Toccata in A Major c.1690

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1 M USIC T EACHERS.CO.UK the Internet service for practical musicians Anon Toccata in A Major c.1690 for organ or harpsichord Edited by Jonathan Baxendale Reproduced by kind permission of Sphinx Music, Ware, Herts Sphinx Music All rights reserved

2 i Choice of instrument The decision as to whether to play the toccatas on either organ or harpsichord is entirely that of the performer as they can sound equally as good on either. Cooper suggests that Rossi s designation of per Organo, ò Cembalo probably indicates that the harpsichord was seen as an inferior alternative, but the lavish manner in which harpsichords were produced both in England and abroad, however, evidences that this was not always the case. 1 In any respect, it should be borne in mind that most seventeenth century musicians would not have discriminated too greatly between either. Today, relatively few examples of late 17th- or early 18th-century English keyboard instruments survive. At this time, harpsichords generally had one keyboard with a minimum of two 8-foot choirs. An examination of pieces by contemporary English composers shows that the timbral characteristics of the organ were increasingly becoming an important consideration in the planning and production of music. Resultantly, composers began specifying particular combinations of stops for individual movements. Passagework, such as that found here, would often end up with a more general full organ designation, with contrasting passages played on a different manual. Full organ is only a nominal term, however, and for each instrument and composer was undoubtedly different. The following specification demonstrates the timbral possibilities then available to English organists. 1 Cooper, 231. Chapel Royal, Whitehall Built by Father Smith, Great organ Choir organ Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Principal 4 Principal 4 Flute (wood, from tenor C#) Block flute (from ten. C#) Vox Humana 8 Twelfth 2 2/3 Cremona 8 Fifteenth 2 Echo Sesquialtera III Open Diapason 8 Cornet (from tenor C#) III Principal 4 Trumpet 8 Cornet II Trumpet 8 This is a particularly large instrument. Smaller instruments might not have had the luxury of either a choir or echo division from which to choose. There is no pedal division, a feature common to all instruments of the day. Registration for a full organ might consist of Great foundation work of 8-, 4- and 2-foot stops, a mutation and large mixture. The trumpet might be added in certain circumstances, but generally such individual stops were used for their solo rather than ensemble capabilities. Generally, English harpsichords had only one manual and one choir of strings, and were generally of the spinet variety. Surviving examples demonstrate an affinity with contemporary Italian instruments and their particularly short scaling creates a dry, almost percussive tone. Generally their range was from GG-c. Generally, English keyboard instruments were tuned to a version of meantone temperament at a lower pitch than today. Undoubtedly this would have varied according to individual tuners practices, with less euphonious intervals being tempered to suit indi-

3 ii vidual tastes. When considering the tuning of an instrument, it should be borne in mind that equal temperament at this time was not generally used anywhere in Europe. The tuning system of Vallotti or Young No. 1 might prove to be a sufficient choice of temperament without too many distressed intervals occurring. Fingering and articulation The Harpsichord Master, published by John Walsh in 1697, is prefaced with information on the scale of the gamut as well as fingering suggestions, which show that scales were mostly played by pairs of fingers (see Facsimile). In the right hand, fingers 3 and 4 were used in ascending scales, whilst 3 and 2 were used in descending. The opposite applies to the left hand. This generally follows the practices of the Elizabethan virginalist school. Thus, the third finger, being strong is placed on the beat, whilst the second and fourth would be placed on subsequent quavers or semiquavers. The thumb and little finger seem to have been used with greater frequency in England than on the Continent but even then, only to start or finish a scale, or to avoid uncomfortable positions where anything other would have been impractical. Since crossing fingers or taking the thumb under the palm of the hand was considered ungainly, the only means by which scalic passagework could be undertaken would be to shift hand positions. This leads to a natural articulation forming, whereby twos and, in some circumstances, fours would be broken. At first, this might have an effect on speed, but with practise, early fingering might prove to be an effective, if not preferable substitute. The modern approach to beaming seems to have developed around the early 18th century. Certainly, the beaming patterns in the Dawson book are regular, with semiquavers grouped in fours and quavers, twos, etc. However, when examining the earlier sources a different picture starts to emerge. That of Add displays all manner of incongruities, which on the surface cry out to be standardised. However, if we look more closely at these it is possible to see that many irregular beamings suggest articulation points. For example, the first beat of the soprano in bar 28 detaches the quaver from its succeeding group. Although this could be a notational mistake, there remains the possibility that the scribe of Add required some form of articulation at this point. Other similar occurrences arise and, doubtless some of these are errors, but these are still worth investigating by the performer since they might indicate a method of phrasing and articulation that precedes slurs and staccato markings. Tempo By the end of the seventeenth century, time signatures had connotations of tempo. The Harpsichord Master explains their significance thus: There being nothing more difficult in Musick than playing of true time, tis therefore necessary to be observ d by all pracktisioners, of which there are two sorts, Common time, & tripletime, & is distinguish d by this this or this mark, ye first is a very slow movement, the next a little faster, and the last a brisk and airry time, & each of

4 iii them has allways to the length of one semibreif in a barr Triple time consists of either three or six Crotchets in a barr, and is to be known by this 3/4 this 3s or this 6/4 marke, to the first there is three Minims in a barr, & is commonly play d very slow, the second has three Crotchets in a barr, and they are to be played slow, the third has the same as the former but is play d faster, ye last has six Crotchets in a barr, & is Commonly to brisk tunes, as Iggs and Paspy s 2 This is not always much help in determining tempi, however, as their use by different composers was, to say the least, inconsistent. Even in Purcell s suites, printed in the same volume, one finds inconsistencies. Tempo markings should not be regarded as akin to those in use today, however, and again, the judgement of the performer should take precedence over all. Rules for Graces Ornamentation follows that of the English virginalist school. Again, The Harpsichord Master points modern performers in the right direction where Rules for Graces are supplied (see Facsimile). 3 Three of these are used here: the Shake (e.g. bar 27), equivalent to d Anglebert s tremblement and Bach trillo should begin on the upper note. This was sometimes prefixed a diagonal line falling from left to right which required the use of an appoggiatura (e.g. bar 18); known as the plain note 2 The Harpsichord Master, 3. 3 The Harpsichord Master, 4. and shake and equivalent to d Anglebert s Tremblement appuyé. The length of the appoggiatura is very much a matter of taste, but there are circumstances where it might be used to great effect in creating dissonances that both the player and listener can relish. The Slur is a diagonal line between notes a third apart (e.g. bar 82) and matches d Anglebert s Coulé sur un tierce, and required the player to rapidly play the three notes it covered holding only the outer ones. The partially-edited transcription of the Dawson toccata contains two graces not found in the other sources. The first of these is the Beat, (e.g. Supplement, bar 11). This is comparable with the French Pincé and the Bach Mordant. 4 Also found is the Battery, equivalent to d Anglebert s Arpegé, and requiring the upward spreading of the chord (e.g. Supplement, bar 122). The Dawson book also contains instances of melismatic elaboration that are worth considering as a substitute to the text. 5 This sort of elaboration became particularly popular in instrumental music of the 18th-century, and examples occur in many sources, printed or otherwise. For example, one might look to the Adagio of Handel s second suite in F major harpsichord suite (1720) to see instances of ornamentation that, in the slower sections of the A major toccata, might be applied. 4 The version in The Harpsichord Master is wrong since this prefixes a lower appoggiatura. 5 See Supplement, bars and

5 iv Ornament table and fingering chart from The Harpsichord Master, 1697

10 Critical Commentary 1. Reading procedure: For the sake of convenience, parts are indicated using their vocal equivalents. Thus, those marked s are always the uppermost part, etc. Where a line contains more than two voices secondary parts are assigned, e.g. ss or tt. Number references specify the note (or rest) of a bar. For example, s.10 is the tenth note in that voice. However, for the sake of clarity, it is occasionally necessary to refer to beats (e.g. a. beat 3). Where the music is in free time, it has been necessary to refer to page numbers, systems and groups (e.g. [p. 6. sys. 2] rh. gr.1, note 4). Notes that naturally carry the sharp of the key signature do not bear accidental signs in the commentary; all other accidentals are indicated. The distribution of voices differs from one source to another; thus, the alto line in one might be written as the tenor in another. Since this might be the cause of some confusion, references are made according to their layout in the base copy. Pitch references are based on Helmholtz s system where c is middle C. The plus sign (+) designates notes that follow a variant. Occasionally these are greater in value, in which case all subsequent notes in the score are cancelled. 2. The following abbreviations are used: ad. additional br breve ch. chord comb. combined d-sq demi-semiquaver lh. left hand npt no preceding tie q quaver rh. right sq semiquaver sys system TS time signature arp. arpeggio c crotchet cl. clef d prefix dotted gr. group m minim om omitted r suffix rest sb semibreve Ss secretary script tpn tied to previous note? obscured Principal Source: British Library Add. MS , fos. 16v-20v (A) Secondary Sources: British Library Add. MSS , fos. 5v-9r (B), (C), Anne Dawson s Book, Manchester, Henry Watson Music Library BRM CR 71, rev (D), Bach- Gesellschaft 42, (E) (Knuth). [1] TS: (D E) rh.: g3cl. (A B) rh. beat 1: ad. sq ch. c e a (D) rh.beat 4.4: ad. e sq (E) lh.beat 4: sqr ch. A c e q (B) / t. & b. written as sq arp. (D) [2] rh.beat 1: ad. ch. c e dm (B D) / npt (B C) / dm tpn (B D E) / dm (C) t.2: sqr + dq (E) [4] t.2: aq (A C E) t.3: eq (A C E) b.2: Ac (D) b.3: ec (D) [5] s.4: b (A) b.3: m (A) / om. (B C E) [6] a.1: om. (D) a.2: om. (D) [7] a.5: om. (D) a.10: om. (D) b. 1: cr (B) [8] lh.: c3cl. (D) a.5: om. (D) a.10: om. (D) [9] lh.: c4cl. (A B) a.5: om. (D) [10] lh.: f4cl. (B) a.1: e om. (B) / e q + bq (A C) t.5: e dq (B) t.8: npt (C) b.5: f4cl. (D) rh. & lh. beats 3 & 4: as arp. sq (D) [11] lh.beat 1: ad. em (D) rh. beat 2:

11 c3cl. (D) all parts: dm + cr [thus displacing bars 11.iii 29 by two beats] (E) 1 b.9 d (E) [12] s.8: g2cl. (D) s.11: g # (E) b.7: c4cl. (D) [13] s.2: g# (E) ss.2: sq (B C E) ss.3: sq (B C) t.8: e (A B C D) b.2: npt (B) lh.reads: d e f d q, e dq d sq c dq bsq (D) rh. beats 3 & 4 read: g b sq e q, a c sq e q (D) [14] lh.: f4cl. (D) a.2: om. (A B C E) [15] s.1: sq (A) a.beat 4: c b c a sq (E) a.9: om. (D) a.10: om. (A) a.11: c (D) t.1: aq (D) b.1: c + cr (D) b.2: c + qr (A) / q (D E) b.3: om. (E) [16] s.7:b (E) s.9: e sq + bsq (E) a.1: g q (E) a.2: om. (D E) t.1: npt (C) / qr (D) b.1: dcr + Bq (D) b.2: e (C) / cr + Ec (D) [17] s. & a. com. as sq (D) s.1: sq (D) s.6: sq (D) a.4: d (A B) t.1: ad. g c (D) b.1: tpn (D) [18] s.1-2: ad. slur (D) s.beat 4: f e d c sq (D) s.11: d # (A) / f dq (E) s.12: e sq (E) t.3: c c tpn (D) [19] s.3: f (A B C) s.5:? (E) s.7:? (E) s.8:? (E) s.9: c sq + e #sq (thus a.3: om.) (D) a.3: f (C) [20] s.1: npt (B) / f sq (D) s.6: sqr (D) a.1: om. (C D) t.2: om (D) [21] s.1: c + cr (D) s.6: b (B) b.1: om. (D) [22] s.9: om. (D) s.10: d (D) tt.: om (D) b.3: c + ec (D) [23] s.1: c + cr (D) s.8: g (D) a.1: om. (B C D E) t: om. (D) b.9: c + cr (D) [24] s.1: c + cr (D) t: om. (D) b.9: c + cr (D) [25] s.1: c + cr (D) t: om. (D) b.3: d (A D) b.9: c + cr (D) [26] b.1: c4cl. (A B) b.2: c3cl. (D) lh. beat 3: ad. ac (E) b.9: c + cr (E) [27] lh.: f4cl. (B) lh.:beats 1 and 2 om. (E) b.10: f4.cl. (D) b.12: d (C) [28] s.7: b m (E) a.1: qr + aq (B) a.2: c (C) / sq (E) a.3: dc (C) t.4: dc tied to a.2 (B) lh.: f4cl. (A) b.1: c + ec (C) [29] all parts: ad. m c# (E) [Source (C) ends] Turn Over follows bar (B) [30] Ss. om: (A B E) [32] lh.: c4cl. / g2cl. (D) [32] s.1: m (E) s.3: m tpn (E) [33] s.1: c tpn / remainder of bar rests (E) [34] lh.: c4cl. (B) / c3cl. (D) s.7: e (A) s.8: g (A) [35] a.2: c (D) [36] lh.: f4cl. (B) / f4cl. (D) [37] s.1: sb (E) ss.1: m (B) / om. (D) [38] s.1: 1 Future references will be in line with Sources A-D sq tpn (A B) s.9: f q (A) s.12: g (A) a.2: q (A B) b.5: c3cl. (A) [40] tt.1: m (D) [41] lh.: c3cl. (D) / c4cl (A) s.1: sb (E) a.1: e sq tpn (E) b.1: c (E) [42] s.1: tpn (E) s.2: c (D) [43] lh.: f4cl. (A D) a.beats 1 & 3: ad. e (D) [44] s.1: ad. b c (B) s.2: npt (D) [45] s. & a. comb. as sq (D) t.5: e (D) / c (E) t.6: d (B D) t.7: e q eq (B) b.5: d q + bq (B) [47] s., ss. & a.1: m remainder of bar om. (B) ss.2: om. (A E) [48] s.1: om. (A B D) s.2: d #sq (D) a.1: om. (A B D) a.2: e sq tied to b.8 (B E) a.6: sq comb. with s. (D) [49] s. & a. comb. as sq (D) s.8: om. instead beat 4 reads e c d (E) ss.1: q + q (A) ss.1: dq (B) ss.1 & 2 om. (E) rh. beat 4 reads: e a c d sq (D) t.6: ac (A) b.2: npt (B D) / c + fc (D) [50] s.1: c (B E) / sq (D) [51] beats 3 & 4: s. & a. comb. as sq (D) a.8: e (A) / b (D) b.4: d (D) [52] s. & a. comb. as sq (D) s.6: g sq (D) a.6: d # (D) a.8: e (D) [53] s. & a. comb. as sq (D) s.2: c (A) / sq (B) b.1: gc (D) / dm (E) [54] t.1 [beat 3]: om. (D E) b.2: c3cl. (D) b.4: d # (A) [55] s.11: e # (D) b.4: d # (A) b.9: c + cr (E) b.10: f4cl. (D) b.16: e (A) [Bars 54 and 55 are mistakenly repeated in (B)] [56] rh.: beat 2 om. (A) s.1: q + qr (E) s.2: qr + a q (D E) bass rhythm for each beat: q + sqr + sq (D) [57] s.7: sqr + a q + a sq tpn + g sq (D) a.10: npt (A B) a.10: qr (D) t.1: bc (A) t.: om. (A D) b.7: Bq + cq (A D) [58] TS: 8/6 (A) / 9/8 (D) / 3/8 [thus requiring ad. ½ bar lines] (D) Tempo om. (A B E) Fugato om. (A B D) s.16: d (D) [59] s.9: om. (D) s.10: c dq (A B D) s.12: d dq (A B) / om. (D) s.13: ad. e dq tpn (E) a.2: tpn (E) b.5: q + esq (D) [60] s.1: tpn (E) / q (B) s.2: q (B) t.1: ad. bdq (D) b.5: ad. f# tpn (E) [61] s.10: sq + b sq (D) s.12: c q + b (D) a: om. (D) a.3: npt (A B) b.16: q (D) b.17: g sq (D) [62] lh.: c4cl. (A B) / c3cl. (D) s.17: b # (E) b.1: d # (E) b.9: d # (E) [63] lh.: f4cl. (A B D) s.7: npt (A B) a.1: dq (D) t.1: q + a sq (D) [64] s.10 a # (E) a.1: a # (B) a.5: d # (B) a.7: f #q + f #sq (D) a.8: tpn (D) t.5: mistakenly written as sq (A) t.8: tpn (D) b.1: dq

12 + dcr (D) [65] s.1: q (E) a.: om. (D) t.1: om. (A D) b.1: q + bsq (D) b.2: npt (B) / c sq (D) b.5: q + csq (D) [66] b.5: npt (D) [67] s.9: g dq (D) / g sq + a q (B) b.1: tpn (E) [68] tt.1 & 2: om (D) [69] s.11: b (A) tt.1 & 2: om (D) [70] s.9: d (B) s.18: f (E) tt.1 & 2: om (D) [71] s.18: c (B) / d # (B E) tt.1 & 2: om (E) [72] s.3: d (A) lh.: octave ee q + sqr + qr + sq + q + sqr + q + sqr + sqr + sq + sqr + sqr + sq + sqr (B) lh.1: q + sqr (E) lh.5: q + sqr (E) lh.8: q + sqr (E) [73] lh.: octave ee + q + sqr + sqr + sqr + sq + q + sqr + sqr + sqr + sq + q + sqr + sqr + sqr + sq (A) / 4 x octave ee q sqr qr sq q sqr (B) / 2 x octave ee qr sqr sqr q sqr (E) [74] lh.9: dqr (E) [75] TS: C (D E) Tempo om. (A B ) Lento (E) s.2: g (A) s.4: e (A) / c (D) ss.4: om. (B) ss.5: q (A B) no ties (B) aa.2: q (A) arp. written as tied sq (D) beat 3: no bass chord (E) [76] rh: npt (A B) lh.: beats 3 & 4: om. (B) 5-beat bar, with c a d a sq falling between beats 2 & 3 (D) rh.: m + mr (E) [78] for variant reading of (D) see supplement a.3: c (A) / c (B) [79] for variant reading of (D) see supplement a.3: om (A) [80] s.4: npt (B) t.2: npt (A B) t.3: a (B) t.4: f + c sq (D) t.5: npt (A) / om. (C E) b.1: npt (B) / c (D) [81] s.7: bq (D) a: om. (B) a.1: c (A) a.2: c (A) t.2: npt (A E) b.1: npt (A) b.2: d (E) [82] s.2: e sq tpn (E) s.3:? (E) s.6: f (E) s.7: g (E) b.2: cm (B) / cc tpn (E) [83] s.1: m (B) / dq + c sq (D) /? (E) s.2: f g a# b sq (D) a.: om. (D E) a.1: m (B) t.1: c dq tpn + c sq (B E) / c sq tpn + c sq + f q (E) t.beat 2: b c g a sq (B) t.3: fq gsq a#sq (E) t.4: a (A) t.7: om. (A) / f (D) b.2: d (E) [84] a.6: sq + sq (B E) a.4: q (E) a.6: sq + d #sq (D) a.7: d # (E) a.8: c (A) t.1: npt (A) / sqr (D) / bsq + e sq + bq (E) t.2: qr + e dc (A) b.1 m + cr (D) [85] s.3: tpn (D) s.6: b dq (D) / q (E) s.7: a sq (D) / q (E) a.4: a sq + g sq (E) a.5: q + c (E) a.6: a sq (D) t.1: qr (A D) t.2: qr (A) t.2: c + dc (A) t.1-3: om. (E) t.3: e q + e q + d q (B) t.beat 4: e q + d q (E) b.1: c + qr (D E) [86] Tempo om.: (B D) TS: (D) s.1: om. (D) [87] t.1: c c (B) / c q (E) t.2: c3cl (D) / om. (B) t.7: tpn (D) [88] s.9: m (A B E) b.1: om. (B E) / e q + f q + g c (D) b.4: f4cl (D) / g# (B E) [89] s.5: npt (A) s.6: d (B D) a.1: npt (A B) a.8: d # (B D) [90] a.6: a c (E) b.1: c (B E) / sq (D) [91] s.11: g (D) s.14: g (D) b.4: c3cl. (D) b.5: c4cl (A) [93] lh.: f4cl. (A D) ss.1: om. (E) a.1: m (A B) a.2: ad. b (B) / d (E) [94] s.1: npt (B) ss.2: b sq + g sq + a c (B) beat 3: ad. t. qr + gq (D) b.5: q + bsq + c sq (D) [95] t. om. (A B) t.1: qr + fq (D) [96] s.10: d (B) a.beat 2: ad. e q + f #q (D) [97] s.1: q (E) s.2: q (E) s.5: c3cl. (D) s.6: npt (A B E) a.2: sqr (A) a.6: b (B) a.8: npt (A B E) t.1: sqr +bsq (D) b.9: e (D) b.11: Bc (D) [98] s.2: npt (E) t.1: qr + gq (E) t.4: npt (A) t.beat 2: written wrongly as sq (B) b.1: c (A) b.2: cr + cc (D) b.3: om. (A) / c npt (B) / cq tpn + Aq + aq (D) b.6: g (D) [99] s.1: f m (D) a.5: f + d + e + e [tpn] + e + d + c sq (D) t.4: npt (A B) t.13: om. (A D) t.14: om. (D) [100] both hands: arp. written as tied sq (D) rh.beat 2: arp. written as untied sq (A) rh.beat 3: no chord (A) rh.beats 3 & 4: b q b tpn + a + g + f dsq + e + d + c sq + b + a dsq (A B) lh.beat 1: npts (B) lh.beat 2: cr (B) lh.beat 4: ch. as beat 3 tpn (B) s.2: g2cl. (D) ss.2: om. (A B) a.2: om. (A B) b.1: wrongly written as c (B) [101] rh.beats 1 & 2: sqr + e + b + d sq + d tpn + d + c + b sq (D) s.4: npt (B) b.2: m (B) [102] s.1: om. (B) a.beat 2: c sq tpn, c b a sq (D) b.2: npt (A B) b.10: sq + sq + q [q in B] (A B) / c + e sq + gq (D) [103] s.1 & ss.1: dm (A) ss.1: m + b m (A) ss.2: om (D) a.1: m + dc tpn (E) a.2: npt (B D) a.3: q (E) b.7: mistakenly written as c (B) b.7: D# (E) t.2: om. (A B E) [104] rh.: sb + fermata (D) lh.: Asb, ad. mr + AAm + fermata (D)

Music Theory For Pianists. David Hicken

Music Theory For Pianists. David Hicken Music Theory For Pianists David Hicken Copyright 2017 by Enchanting Music All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,