The Moscow Manuscript
The Moscow Manuscript is kept in the musical library of the M.I. Glinka Museum in Moscow, where it is referenced as MS 282/8. The cover contains an inscription in a rather uncertain French: "Requeul de divers. Pieces et Sonates Pour le Luth composés par M. Weiss à Dresde". An analysis of its paper has shown that the manuscript was created in Russia, some fifteen years at least after the death of Silvius Leopold Weiss.
The writing of these lute tablatures has been attributed to Timofei Bielogradski. This musician of Tcherkesse origin was probably born around or after 1710. He moved to Dresden while in the service of Count Keyserling or Keyserlingk (1696‑1764). This great music lover was sent, in 1733, to the court of Dresden as Imperial Ambassador of Russia.
Timofei Bielogradski is cited as living in Berlin in 1737. When he met Silvius Leopold Weiss and became his student, he was playing the bandora. In 1738, he was among the faithful students of Weiss who met Ernst Gottlieb Baron, when the latter came to Dresden to be given a theorbo by the Master.
The pieces contained in this manuscript are for the 13-course lute, like those used by Silvius Leopold Weiss after 1720. They are technically rather demanding, and several are clearly exercises in virtuosity. Some pieces can be found in other manuscripts, essentially in the Dresden manuscript (Weiss) D‑Dl284. Many, however, are unique, making this document particularly noteworthy. The pieces were often grouped by key, or, to be precise, by the tuning, or scordatura, of the bass courses. However, it would seem that the copyist often reordered the pieces in order to create "Partittas". The manuscript also contains scales in all keys, adapted to the 13-course lute, which were perhaps included, not as exercises in virtuosity, but to demonstrate that the instrument could be played in all keys.
Specific remarks
There are several occurrences of augmented seconds in theses pieces; this interval is typical of traditional music of Ukraine and the Caucasus, but was never used by Weiss.
The copyist systematically used a line or dot to connect a melodic note or chord to its bass when the two were vertically aligned and thus to be played simultaneously.
Alternatti can be found in the Warsaw manuscripts PL‑Wu2003 and PL‑Wu2005 as well. It owes its name to fact that, although the 8th and 11th courses are tuned to F# and C#, respectively, and the copyist included an indication of key ("d.dur"), the piece is otherwise in D minor.
Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687‑1750)
Silvius Leopold Weiss was born in 1687 in the village of Grottkau, near Breslau. His father Johann Jacob, a proficient lutenist, taught his three children how to play, as well as the rules of harmony and the practice of basso continuo.
From 1707 to 1714 he lived in Italy. In Rome, he met Arcangelo Corelli and befriended the Scarlattis. Subsequently, he is thought to have entered the service of the Governor of Further Austria, who resided in Innsbruck. In 1718, he obtained a well-paid position in the Dresden Court Orchestra.
A first mission took him to Vienna for eight months, where he was immersed in the musical life of Austria, both at the Court and in town. It was there that he discovered the galant style, which would leave its mark on all his future compositions. He subsequently settled in Dresden where, although he often travelled, he spent the rest of his life. He was a brilliant continuo player at the Court, the Church and, above all, the Opera. His playing and improvisations were so highly esteemed that he became the best paid and most demanded instrumentalist in Dresden; even the considerable financial incentives offered by the Court of Vienna could not lure him away.
Silvius Leopold Weiss frequented the best musicians of his era. He was appreciated by princes, often lutenists themselves. Thus, between 1725 and 1730, he made several sojourns in Prague to teach his art to Prince Lobkowitz and his wife, to Johann Antonin Losy von Losimthal (Count d’Logy), Imperial Governor of Bohemia, or to Ludwig Joseph Cajetan, Baron von Hartig, Imperialo Governor of the city of Prague. Silvius Leopold Weiss met and played music with Johann Sebastian Bach when the latter, living in Leipzig, came to visit his young son Wilhelm Friedmann, an organist in Dresden.
Weiss was the main promoter of fundamental modifications to the lute: the addition of a 13th course and the subsequent lengthening of the lowest courses by means of a second pegbox on a neck extension, similar to the theorbo.
Silvius Leopold Weiss was an accomplished musician whose compositions were very solid, placing him on a par with his most distinguished contemporaries: Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Händel or Jan Dismas Zelenka. However, he only composed for his instrument. His daily practice of continuo and improvisation deeply influenced his entire work. His characteristic touch can be found in his unmeasured preludes and in his skillful handling of very elaborate sequences. He always made brilliant use of the possibilities afforded by the lute’s particular tuning.
Silvius Leopold Weiss died on 16 October 1750, leaving his widow Marie–Elizabeth and his seven children in financial straits. His son Johann Adolf Faustinus (1741‑1814) was the only one to follow in his father’s footsteps, and became a chamber lutenist at the Court of Dresden. Silvius Leopold Weiss was buried outside the city walls, in the Katholischer Friedhof.
Jean-Daniel Forget | Le Luth Doré © 2015
Prélude 11.7 in D minor
Prélude
Andantino 34.6 in D minor
Andantino
Partitta 94 in D minor
Allegro
Polonose
Courante
Allegro
Menuet
Trio
Paysanne in F Major
Paysanne
Trio
Menuet in D Major
Menuet
Bourrée 13.4 in D minor
Bourrée
Allegro 66* in A minor
Allegro
2 Polonoises in F Major
Polonose
Polonose
Partitta 95 signor Veiss in G minor
Andante
Courante
Paysanne
Polonose
Gigue
Prélude 2.1 in D Major
Prélude
Courante 67* in D Major
Courante
Partitta 96 Signor Veiss in G Major
Andante [Allemande]
Courante
Bourrée
Sarabande
Menuet
Presto
Prélude 68* in D minor
Prélude
Allegro 28.6 in F Major
Allegro
Galanterie 69* in F minor
Galantarie piesse
Allegro 22.7 in G Major
Allegro
Duetto in G Major
Duetto
Duetto primo
Duetto secundo
Presto 70* in B-flat Major
Presto
Partitta 97 in F Major
Allemande andantino
Courante
Bourrée
Polonose
Gigue
Partitta 98 Signor Veiss in D minor
Vivace
Courante
Bourrée
Andante
Presto
Menuet
Prélude 71* in G minor
Prélude
Courante 72* in G minor
Courante
Alternatti 73* in G minor
Alternatti
Sarabande 38.4 in A minor
Sarabande
Scales in all the keys
24 scales
Addendum
Bourée (from the London Manuscript)
Sarabande (from the Dresden Manuscript)
Ms. Code | Ms. Name | Library Name | Country |
---|---|---|---|
A-GÖ1 | A-GÖ ms. Lautentabulatur Nr. 1 | Göttweig, Benediktinerstift, Musikarchiv | Austria |
A-Wn18829 | A-Wn ms. 18829 | Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Musiksammlung | Austria |
CZ-PaRPI504 | CZ-Pa ms. ŘPI504 | Praha, Státní ústřední archív | Czech Republic |
D-Mbs5362 | D-Mbs ms. Mus. 5362 | München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Musikabteilung | Germany |
D-ROu53-1A | D-ROu ms. Mus. Saec. XVII.18.53.1A | Rostock, Universitätsbibliothek | Germany |
D-Dl2841-1 | D-Dl Mus. 2841-V-1,1
Dresden manuscript, Volume 1 |
Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, Sächische Landesbibliothek
Provenience: Saxony |
Germany |
D-Dl2841-2 | D-Dl Mus. 2841-V-1,2
Dresden manuscript, Volume 2 |
Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, Sächische Landesbibliothek
Provenience: Saxony |
Germany |
F-Sim | F-Sim ms. Rm 271
(Baltic) Lutebook |
Strassbourg, Institut de Musicologie de l'Université | France |
GB-Lbl30387 | GB-Lbl Add. Ms. 30387 | London, The British Library
Provenience: Prague |
Great Britain |
GB-Lbl31698 | GB-Lbl Add. Ms. 31698
Straube Lutebook |
London, The British Library | Great Britain |
I-Ven | I-BDG ms. sans cote | Bassano del Grappa, Biblioteca Civica
Chilesotti manuscript (Chilesotti's transcription of the ms, now retained lost) |
Italy |
PL-Wu2003 | PL-Wu RM 4136 (olim Mf. 2003) | Warszawa, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, Gabinet Zbiorów Muzycznych | Poland |
PL-Wu2004 | PL-Wu RM 4137 (olim Mf. 2004) | Warszawa, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, Gabinet Zbiorów Muzycznych | Poland |
PL-Wu2005 | PL-Wu RM 4138 (olim Mf. 2005) | Warszawa, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, Gabinet Zbiorów Muzycznych | Poland |
PL-Wu2008 | PL-Wu RM 4140 (olim Mf. 2008) | Warszawa, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, Gabinet Zbiorów Muzycznych | Poland |
PL-Wu2009 | PL-Wu RM 4141 (olim Mf. 2009) | Warszawa, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, Gabinet Zbiorów Muzycznych | Poland |
RF-Mcm | RF-Mcm N 8 | Moskva, Gosudarstvennyj central'nyj muzej muzykal'noj kul'tury im. M.I. Glinki | Russia |
Work Title | Piece Title | Ms. Code | Ms. Page |
---|---|---|
Prélude 11.7 in D minor | ||
Prélude | D-Dl2841-1 D-Mbs5362 RF-Mcm |
33 5v 11v (2) |
Andantino 34.6 in D minor | ||
Andantino | D-Dl2841-1 D-Mbs5362 |
29 ("Sarab:") 10r (2) |
Partita 94 in D minor | ||
Allegro | - | - |
Polonose | - | - |
Courante | - | - |
Allegro | - | - |
Menuet | - | - |
Trio | - | - |
Paysanne in F Major | ||
Paysanne | - | - |
Trio | - | - |
Menuet in D Major | ||
Menuet | A-GÖ1 CZ-PaRPI504 D-ROu53-1A F-Sim GB-Lbl30387 GB-Lbl31698 I-Ven PL-Wu2004 PL-Wu2008 PL-Wu2009 RA-BAn |
12r 29v 59v ("Bouré") 21r ("Capricio") 39v & 58r 33v ("Presto") 448.1 3r 70 (Var of Sm 71) 88 47v |
Bourrée 13.4 in D minor | ||
Bourrée | - | - |
Allegro 66* in A minor | ||
Allegro | - | - |
2 Polonoses in F Major | ||
Polonose | - | - |
Polonose | - | - |
Partita 95 in G minor Partitta Signor Veiss |
||
Andante | - | - |
Courante | - | - |
Paysanne | - | - |
Polonose | - | - |
Gigue | - | - |
Prélude 2.1 in D Major | ||
Prélude Signor Veiss | A-Wn18829 GB-Lbl30387 |
7v 7v |
Courante 67* in D Major | ||
Courante | - | - |
Partitta 96 in G Major
Partitta Signor Veiss |
||
Andante (Allemande) | - | - |
Courante | - | - |
Bourrée | D-Mbs5362 | 28r (in 8th) |
Sarabande | D-Mbs5362 | 29v |
Menuet | -D-Mbs5362 | 29r |
Presto | D-Mbs5362 | 28v |
Prélude 68* in D minor | ||
Prélude | - | - |
Courante 36.2 in D minor | ||
Courante | D-Dl2841-1 | 52 |
Allegro 28.6 in F Major | ||
Allegro | D-Dl2841-1 GB-Lbl30387 |
22 137v |
Galanterie 69* in F minor | ||
Galantarie piesse | ||
Allegro 22.7 in G Major | ||
Allegro | GB-Lbl30387 | 111v |
Duetto in G Major | ||
Duetto liuto primo | - | - |
Duetto liuto secundo | - | - |
Presto 70* in B-flat Major | ||
Presto | - | - |
Partita 97 in F Major | ||
Andantino (Allemande) | - | - |
Courante | - | - |
Bourrée | - | - |
Polonose | - | - |
Gigue | - | - |
Partita 98 in D minor
Partitta Signor Veiss |
||
1 Vivace | - | - |
2 Courante | - | - |
3 Bourrée | - | - |
4 Andante | - | - |
5 Presto | - | - |
6 Menuet | - | - |
Prélude 71* in G min | ||
Prélude | - | - |
Courante 72* in G minor | ||
Courante | - | - |
Alternatti 73* in D minor | ||
Alternatti | PL-Wu2003 PL-Wu2005 |
30v 44 ("[sans titre]") |
Sarabande 38.4 in A minor | ||
Sarabande | D-Dl2841-2 | 75 |
Passionate about the baroque era, Jean-Daniel Forget is a self-taught lutenist. In order to play the forgotten (lute) works of the 17th and 18th centuries, he has copied (and studied) their manuscripts for almost 20 years.
A long career as a computer scientist, having made him expert in programming, allowed him to utilize the normal logic of writing music, especially that which transcribes tablature for instruments with fretted strings.
In collaboration with Guy Grangereau. he has posted his tablatures on a public internet site that is frequented by many lutenists and guitarists.
Forget was enlisted by Miguel Serdoura to help prepare the musical examples for his fine Method of the Baroque Lute. Further on, he continues to assist Serdoura in the preparation of his (lute) editions.
Guy Grangereau is a professional musician who studied guitar playing in Paris, notably with the Brazilian Turibio Santos. Then, he perfected his musical knowledge at Martenot school in Paris.
Since 1984, he gave guitar and piano lessons and, for twenty years, he taught guitar in music schools.
His favorite instrument is a guitar (Maurice Dupont) initially with 13 strings, to which a 14th string was added; more recently were added two strings and a theorbo neck for the last four strings. This 16 strings instrument can be tuned in thirds (open tuning); he uses it to transcribe solo harpsichord works. He also plays a 14-course theorbed baroque lute (Stephen Murphy).
Since 2010, he is collaborating with Jean-Daniel Forget for the copy of German baroque lute manuscripts of the 17th and 18th centuries, in bringing more particularly his musical expertise to the review of the Silvius Leopold Weiss’ work.
• Editor(s): Jean-Daniel Forget & Guy Grangereau
• Music period: Baroque
• Instrument(s): 13c Baroque lute
• Instrumentation: Baroque lute solo
• Notation: French tablature
• Modern edition: Urtext
• Publisher: Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions
• Year of publication: 2015
• Collection: Lute and Theorbo Music Collection
• Pages: pp. 142
• Dimensions: 230x310 mm
• Weight: 0,320g
• Binding: Section sewn glue binding
• ISMN: 377-0-0017-8817-3
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