The Northern California Chapter
of the
Lute Society of America
proudly presents
"Elegance"
A concert by
Edward Martin & Paul Berget
Rare and unrecorded 17th and 18th Century Baroque lute duets from the French, German and Bohemian manuscripts of Vieux Gaultier, Adam Falkenhagen, Ernst Gottlieb Baron, Gleimius, Count Losy, and Sylvius Leopold Weiss.
|
Friday, October 13, 2000 |
Sunday, October 15, 2000 |
Program
Intermission
Instruments:
13 course Baroque lute after Burkholtzer, by Richard Berg, Ottawa
13 course Baroque lute after Tieffenbrucher, by Robert Lundberg, Portland
Strings:
Gut strings by Gamut Strings, Daniel Larson, Duluth
THE LUTE was immensely popular in the Renaissance and Baroque eras, and it has become increasingly well known in modern times, due to numerous public performances and recordings and a revitalized interest in early music. With this rebirth and renewed interest in the lute, the most commonly played and heard lutes in our modern times are Renaissance lutes.
This current program, however, features duets composed for the d-minor tuned Baroque lute. Although there have been significant efforts to record and perform solo Baroque lute music, there have been extremely rare, if any, attempts at recording or performing pieces for Baroque lute duo. All of the composers represented in this program wrote primarily for solo Baroque lute.
The first two composers, Adam Falkenhagen [1697-1754] and Ernst Gottlieb Baron [1696-1760] are representative of the Galant styles of music, when composers were looking in a new direction to express their musical ideas in a more straight-forward manner by using more melodic ideas than what was used in the Baroque period. Falkenhagen used Italianate titles for his movements, rather than dances. Baron is the author of The Study of the Lute of 1727, which is the most comprehensive contemporary source of history and information that we have about the Baroque lute.
Count Johann Anton Graf Losy [c.1650-1721], a nobleman who lived in Prague, is representative of the Bohemian school of music. Although his fame was widespread, only one solo lute piece of his appeared in print during his lifetime. The remainder of his pieces are scattered throughout various manuscripts.
Ennemond "Vieux" Gaultier [1575-1651] is representative of some of the finest, most elegant French pieces that have survived. Two printed sources of the time, as well as many manuscripts, contain his pieces. The first piece is an example of the unmeasured prelude style made famous by the French lutenists, followed by the brisk, spirited dance, "Canaries."
Nothing is known of Gleimius, but Baron states in his 1727 book that a particular Johann Laurentius Gleim, born in Quedlinburg, accomplished beautiful things [on the lute]. Baron describes his pieces as "speculative but quite charming," and that he knew "how to alternate cleverly with the middle voices."
Sylvius Leopold Weiss [1686-1750] is beyond any shadow of uncertainty, the finest composer ever for the Baroque lute, and arguably for all lute literature. Weissâ style is generally recognized for its beauty, use of harmony, length, and marvelous sequences of ideas. His fame and esteem were widespread, and we are fortunate that most of his works have survived. The Dresden manuscript, the major source of his late works, contains four pieces for Baroque lute duo, but sadly, only the first lute part has survived. The second lute part has been recently reconstructed by German lutenist Karl-Ernst Schroder.
EDWARD MARTIN has studied with lutenists Paul O'Dette, Toyohiko Satoh, and Hopkinson Smith. He holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Lute at the College of Saint Scholastica.
In 1984, he was a finalist in the First International Lute Competition in Toronto where he was the only American to have been selected as a finalist. In 1986, he toured the Midwest with lutenist Rockford Mjos. He again toured the Midwest and Canada with tenor William Bastian, in 1989. He has also appeared as a soloist, performing Vivaldi concertos with various orchestras. He has made numerous recordings for Minnesota Public Radio, and these performances have also been broadcast on the American Public Radio network. He is a member of many ensembles, including the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Lute Quartet (MiLQ), a duo with tenor William Bastian, Ensemble Polaris, and a Baroque lute duo with lutenist Paul Berget.
In November of 1994, he released his first CD, Lute Songs of Virtues and Vices, with tenor William Bastian. In Summer 1998 he was invited to be the Renaissance lute instructor at the SFEMS Renaissance week at the Dominican college in San Rafael, California. Recent concerts include performances in California and Maui. In addition to his recordings, Mr. Martin has been published as a critic of various recordings and books.
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PAUL BERGET received his B.F.A. degree in guitar and lute from the University of Minnesota in 1972. After graduation, he continued his studies with Diana Poulton at the Royal College of Music in London, where he also studied with Nigel North.
In 1973, he appeared on Broadway in a musical production of Cyrano starring Christopher Plummer.
His music has been heard in the Twin Cities area at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, the Childrens' Theatre, and most recently at the Guthrie Theatre's production of As You Like It.
In addition to playing early music, he is also a very versatile performer who is well known as a modern classical guitarist, and a performer of popular music on modern steel stringed guitars.
He is the lutenist in the internationally acclaimed ensemble Minstrelsy!, a group that records on the Lyra Chord label.. Other early music collaborations include the Rose Ensemble, Ensemble Polaris, the Minnesota Lute Quartet (MiLQ), and performances with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Mr. Berget currently manages the Podium Music Store in Minneapolis.
For more information, please Send an encouraging
note to lute@mclasen.com.