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DDD 2:38:38 Recorded: Bothamsall Parish Church – 30 September - 5 October 2003 ThPadre Antonio Soler’s extraordinary Six Quintets for Organ and String Quartet are one of the almost unknown major post-Baroque masterpieces of our time, blending the Baroque and early Classical styles with a savoury seasoning of Spanish folk music and dance. They were written for the musically gifted Prince Gabriel of the Madrid Royal House who demanded they be written for a new instrument of extraordinary compass (GG to f3) to be built by José de Casas rendering them unplayable by other musicians. A special instrument (no longer in existence) was built for him and installed at the Monastery of Escoril. The Quintets were a new musical form for Padre Antonio Soler and one can observe his startling evolutionary musical growth and excitement in the project as the Quintets grow from ‘a grave sadness via rustic plainness to festive brilliance’. They are played by the well known Rasumovsky String Quartet and the formidable organ virtuoso Paul Parsons on two especially constructed instruments by Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn the Welbeck organ builders. This we have been led to believe is the first recording of the Organ Quintets complete and the music has been edited from various manuscripts and contemporary sources. In so far as present day listeners are aware of Antonio Soler it is as the pupil of Domenico Scarlatti who wrote 120 keyboard sonatas and an unexpectedly fiery Fandango. In fact he was a leading musician in 18th century Spain, a composer of sacred choral music and secular villancicos, as well as being an organist and an authority on organ building. Soler’s education began at the age of seven, when he joined the choir school at Montserrat, making rapid progress as keyboard player and composer. At the age of 23 he joined the order of Jeronymite monks at El Escorial, becoming maestro de capilla in 1757. He became famous among his contemporaries as the author of Llave de la modulacion, published in 1762. In this “Key to modulation” Soler demonstrated how to move rapidly between all keys; his daring and modern theories attracted unfavourable criticism, and pamphlets for and against Soler’s masterly theories were exchanged for four years. The Spanish royal family of Ferdinand VI and his queen Maria Barbara were accustomed to spend each autumn at El Escorial to enjoy the music there. Their son Prince Gabriel became an organ pupil of Padre Soler, who wrote Six Concertos for two organs to play with his royal pupil in a small palace built expressly for this purpose in the grounds of El Escorial. This may also have been the setting for the performance of the 6 Suites for String Quartet and obbligato Chamber organ here recorded. These too were written for Prince Gabriel to play. Just as C.P.E Bach reserved a much more personal and original style for the music written for his own satisfaction (as distinct from more formal “official” works), Padre Soler has brought fresh imagination and great skill to bear on these Quintets; it is as though, writing for the enclosed musical world of the royal circle, he is free from the adverse criticism that assailed his Llave de la modulacion, and can thus experiment and achieve true originality. The Six Quintets What quickly becomes evident on making acquaintance with these works is the totally even-handed treatment of all instruments involved – and the quality of original ideas and variety of scoring used by the composer. The organ is neither just a continuo, nor has it uniquely a solo function; these works show a great range of textures and combinations to carry Soler’s ingenious and expressive ideas. Some movements look back to Baroque modes of thought, others forward to Classical and Galant procedures, with a thread of Spanish folk music appearing from time to time (Soler’s oeuvre includes short gypsy dramatic scenes even a villancico in Negro dialect, not to mention that celebrated Fandango.) Some movements have a substantial quartet passage before the first organ entry, while others show much shorter exchanges (sometimes a bar or two long). Unexpected scoring is a feature, especially from Quintet 3 onwards, as Soler settles in to this idiom with greater assurance. A downward cascade of trills, often in thirds, gradually turns out to be a trademark feature, while his mastery of harmony shows everywhere, sometimes with dramatic effect, sometimes with subtlety. Emotionally all shades of expression have their place, from a grave sadness via rustic plainness to festive brilliance. To outline some notable features: Quintet 1 i) Trills and rushing scales give energy to the opening string passage, while virtuosity is called for in the organ part straightaway. Exchanges long and short set a pattern for the whole series. ii) Muted strings convey a more wistful mood with enterprising modulations later on. iii) A substantial fugal movement (sometimes called “intento” by Soler). It is worthy of note that the music reaches the key of C sharp minor in the middle, a long way from the main C major – the composer puts his modulating theories to good use. iv) The Minuetto shares its material between keyboard and strings, the Trio section is for the quartet only. v) A bright Allegro, with rushing strings; leaps and figurations for the keyboard suggest the competence of the royal organist!
Quintet 2 i) A calmer F major opens this Cantabile con moto in galant style. Organ and strings agree together. ii) This Minuetto is built up by an exchange of short phrases; the Quartetto (Trio) in D minor is inventive and conversational, with short duets for viola and cello. iii) A busy texture, leaping melodies and trills characterize this busy Allegro. Quick exchanges between keyboard and strings are everywhere. A longer organ solo leads into iv) a Divertimento (Andante) and the first use of the regal. Elegant and courtly, it finishes on the dominant to lead back to v) a short recapitulation of the previous Allegro. Quintet 3 i) The strings start with those descending trills; the organ joins after only 4 bars. A free dialogue hetween keyboard and strings builds into an extended movement. ii) A slow expressive aria. 1st violin and organ share the melody, while harmonic tension between sharps and flats heightens expression with a Spanish accent. iii) No Minuetto, but an Allegro Pastorile featuring the strings. The first Trio is for organ only, the second for the strings. iv) A brief Andantino Grazioso features the normal conversations between organ and strings, leading directly into v) an Allegro Subito. Busy string textures and quick dialogue round off the Quintet in lively fashion. Quintet 4 i) A lighter touch in A minor, with exchanges between violins and viola/cello. Adding brilliant organ trills to an existing string sequence creates a more complex texture. The variety of exchanges between all participants reflects Soler’s outstanding creativity. ii) A more courtly, formal Minuetto for the quartet has the viola acting as bass for much of the second section. Minuetto 2 goes to the organ, with a delicate flute texture. iii) A dramatic and vigorous movement opens conspiratorially, with string sequences and abrupt questions. A Spanish flavour to some harmonic sequences hints at “La Folia”. iv) Exotic scoring opens the final Minuetto con Variazione, with organ right hand and the 3 upper strings doubling the melody, while only cello and organ left hand support a bass line. Var.1 Strings without viola – a florid 1st violin part with supporting comments from violin 2. Var.2 The organ simplifies the theme to harmonic arpeggios – then flowers into elaborated cadences. Var.3 The quartet finds textures for another simplified version. Var.4 A flute stop is specified for a quick-moving chorale statement. Var.5 An extensive duet for viola and cello -unusually emancipated writing for the period (1776). Var.6 The dotted rhythm of the Minuet appears in the strings, answered by the regal. A simpler string entry receives a literal response from the regal – leading into a full restatement of the Minuet to round off this Quintet. Quintet 5 i) A spacious, relaxed atmosphere launches this work with a long quartet passage. The first organ entry is in dialogue with the muted 1st violin (a new concept in the series), which continues after the next string entry, indeed it characterises the movement as a whole. ii) Allegro Presto. A vigorous and busy string opening evokes an equally festive response from the organ. An obsessively repeated organ cadence adds to the impression of brilliance combined with tongue-in-cheek good humour. iii) A rustic Minuetto, complete with drone lower string parts, is answered by the regal with trills and dotted rhythms. The alternative Quartetto is a dialogue between organ and 1st violin, with 2nd violin and viola pizzicato throughout, while the cello takes a rest. iv) Rondo. The regal leads the Allegretto with a military dotted figure. The main Rondo is followed by two remarkable duets – first for viola and cello, then for the two violins. There are interludes for regal alone, then all forces together before a reprise of the Rondo. Quintet 6 i) The sad G minor Andante for the strings starts with the viola, but the organ enters Allegro, with an emphatic string passage confirming the change. These ideas alternate until the restrained ending. ii) Strings and organ share the material of this bold Minuetto. The Quartetto (Trio) has a robust character. iii) Finale, Rondo with Variations. A mixture of poise and vitality characterises the Rondo itself – characteristics which will be highlighted in the variations. Var.1 Organ. Var.2 Strings without cello. Var.3 Cello the leading voice. Var.4 Regal. Var.5 Short exchanges between strings and regal. Var.6 Strings – more contrapuntal. Var.7 Organ (flute stop). Var.8 Organ joined by viola and cello in the second half. Var.9 Lively upward scurries and triplets in all parts. Var.10 Organ – chords in alternating registers. Var.11 Dialogue between muted 1st violin and organ right hand – other strings pizzicato. Var.12 Duet for 1st violin and cello, followed by a reprise of the Rondo. THE INSTRUMENTS The chamber organ made by Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn in the summer of 2003 has a character which has many things in common with an organ of the 1770s in Spain (and Portugal and Italy), at the time the Soler quintets were published. The sound of the English and Spanish organs is very similar, so far as the ‘ordinary’ organ pipes, the Principals of the chorus, are concerned. They are rather quiet, a bit on the stringy side, and brilliant when the upperwork is used, in contrast with the large, vigorous fluty sound of the same pipes in a north European organ. The characteristic sound of the English, Spanish and Italian organs suits the accompaniment of string ensembles, which no doubt accounts for the popularity of the small domestic organ in these countries. The one aspect of the Spanish organ which was not shared by the English was the inclusion of batteries of horizontal reeds, though both had small reeds with short resonators from an early date. Very few survive in early English organs, so this recording uses a modern regal based on a late 17th century French example, similar to the small regals available in the Spanish court (though it is likely that Antonio Soler would have used a reed available on the organ at El Escorial). The chamber organ possessed another characteristic essential to the performance of this music. Until the nineteenth century most Iberian organs had a restricted keyboard compass from C to d3, of 45 if with diatonic notes only in the bottom octave, or 49 notes if fully chromatic. Soler’s quintets are exceptional for their extended keyboard compass for an organ part, a fact explained by the organ on which they were played. In the years 1776-78, in the years leading up to the publication of the quintets, Jose de Casas y Soler, who had the contract for the organs in El Escorial, was rebuilding the organ in the coro of the church, to include a keyboard compass of 59 notes from GG to f3, with a full chromatic bass. Since Jose de Casas gave this treatment to very few other organs in Spain (if any), this would have remained almost the only place where this music of Antonio’s could be played. Fortunately, the long GG compass was shared by most English organs of the 18th century, increasingly likely to be fully chromatic by the middle of the century, which is the main reason why this chamber organ was chosen. The work on the organ, and composition of the quintets, was the result of an obligation towards the musical talent of Prince Gabriel (1752-88). According to the New Grove article on Soler, the organ quintets were written from 1776, and the work on the organ must have been directly connected with their performance. Unfortunately it is now a shadow of its former self. The organs of the Escorial are no longer playable as single instruments, and much of their historic pipework has been disposed of. There are very few organs available suitable for this enchanting music other than those made in England at around the same period. The chamber organ, which was made for Leeds University, is based on the organs of the 1750s and 1760s made by a London builder called Thomas Parker. He was a fine craftsman who made an organ in c.1750 for Charles Jennens, librettist of Messiah, which survives at the church on the estate at Great Packington in Warwickshire, and a large organ for the Foundling Hospital Chapel in Holborn in 1768, of which only the keys, the case and a few small pipes remain. The regal is part of a small consort organ, made for Trevor Jones and Consort of Musicke viols in 1980. Page revised 09.02.05 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
