40 songs for voice and piano [antikvár]

pnefm In pr spicu rparing these i possible. aiizatii of Purcell's songs and airs, the editor atteitipted to make his role incon- Most of Purcell's music for voice and continuo is a magnificent example of two part counterpoint in whicli tilt melodic function of the bass part is fully equal to that of the voice. In Purcell's time it was a common practice to perform the bass part on a bowed string instrument and to use a keyboard instrument (a clavicembalo, virginals or harpsichord) for the purpose of filling out the harmonic structure. The great disparity of timbre between a sustained bass line and the weaker and more percussive sound of the keyboard instrument allowed the listener to perceive clearly the melodic importance of the bass. This held true even when the keyboard part was realized in a most complex and ornate manner. But when both the bass part, as well as an ornate elaboration of the chordal progressions are played on the modern pianoforte, the historically legitimate complexity of the inner parts may, and often does, totally obscure the melodic function of the bass. In these realizations the editor did his utmost to refrain from all contrapuntal elaboration of the inner voices that could possibly affect adversely the acoustic clarity of the bass melody. Such procedure can, and no doubt, will be criticized by those who will hasten to remind the editor Ihat the keyboard players in Purcell's time allowed themselves to improvise most elaborately in performance. No one can dispute this. Even on a modern pianoforte a pianist could do this more or less successfully, provided a cello were playing the bass line. But since this edition IS mtended for performance in which the pianoforte is used as the only accompanying instrument, the editor feared that an elaborate keyboard paxt would tend to acoustically distort Purcell's music, sometimes beyond recognition. The pianist should bear in mind that his bass lii to play it as a melody and to phrase it as such, and never to allow the right hand to obscure it in This advice is, of course, not to be followed in performing piano reductions of airs with orchestr: ment, where a treble line (violin, flute, trumpet or oboe) may be of great melodic importance, nor i "florid recitatives", where the bass is often stationary. In performing these extraordinary songs the singer must be fully aware of the descriptive function florid passages. They almost invariably occur on verbs and attempt to heighten and to illustrate the mea the word. The action of such words as "fly ", "tear ", " arise ", glide", "swell " etc., is most faithfully illusti He should ny ittempt lanner. I accompani- II performing ^ coloratura passages, and unless the singer accepts this premi.se ht of the ling of a ted by might the shape and direction of the respectii perform them as senseless vocalises. Purcell developed a unique form of vocal writing which could be best described as "florid recitative". Songs like " Th Halurt'i Voice", "Not ail my Tormeilli" or the first section of "Lord what a Man" are some of the magnificent examples of this style of writing. They ought to be performed with the rhythmic freedom of a recitative, so that the tempo and character of each coloratura passage could be determined by the meaning of the text it illustrates. A metronomically accurate performance of such music would ai this the editor refrained from endowing the accompaniments of such florid recitati dent figuration which would riot allow the singer the necessary freedom. : folio edition of the Purcell Society was used as the original text. The The folio edition of the Purcell Society wa is a precise reproduction of the one printed in the be occasionally doubled, repeated or transposed an occur, are scrupulously followed. A few airs from from the original editions. All the dynamic marks and tempo visable to dispense with the usual slur: necessary. However, occasionally, slur: are to be found in the original. In cas< ic indicate the rhythmic division In a few airs written for the male Trumpet, Your Awful Voice, Slr/i entire song then transposed to su . being much too low fo In the reduction of airs fo ay properly adjust his manner Pur octa "Hai L-11 Sot e lowt ety Folio volumes, er. Figures found i Sacra" and "Orpi, nount to res with ice part Howevi n the UJ Br. a parody. Because of rhythmically indepen- in the er, die riginal present edition bass notes may whenever they " were realized intained in the r part. ¦ Legato icate the phrasi mu th, the < uniq lines. nte tcnoi part (T/ origin and ¦ ig the Nam lised ; the r: 1 are m pare. mn legato" a ditor suggest: ndications not cc in the pianofortt are used to indi of hemiolas and other polymetric devices square phrasing 1 egardless of bai Ito voice or CO) the Viol) the voic our present day ^ ilt( itheses. It seemed ad-re used instead, when . None of these slurs bove the Vi I octave in ige of the Mu elatii u hil^. So the bass. an ordinary (emal. voice and orchestr f playing. nd too high fo 1 te the instrumentation is always indicated, that SURÜIUS KACitN