Anonymous no more

I spent a couple of days in a major library recently, poring over some very exciting things. When I had done all that needed doing, I indulged in my beloved pursuit of noseying around in the anonymous section. True to form, I identified one of the pieces in the collection as a previously unknown score of Samuel Capricornus’s beautiful motet for ATB, four viole and continuo Quis dabit capiti meo aquam? All proud of myself, I informed the library assistant at the desk of my discovery, and she appeared non-plussed about it, but said in any case I would have to tell the librarian, as only *he* could write in the catalogue. When he introduced himself later that day – I’d booked some of the materials ahead of my visit, so he’d been expecting me – I took the opportunity to pass one news of my discovery, but he was *totally* non-plussed. “Oh well, you know, it may be and it may not be [the reaction being despite the fact that I had called up a modern edition of the piece for back-up, itself based on the original printed partbooks and a set of manuscript parts in the Düben Collection], but our manuscripts are currently away being databased by RISM, so they will undoubtedly identify many scores now thought anonymous.” Yes, that’s probably true, but I’m telling you now! “Next time, give yourself a random academic title and they will take more notice of you,” advised one of my colleagues. There’s a moral lurking there somewhere…

Read Full Post »

David Pohle: Sonata a6 in D minor

The latest title in our catalogue is now available. It’s a wonderfully rich sonata for two violins, three violas, viola da basso and continuo by the mid-17th-century German composer, David Pohle, and was edited by Gottfried Gille whose dissertation on Pohle’s music remains the definitive reference work. This new edition is part of a Complete Edition of his surviving music. So far, over half are available. Click here for details.

The sonata was recorded on a very fine CD called Wie der Hirsch schreyet (a psalm text set by Pohle, known in English as “As pants the hart”) by L’arpa festante. (Carus 83.413).

Read Full Post »

Fasch biography

Ever since I organized three Edinburgh Festival Fringe concerts in 1988 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Johann Friedrich Fasch’s death, it has been an ambition to compile as much information about him as I can. A little over 20 years later, I have started to translate an early 20th-century biography, which I will then use as a basis for more recent research notes.

The first few pages are here.

Let me know what you think.

Read Full Post »