessandro Scarlatti 1660-1725. Better known for his sacred and secular vocal music, he left many toccatas in MSS, most of which are multi-movement (with some loose fugues as well as dance movements), including lengthy sets of variations on the Folia. Some toccatas are retrospective, others are forward-looking with many dissonant clashes, and lengthy passages of chords to be arpeggiated. An excellent new edition by Andrea Macinanti and Francesco Tasini with a most illuminating introduction on performance is published in five volumes by Ut Orpheus.

Johann Kuhnau 1660-1722 worked in Leipzig and published two sets of seven suites (the first set in major, the second in minor keys also included a sonata in Bb), seven sonatas in from three to seven movements and a set of six sonatas that are multi-movement programmatic pieces entitled Biblical Histories. All are available in facsimile published by SPES. The edition by Moser for Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst volume 1/ 4 is out of print but a new edition in two volumes has been edited by C Harris in Art of the Keyboard vol 6 for Broude Brothers.

Christian Witt ca1660-1717, organist in Altenburg, left about 20 pieces in MSS including suites, preludes, fugues, three chorale preludes, ciaconas; a passacaglia on d-c-Bb-a with 30 variations was formerly attributed to J.S.Bach. A modern edition of 12 pieces has been edited by Laura Cerutti for Armelin in two volumes AMM 026/053, of which the pieces best suited to organ are in volume 2. Three pieces from the Mylau Tablaturbuch are edited by J Shannon for American Institute of Musicology, Corpus of Early Keyboard Music 39. A capriccio in the Andreas-Bach book has been edited by Robert Hill for Harvard University Press.

Georg Leyding 1665-1710 studied with Reincken and Buxtehude and became Jakob Bölsche‘s successor at Braunschweig. He left three Praeludia, a Chorale Prelude on Wie schön leucht uns and a set of six chorale variations on Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, which have been edited by K. Beckmann for Breitkopf & Härtel BA8405.

Vicente Rodrigues 1690-1760 was organist at Valencia cathedral, successor to the great Cabanilles. In MSS he left a Libro de Tocatas (30) for harpsichord and a few pieces for organ including a Fantasia, six Tocatas (several of these are pieces for the Clarines or Trumpet stops and are much lighter in style than those by Cabanilles) and a partido. New edition by Agueda Pedrero for Tritó edicions. Ten versos sobre Pange Lingua have been edited by Vicente Ros and included in Música de Tecla Valenciana vol 5.

Thomas Arne 1710-78. Left Six favourite concertos for organ, harpsichord or piano-forte published ca1787, which may be performed without the accompanying parts; edited by Robin Langley for OUP and Gwilym Beechey has edited the organ solos from the concerti for Peters Arne also published a set of Eight Sonatas or Lessons for the harpsichord in 1756, facsimile edition edited by Beechey and Dart for Stainer and Bell K27.

Thomas Gladwin 1710-99. Worked in London, where he published Eight Lessons for the Harpsichord or Organ, three of which have violin accompaniment, in the 1750s. Facsimile edition of these two-movement pieces has been published by Jacks, Pipes and Hammers.

Giuseppe Paganelli 1710-63. Worked in Venice, Bayreuth, Munich and Madrid where he may have succeeded D. Scarlatti. He published XXX ariae pro organo et cembalo in 1756, facsimile edition in Minkoff, and edited by M. Machella for Armelin AMM163 He also published in 1757 Amusement for the fair sex or Six sonatines for the harpsichord, modern edition by Laura Cerutti for Cornetto Verlag CP388.Three further sonatas are included in volumes 2, 3, and 4 of the Haffner Raccolta. Facsimile edition of volumes 2 and 3 in Raccolta musicaleΠBibliotheca Musica Bononiensis IV/56 Bologna.

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach 1710-84. Oldest son of Johann Sebastian, he left relatively few keyboard works, most of which sound best on the clavichord, including eleven sonatas, eight fugues, twelve polonaises, ten fantasias, seven chorale preludes and eight fugues from isolated MSS in addition to pieces in the Notebook for W F Bach compiled by Johann Sebastian. The eight Fugues have been edited by Paul Simmonds and Mike Daniels and published by themselves. They are also included in volume 1 of organ works edited by Traugott Fedke for Edition Peters in 2 volumes (vol 2 includes the Chorale preludes and some more fugues). A new complete edition of the keyboard music in two volumes (vol 1 just published) is in progress for Carus Verlag. Best suited to the organ are the fugues and chorale preludes.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi 1710-36 is better known for his operas and sacred music, but three organ sonatas are included in Splendori del 700 Napoletano vol 1 and one in vol 2 edited by Maurizio Machella for Armelin as AMM161 and AMM240. Many pieces formerly attributed to him in 18th century sources have now been identified as being by other composers — the one certain thing about Pergolesi is that he died young!

Many of the publishers mentioned have their own websites and accept orders from anywhere; the following would make a good general ”one-stop• for orders from more than one publisher, although they themselves would have to order titles from many of the smaller publishers including the Spanish and Italian.

Jacks Pipes and Hammers: www.jackspipesandhammers.com Saul Groen: http://saulgroen.nl Sheetmusicplus: www.sheetmusicplus.com

Other individual publishers‘ sites include:

Edicion Tritó: www.trito.es especially useful for Spanish scores Corpus Early Keyboard Music: www.corpusmusicae.com/cekm

John Collins

Anniversaries 2008.

This year 2008 there are some ten composers of organ music from the 17^th to 19^th centuries whose anniversaries can be commemorated, including several of our native English composers.

John Blow c1649-1708 organist of Westminster Abbey and teacher of Henry Purcell left over 30 mainly one-movement Voluntaries (some have a break after which the writing becomes fugal) including a setting of the 100^th Psalm Tune which can be compared to the setting by Purcell and six voluntaries for double organ in which the writing for solo stops passes from one manual to the another; a further voluntary is for cornet and echo cornet and really needs three manuals. Two include wholesale chunks of Toccate by Frescobaldi, whose works and that of other Roman composers were certainly known in England at that time. None of Blow's organ works were published in his lifetime, but an anthology of c1775 mentions his name on the cover but none of the pieces are specifically attributed to him. The complete organ works, including the psalm-tune settings, are edited by Barry Cooper for Musica Britannica Vol 69 at £70.50. The edition of 30 Voluntaries of Verses edited by Watkins Shaw for Schott Edition 10595 appears to be out of print.

John Travers c1703-58, organist to the Chapel Royal, left a volume of XII Voluntaries for the Organ or Harpsichord published posthumously c1769. His name is mentioned along with Dr. Green on the Titlepage of A Collection of Voluntaries for the Organ ca. 1770 but none of the pieces are ascribed specifically (the Cornet Voluntary published by C.H.Trevors in Old English Organ Music for Manuals Book 1 as being by Travers is taken from Voluntary I of this collection but without any reason being given for this, as are the Largo in Trevors' Book 2, which is attributed to Maurice Greene in other reliable sources and the Interlude in Book 4 which is taken from Voluntary IV; further evidence perhaps of Trevors' editorial shortcomings). Two further Voluntaries in British Library MS71210 have been putatively acribed to Travers. Apart from no. 1 which is in three movements all are in the by then more usual two, the slow introductory movement for Diapasons or Full Organ being followed by either a concertante movement for a solo stop (Cornet followed by Trumpet in no. 1, Cornet in nos. 2 and 7, Trumpet in nos. 3 and 5 and Flute in no. 6) or, as in nos. 8-12 by a substantial fugue. In no. 4 the second movement is marked Full Choir Organ ie flues to 15^th with the possible addition of the Bassoon (but NOT the Vox Humana or Cremona) according to the treatise of John Marsh ca.1790. The writing in some of the introductions is full textured with thick chords punctuated by rests. The first movement of no. 6 is almost identical to the first movement in John Stanley's op 6 no. 2, that to no. 3 is identical to the first movement of Voluntary VIII of Book I of Twelve Voluntaries by Starling Goodwin and the first movement of no. 11 bears a close resemblance to the introduction to Voluntary 62 also by Starling Goodwin in the RCO Ms. The fugues in nos. 8 and 9 are in different keys to the introductions (C and G, and C and D minor respectively). An excellent modern edition by Geoffrey Atkinson in two volumes is available from Fagus Music. http://fagus-music.com

Robert Broderip 1758-1808 was organist of the Mayor's Chapel and St Michaels's in Bristol and left a set of instructions for the harpsichord, and sonatas for harpsichord with violin, and a set of Eight Voluntary's (Sic) for the Organ Op V ca 1785, published by Longman and Broderip, who was probably his brother. These contain up to four movements, the last two Voluntaries are Preludes and Fugues of which no. 8 with its overture-like introduction and Handelian sequential fugue is particularly fine. There are movements for cornet (nos. 2, 4) and Flute (nos.5 and 6), and also for Horn (no. 2). There are several movements in the galant style; it is a pity that there is not yet a modern edition of this collection. Published about 1815 The Organist's Journal is a large collection of arrangements from orchestral pieces bearing his name which has also not been reprinted.

Matthew Camidge 1758-1844, organist at the Chapel Royal and York Minster, left several sets of sonatas for harpsichord and violin, two sets of Easy Preludes for the Piano Forte and a set of Six Concertos for Organ or Grand Piano Forte Op 13 ca.1815 which are for keyboard solo. Camidge writes on the title page that he has endeavoured to imitate the style of Handel and Corelli, the concertos being similar to in plan to the four-movement voluntaries by Charles Wesley published at about the same time, consisting of introduction (slow in nos 1-5, allegro in no. 6), fugue, slow movement (omitted in no. 5) and genre piece (March in nos. 1 and 4, Gavotta in nos.2 and 3, and Minuet in nos. 5 (with Trio) and 6 (without)). Greg Lewin is preparing an edition of the complete set; these attractive and not over-demanding pieces will be a most welcome addition to the literature and will hopefully feature in recitals during the year. Nicholas Temperley has thrown doubt on his birthdate, suggesting in Groves that 1764 would be more a more likely date.

The importance of Thomas Adams 1785-1858, organist at St George's, Camberwell and St Duntsan's-in-the-West, Fleet St, cannot be too highly stressed. The last of the so-called Georgian composers of the older style of English composers before the widespread addition of a proper pedal department, his compositions show an adherence to John Keeble's multi-movement and the quantity and quality of his compositions far surpasses all of his predecessors and contempories with the exception of Samuel Wesley, although Adams' pieces are generally far more demanding and will tax even first-rank players. His use of contrasting manuals compares with that of William Russell, but despite Samuel Wesley's admiring his playing of the pedals his writing for them shows considerably less enterprise than Russell's. Adams' output includes Six Fugues which show clearly the influence of Bach - No. 2 in F minor is a splendid double fugue, the second subject in the major being worked on the Swell before combining with the first also in the major on full organ, the work concluding with a return to the first subject in the minor. The subject on no. 3 consists of repeated Gs in a two semiquavers + quaver rhythm occurring six times before a short run in demisemiquavers leads to a close in C minor. The majestic fourth fugue in F minor in 4/2 poses extreme problems through its crossing of parts and requirement of the pedals to convey the bass line cleanly and the final fugue there is much interplay between the written ¾ and 6/8. He also composed 25 Voluntaries (the first movement of Voluntary 2 from a set of six dedicated to Samuel Wesley is a very rare example of a LH solo, here on the Bassoon) and 10 Organ Pieces, most of which are multi-movement, 3 sets of Variations and 90 Interludes of very short pieces for manuals only in keys up to 4 sharps or flats in both 4/4 and 3/2. The majority of the Voluntaries and Pieces also conclude with a fugue, some interesting examples being the 2/4 fugue in 2 parts marked for Flute (ie almost certainly at 4ft pitch) in the 3^rd Voluntary dedicated to Wesley and the subject given out in octaves (a practise commended by Jonas Blewitt and also used by Wesley) in the tenor and bass in the 5^th Voluntary from the same set. A Fugue also opens Voluntary 3 from a set of Six Easy Voluntaries for young students. An excellent modern edition by Geoffrey Atkinson in 9 volumes is available from Fagus Music. A good starting point would be Volume 3, a set of Six Easy Voluntaries for young students.

François D'Agincour 1684-1758 was organist of Rouen cathedral and probably studied with Boyvinin Rouen and Lebègue in Paris. He published a book of four ordres for harpsichord; his organ music is known only through copies made by Father Pingré and consists of the usual French movements of Plein-jeu, Fugue, Duo, Récit, Basse de Cromorne, Dialogue and Concert de Flûtes (movements for the Trompette are conspicuously absent) spread over the 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th to 6^th Tones and the unusual C sol ut mineur (C minor). There is a well laid-out and clearly printed modern edition of these graceful pieces by Nicolas Gorenstein for Editions du Triton TR0001 OG e which contains an excellent introduction.

Marianus Königsperger 1708-69, organist of the Abbey of Prüfening, Bavaria. A collection of Preambula cum Fugae on the 8 Tones are more substantial pieces than the normal such collections from the Catholic South of Germany, with much evidence of sequential writing and several being tortuously chromatic. The Praeambula cum versi (3 on each Tone) are very much shorter, and the Ariae on the 8 Tones are mainly in two voices, with a few bars of chordal writing in the LH, nos. 1, 2 and 4 being in Da Capo form, the others in binary form; the Aria on the 8^th Tone is a Pastorella marked Grave, a contrast to the usually breezy character of such pieces. A modern edition of both collections is published by Armelin of Padova (www.armelin.it) AMM 151 containing the Preambula cum Fugae and AMM 030 the Versi and Ariae.

José Moreno y Polo 1708-74, the eldest of three brothers, all of whom composed, held various organist posts in Zaragoza and Madrid. He is said to have left over 100 sonatas in MSS but most of these are yet to be discovered if, indeed, they still exist. Available in modern editions are three single-movement sonatas showing the influence of Scarlatti edited by D. Preciado in Doce Compositores Aragoneses de tecla (s.XVIII) published by Editora Nacional, Madrid, 1983 and two fugal Obras Orgánicas (the first is based on Pergolesi's Fac ut ardeat, the second is a based on an original subject and lasts for 269 bars), a Paso in fugal style and two further single-movement sonatas edited by Vicente Ros in Tecla Aragonesa vol VII published by Institución Fernando el Católico, Zaragoza in 2000

Carlos Baguer 1768-1808 succeeded his uncle Francesc Mariner as organist of Barcelona cathedral and in addition to tientos and obras para clarines that are clearly destined for the organ he also left a large quantity of sonatas and rondos in MS which sound well on all keyboard instruments but there are only two modern editions, both edited by Maria Ester Sala, of which the first including seven one-movement sonatas, is published by Union Musical Española, Madrid 1976 no. 22055. Six of these are splendidly exuberant works of generous proportions showing the influence of Haydn the final sonata is a much shorter Andante. The other publication (Instituto Español de Musicolgía Serie C Vol 14 1984) includes three sinfonias in three (no. 3) or four movements originally for orchestra transcribed for keyboard by the composer himself. The fast movements are as vivacious as the single movement sonatas and the Adagios with variations in minor mode are highly expressive. It is to be hoped that a collected edition of Baguer may be undertaken in the future.

Ignazio Spergher 1734-1808 was organist in Treviso and published a set of Sei Sonate per Organo in 1786. These are three-movement works of relatively spacious dimensions, a comparative rarity in the Italian organ literature of the period, the outer fast movements enclosing a highly lyrical slow movement. There is much superficial brilliance in the writing with scale passages, passages in octaves, Alberti and Murky basses and tonic-dominant-tonic chords abounding. Again the influence of Haydn and Mozart is immediately evident. These highly attractive pieces would make excellent recital items. They are available in two volumes from Armelin of Padova (www.armelin.it) AMM 061 and AMM 067. Nine shorter one movement sonatas including two Rondos have been edited by Giuseppe Radole for Edizioni Carrara Edidition no. 3778 www.edizionicarrara.it

Anniversaries 2007, Part 1.

This year 2007 there are several composers whose anniversaries can be commemorated. Almost certainly the best known is Dietrich Buxtehude, 1637- 1707, the magisterial organist of the Marienkirche, Lübeck, who exerted such an influence on the young J.S.Bach. He left many Toccatas and Praeludia in MSS that extended the form developed by Froberger and Weckmann, as well as Chorale settings in various forms. The majority of his works require a formidably advanced technique for both hands and feet, but there are 16 pieces (2 Praeludia, 2 Toccatas, 4 Canzonas, 5 Canzonettas and 3 Fugues) that can be performed predominantly on manuals only, with the pedals being used only for long held notes and to obviate big stretches that were easily playable on a short- or broken-octave instrument.

Nicholas Gigault, c1624-1707, organist at several churches in Paris, published two volumes of organ music. The first, dating from 1683 and still unavailable in a modern edition, is entitled Livre de Musique dedié à la Très Sainte Vierge and contains 20 Noëls (possibly the earliest examples of this genre, and still rather archaic in comparison with those by le Bègue and the Dandrieu) as well as several versets. The Livre de musique pour l‘orgue of 1685, edited by Guilmant and Pirro in the Maîtres d‘Orgue series, contains almost 200 pieces including 3 organ masses and many versets in the form of Préludes, Récits, Dialogues, Echos and Fugues.

Also-known is Domenico Scarlatti 1685-1757. His 555 sonatas (and there are also a few others which are tentatively attributed to him) are usually associated with the harpsichord, but organ registrations are found in one of them, and, in addition to the fugues, many pieces in 2 or 3 parts also sound very well on the organ using a light registration suited to the Iberian or Italian organ of the period.

Paolo Bellinzani, c1690-1757, organist in various cathedrals in Italy, left 144 Versetti with registration indications. They are published by Armelin, Padua. www.armelin.it

Edward Miller, 1731-1807, probably best known for the hymn tune Rockingham, published a treatise for the harpsichord entitled Institutes of Music, or easy instructions.. to which are added lessons for practise as well as a set of 6 harpsichord sonatas and a set of 16 Easy Voluntaries for the organ that are in the usual two-movement format, most of them requiring the resources of three manuals with examples for solo registers and dialogues, as well as fugues for full organ. Although not in the same league as Stanley or Boyce, they would make a reasonable introduction to the mature form. There is no modern edition but copies are readily available from the British Library

Charles Wesley, 1757-1834 left 3 sonatas for the harpsichord and several pieces for the organ, including 14 organ concerti, a set of variations on God save the King (published by Wayne Leupold Editions) which is not as adventurous as either set by his brother Samuel, and 6 multi-movement Voluntaries published c1815. All except no. 5 contain well-wrought fugues, and many other movements exploit a wide-ranging palette of tone colours including in no.6 use of the bassoon in the left hand in dialogue with the trumpet. However, his brother called him "an obstinate Handelian" and the Voluntaries do show greater conservatism than those of Adams, Russell and Samuel Wesley To the best of my knowledge there is no modern edition of these interesting pieces, but copies are readily available from the British Library.

Anniversaries 2007, Part 2

Further to the above, this year sees the 400th anniversary of the death of two Italian composers whose keyboard output remains relatively little-known.

Luzzasco Luzzaschi, born 1545, was organist in the court at Ferrara and teacher to Girolamo Frescobaldi, one of the greats of Italian keyboard composition. Although his reputation as performer and composer was widely reported amongst his contemporaries, Luzzaschi left a very small number of keyboard pieces, three of which were published in Girolamo Diruta's treatise Il Transilvano in 1593, including one Toccata (in Italian keyboard notation which shows the distribution of notes between the hands) and 2 Ricercari intabulated according to Diruta's rules for "arranging" such pieces for keyboard. Two fantasie on cantus firmus (La Spagna and Ave Maris Stella) are preserved in MS and a Canzona was printed in 1608 by Raveri in a collection containing works by various composers "for all types of instruments". A set of twelve Ricercari (in fact the Second Book, no trace of a first book having yet surfaced) has survived, and the complete modern edition of keyboard works (Opera Stromentale edited by Daniele Borghi, Ut Orpheus Edizioni ES13 1998) includes these intabulated as per Diruta's instructions ie the independent lines of the four voices have been reduced to keyboard tablature, with the result that voice leading including part crossing etc has been lost. Because of very wide stretches in some places between bass and tenor, pedals are required for an accurate performance in a few places; even then, bass notes of F# and G# would have almost certainly been unavailable on the majority of Italian organs of the time, these keys being used to sound D and E respectively in the prevalent short-octave disposition. These ricercari are permeated by an archaic and solemn grandeur, even when enlivened by diminutions as was the practice of the period, and are well worth reviving today.

The compositions of Francesco Bianciardi, born in 1572, worked at the cathedral of Siena, are preserved in the Turin tablatures, and include six Ricercari and four Fantasias, the last being on the ascending hexachord ut,re,mi,fa,sol,la, although without any of the contrapuntal ingenuity of Frescobaldi‘s Capriccio on the same theme. Only the third contains a section in triple time, which finishes the piece. These are much shorter compositions than Lazzaschi's and offer good practise in clean part-playing. The modern edition by Bernhard Billeter is published as volume 41 in the Corpus of Early Keyboard Music series of the American Institute of Musicology, which also contains keyboard compositions in similar genres by Constanzo Porta (1529-1601).

Probably of greater interest to English organists is Jonas Blewitt, who, according to some authorities, was born in 1757. He was organist at St Katherine Coleman, Fenchurch Street, St Gabriel Fenchurch and St Margaret Pattens in the City of London, and in addition to two sets of songs and ballads he published four sets of organ Voluntaries between ca 1780 and 1797. On the title page of the set of ten Voluntaries Op 2 the harpsichord is also mentioned as an alternative, but since all the pieces are carefully annotated with the registration desired, this is a typical marketing ploy. The most important set is Op 4, headed "A complete Treatise on the Organ to which is added a set of explanatory Voluntaries" which contains an introductory piece followed by twelve Voluntaries and a set of Psalm tunes with their prelude, giving out and interlude. The treatise is of immense value, discussing in detail the individual stops and how to combine them, and Blewitt also comments on the customs followed by eminent organists of the day; it is a great shame that the modern edition of the Voluntaries by David Patrick published by Fitzjohn Music does not include the treatise, but Philip Sawyer has written a short account of it in BIOS 10. It is broadly similar in its scope to the slightly later treatises published by John Marsh, (which is available in a modern edition from Animus Music) and Francis Linley (which is not). Op 5 contains a further "Ten Voluntaries or pieces (sic!) for the organ equally adapted for the church or chamber organ with proper directions for the use of stops". Judging from the preface to this set, the treatise had clearly not been widely assimilated by young performers, and an extremely useful set of observations on how to register pieces on a small chamber organ is included.. The final set, Op 6, contains "Twelve Easy and Familiar Movements for the Organ which may be used either separately or in continuation so as to form one compleat Voluntary". The didactic aim of this set is again clear, but the musical quality does not match the ambition. It is a matter of regret, and indeed concern, to those who are researching the development of the English Organ Voluntary of the 18th Century that there is no modern edition of the Voluntaries from Opp 2 and 5, and that the treatise is not available. Some of the alternative suggestions for registration i.e. Hautboy or Dulciana provide valuable clues to the possible performance of such Voluntaries on an organ which does not possess all of the stops required/suggested.

I do have photocopies of all of these sets, and would be delighted to allow anyone interested in seeing them to visit me to do so - please contact me by email johnartcollins@yahoo.com or phone 01903 233117 to arrange.

In a hard hitting article in the November 2006 issue of Organists‘ Review William McVicker observed that our rich national heritage of the Georgian organ voluntary was much better known, and played far more frequently, on the continent than here in Great Britain. I have been researching this repertoire for several years now and was delighted when Gavin Argent our webmaster suggested that I may like to write some brief notes on this repertoire and include reviews of new editions of it to introduce it to those members who may not be aware of the extent and scope of the compositions by this school. To start with I have a compiled a list of publications from the period covering c1728 to 1858 (the death of Thomas Adams, considered the last representative of the school) by individual composers which have been made available in modern editions, admittedly of varying musicological standard. Some of the pieces have at last been made available without the editorial intervention of such as C H Trevor where movements were not only extracted from Voluntaries and incorrect stop references given, but in some instances actually cut. Please click on the icon below to open the Microsoft Excel list of publications. Additionally I have compiled a similar listing of modern anthologies that include selected works by individual composers or a collection of pieces by different composers, and shall follow this with some short reviews of selected editions. Names such as Handel, Boyce, Greene and Stanley will certainly be familiar, but many of the others may not, and certainly do not feature with any regularity in recitals. In addition there are many composers who are represented by just a few works in modern anthologies, and also contemporary anthologies that still await critical editions. Two of the three main treatises of the 1790s (by Marsh and Blewitt) have been made available with their appended voluntaries in reliable modern editions and it is to be hoped that the similar work by Francis Linley will soon be available again. The comments on registration in these treatises are invaluable, as, indeed, are the many markings in the individual publications, showing a wide range of combinations and alternatives both for solo stops and for accompaniment — at times the composers appear contradictory, but it should not be forgotten that many provincial organists did not have the luxury of three-manual instruments at their disposal. Throughout the period the large quantity of pieces offers a rich choice of movements of all kinds that are eminently suitable for both recital and liturgical use today: fugues of both a stricter and looser observance of counterpoint, solo concertante movements that are jauntily tuneful for cornet and trumpet and their echoes, dialogues between Vox Humana and Swell or horns and Swell to mention but a few. Many of these voluntaries are not overly difficult but in addition to suitable registration being chosen, they do also require very careful attention to fingering and articulation, particularly in the brilliant Cornet movements, and ornamentation in particular, there being plenty of scope for extra ornamentation to be applied as appropriate, as contemporary MS copies of some printed voluntaries show us. One of the best introductions to this complex subject is the volume devoted to England 1730-1830 in the series Historical Organ Techniques and Repertoire edited by Calvert Johnson and published by Wayne Leupold ref WL500005. The hard work put into learning these pieces will bring rich rewards both to the player and to the listener. Some of the smaller publishers whose websites are worth perusing are: Hawthorns Music: www.greglewin.co.uk early titles published by Hawthorns music Fitzjohn Music Publications: www.impulse-music.co.uk/fitzjohnmusic.htm Animus: www.animusi.co.uk then click on ”organ music for manuals•

I would be delighted to answer any questions on this repertoire, do please contact me by email if I can be of any assistance. johnartcollins@yahoo.com

John Collins

Table

Important new editions of old English organ music

The following titles have recently been published by Geoffrey Atkinson, Greg Lewin and David Patrick who between them are doing so much to expand our knowledge of the 18^th century English Voluntary by making available many of the previously unpublished prints, most of which contain delightful music with plenty of tuneful movements for solo stops as well as robust fugues.

In addition to the three sets of Voluntaries by John Stanley, Greg Lewin has edited the following for Greg Lewin Music: www.greglewin.co.uk

John Alcock - Ten Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord ca.1774 OM127 £10.00

Henry Heron - Ten Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord ca.1765 OM128 £10.00

John Keeble - Select Pieces for Organ Vol I OM116a £12.00

John Keeble- Select Pieces for Organ Vol II OM116b £12.00

James Nares - Six Fugues with introductory Voluntaries OM 112 £10.00

William Boyce - Ten Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord OM 109 £10.00

Thomas Roseingrave - Voluntaries and Fugues 1728 OM117 £10.00

William Russell - Twelve Voluntaries 1804 OM118 £15.00

William Russell - Twelve Voluntaries 1812 OM124 £15.00

Maurice Greene - Twelve Voluntaries ca.1779 OM119 £10.00

S.S.Wesley - Holsworthy Church Bells OM121 £7.99

William Walond - SixVoluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord OM102 £10.00

William Walond - Ten Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord Op II OM110 £10.00

Thomas Thorley - Ten Voluntary's for Organ or Harpsichord OM113 £10.00

David Patrick has edited and published the following for Fitzjohn Music:

www.impulse-music.co.uk/fitzjohnmusic.htm

John Beckwith - Six Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord £8.50

Jonas Blewitt - A Complete Treatise on the Organ (and the Explanatory Voluntaries) Op 4. £10.00

T.S.Dupuis- Nine Voluntaries for the Organ Set I £8.50

T.S.Dupuis- Nine Voluntaries for the Organ Set II £9.00

T.S.Dupuis- Pieces for the Organ or Harpsichord Op 8 £10.00

T.S.Dupuis- A second set of Pieces for the Organ or Harpsichord Op 10 £9.00

T.S.Dupuis- Voluntary in D & Two Concerto Movements £9.00

Starling Goodwin- Twelve Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord Book I £10.00

Starling Goodwin- Twelve Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord Book II £10.00

Thomas Gladwin - Five sonatas (from a set of Eight Lessons for Harpsichord or Organ) £8.50

John Garth - Six Voluntaries for Organ or harpsichord Op 3 £9.50

Geoffrey Atkinson has edited and published the following for Fagus Music: http://fagus-music.com and has generously informed me that any one ordering from him and mentioning this article will receive a 10% discount.

John Bennett - Ten Voluntaries for Organ or harpsichord ca1757. Two volumes each £12.00

John Travers - Twelve Voluntaries for Organ or harpsichord ca1769. Two volumes each £12.00

Maurice Greene - Twelve Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord ca.1779

William Russell - Twelve Voluntaries for Organ 1804 - £15.00

William Russell - Twelve Voluntaries for Organ 1812 and Voluntary in G (ed by G. Ward Russell - £15.00

Samuel Wesley - Complete works for Organ in twelve volumes.

Thomas Adams - Complete works for Organ in nine volumes.

Animus have published Eighteen Voluntaries for the Organ to which is prefix'd an explanation of the different stops.... By John Marsh edited by John Baker in three volumes. www.animus.org.uk

I shall be delighted to answer any questions on the music and editions, phone 01903 233117 evenings or email johnartcollin@yahoo.com