Instructor: Matthew Provost
Location: Église St-Léon, Westmount
Time: 11:30-13:30

May 16, 2009 - Matthew Provost's Week 2 course has been CANCELLED

See Week 2

Week 1: Introduction to the Organ Music of Spain’s Golden Age

 

Intended to serve as an all-encompassing introduction to the glorious keyboard repertoire and organs of the Spanish Siglo de Oro, week one focuses on the myriad of performance practice issues confronting conscientious performers who wish to widen their musical horizon and enrich their repertoire with masterpieces from Spain. Based firmly in primary source study, issues such as registration, fingering, tempo, touch, ornamentation, and Spanish keyboard tablature form the practical, hands-on core of week one. As counterbalance to the practical side, musicological presentations of composers, organs, and their place in Spain’s Golden Age will prove essential in attempting to capture and recreate the unique sound and spirit of Spanish keyboard music. By way of repertoire, much emphasis will be placed on deepening the performer’s understanding of 16^th- and 17^th-century Spanish attitudes toward organ music as defined by contemporary composers and theorists, all of which cite the study of counterpoint and improvisation as indispensible ingredients of the organist’s facultad. A wealth of supplemental written material is provided and will form an ideal “starter’s library” for further exploration into this most magnificent repertoire.

Repertoire List

Antonio de Cabezón (c1510-1566)
Diferencias and dance-based compositions from Obras de música (Madrid, 1578)
Tiento del 4.^o Tono from Venegas de Henestrosa’s Libro de Cifra Nueva, (Alcalá, 1557), fol. 26v
Tiento del 5.^o Tono from Obras de música, fol. 62v
Tiento del 6.^o Tono from Obras de música, fol. 64v
Ave Maris Stella from Obras de música, fol 99v
Beata Viscera Mariæ from Obras de música, fol 102r
Christe Redemptor from Obras de música, fol 25r
Pange Lingua from Obras de música, fol 26v
Por un Plaisir, Criquillon from Obras de música
Un Gay Bergeir, Criquillon from Obras de música
Susana, Criquillon from Obras de música

Editions:
1)  The Collected Works of Antonio de Cabezón, 5 vols. ed. Charles Jacobs. New York: The Institute of Mediæval Music, 1967-86. (Although fraught with problems, this is still the only edition of the complete known works.)
2)  A. de Cabezón: Obras de música para tecla, arpa y vihuela, ed. Higini Anglès in Monumentos de la Música Española, vols. xxvii-xxix, 1966. (for the pieces based on Crecquillon motets)

Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia (1561-1627)
Tiento de 4.^o tono (not de falsas)
Tiento de 8.^o tono por delasolre
Registro baixo de 1.^o tom

Edition: Spanish Organ Masters after Antonio de Cabezón, ed. Willi Apel in Corpus of Early Keyboard Music, 14. American Institute of Musicology, 1971.

José Jiménez (1601-1672)
Versos de 6.^o tono sobre los Seculorum
Any of the Pange lingua pieces
Obra de 1.^o tono, de lleno
Obra de lleno 1.^o tono sin paso
Batalla de 6.^o tono (Escorial A, fol. 81v)
 
Edition: Joseph Jimenez Collected Organ Compositions, ed. Willi Apel in Corpus of Early Keyboard Music, 31. American Institute of Musicology, 1975.

Pablo Bruna (1611-1679)
#3. Tiento de 1.^er tono de mano derecha
#5. Tiento de falsas de 2.^o tono [por Ge sol re ut]
#6. Tiento de 2.^o tono por Ge sol re ut “Sobre la letanía de la Virgen”
#9. Tiento de 5.^o tono de mano izquierda
#10. Tiento de 5.^o tono de mano izquierda y al medio a dos bajos

Edition: Obras Completas Para Órgano de Pablo Bruna, ed. Carlo Stella. Zaragosa: Institución Fernando el Católico de la Excma. Diputación Provincial, 1993.

Juan Cabanilles (1644-1712)
VI Pasacalles II, 1.
XI Gallardas II, 3.
XIV Gallardas V, 8.
XXIV Xàcara
Tiento XXIII, 7. por A la mi re.
Tiento 44, XV, De Batalla 5. Punt baix
Tiento 57, III, En tercio a modo de Italia, 1.^o tono
Corrente Italiana

Edition: Musici organici Iohannis Cabanilles (1644-1712) opera omnia, eds. Higini Anglès (4 vols.) and Josep Climent (3 vols.). Barcelona: Publicaciones del Departamento de Música de la Biblioteca de Cataluña, iv (1927), viii (1933), xiii (1936), xvii (1956), xxvii (1986), xxxiv (1989), xxxvi (1992). First four volumes also available in Kalmus reprints: K 09776, K 09777, K 09778, K 09779

NB: Active participants may submit other repertoire from the above listed composers and collections with permission prior to the beginning of the Academy. 

 

Week 2:  Spain’s Most Significant Composer of Organ Music:
Francisco Correa de Arauxo and His Facultad organica of 1626

 

May 16, 2009 - Matthew Provost's Week 2 course has been CANCELLED

 

Without doubt the greatest contribution to the history of 17^th-century Iberian keyboard music, the Facultad organica is a superlative monument to the staying power of 15^th- and 16^th-century modal keyboard counterpoint and its attempt to stand strong against the prevailing Italian winds that would usher in the airy 17^th-century Baroque musical aesthetic. While in true Spanish form, Correa, with his collection of sixty-nine pieces, seeks to incite interest by purporting to be an innovator, in reality he offers a mind bogglingly masterful testament to the older, long waning 16^th-century tradition of florid contrapuntal keyboard music exemplified by the music and writings of Antonio de Cabezón, Fray Thomás de Santa María, and Juan Bermudo.

Correa was good enough to provide his collection with a lengthy preface containing a wealth of theoretical and practical information. Week two participants will focus intensively on those instructions, studying fingering, ornamentation, tempo indications, and style. They will deepen their understanding of Correa’s achievement by applying the instructions to his works. Further, practical and theoretical consideration of the works of Correa’s predecessors will shed much light on his creative genius. The numerous aspects of performance practice covered in week one will serve as an ideal foundation for week two, especially where registration and Spanish organ history are concerned.

Repertoire List

Correa gave each of his pieces an indication of difficulty, 1 (less difficult)—5 (extremely difficult). Although each participant is encouraged to select pieces that best suit their ability, preference lies with tientos #: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 47, 51, 52, 54, 58, 60, 61, 63, 65, 66.

Four editions of the Facultad organica are currently available:
1)  Macario Santiago Kastner. 2 vols. in Monumentos de la Música Española. Barcelona: Instituto Español de Musicología, 1948, 1952. (not recommended)
2)  Macario Santiago Kastner. 2 vols. Madrid: Unión Musical Española, 1974, 1980-81. (not recommended)
3)  Miguel Bernal Ripoll. Madrid: Sociedad Española de Musicología, 2005. (preferred edition)
4)  Guy Bovet. Bologna: Ut Orpheus Edizioni, 2007. (contains valuable translation of Correa’s preface into numerous languages)