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Even tone and bow changes in Simpson Grounds
This is a tip that springs from one of the first lessons I had with Philippe Pierlot, where we were working on controlling tone over whole bow strokes, matching the tone from note to note and controlling bow changes. Take a Simpson ground (or the famous Pachelbel canon ground as shown below) as a good starting point- it's amazing how many things there are to work on. Play it at a speed where the fastest divisions would be comfortable to get a good slow tempo that should provide a few really long notes mixed in with a few shorter ones. You want to try and use the whole bow (more or less) for each note, and to keep the tempo metronomic. As you play, listen for:
- An even sound during every note, with no bulges. Watch your bow, and see if it is speeding up or slowing down during your strokes, or moving away from or toward the bridge. Also check as best you can that your bow is staying parallel to the bridge over the whole stroke. A straight bow will make it easier to get through a long note without running out of bow as it takes less energy to keep the string vibrating.
- Try to match the quality of sound from note to note, for this exercise you want each note to have the same tone. Factors that change the sound can be bow speed and pressure, so if for example your bow speed gets faster than a preceding note you will need to lighten the pressure a little to keep the tone the same and not get louder.
- This applies to the shorter notes in the ground. You will always end up with a few shorter notes after dotted notes, and it can be difficult to control these short notes where you have to retake quite a lot of bow (they usually fall on a pull-bow) . they tend to .stick out.. Keep these strokes as calm as possible and refer to the point above.
- Smooth, well-controlled bow changes. These are a bit easier to self-assess between long notes. Your ears are a good tool here. Listen for a good even tone right up to the bow change and try to change bow as smoothly as possible with no .extra noise. (like scratching) by also paying very close attention to the beginning articulation of the new stroke. See how smoothly you can connect the even tone of the previous bow to the new articulation. Also check for relaxation in your right arm and hand (as always!) and for any movements in your right hand, fingers or wrist during bow changes that are not there for a functional reason. No hand flapping!
You will find that you can sit and practise these things in one ground for a long time. While it.s pretty bland musically, by paying attention to controlling your tone to keep it exactly the same for a whole ground, you give yourself the skill to consciously change your tone when you do want to. Good luck!
1. Orlando Gibbons Consorts for Viols (Avie Records AV0032) - Phantasm
Laruence Dreyfus (treble), Wendy Gillespie (treble), Jonathan Manson (tenor) and Markku Luolajan-Mikkola (bass), with Susanna Pell (tenor) and Asako Morikawa (bassa)
Also downloadable from: http://www.magnatune.com
Despite the popularity of his consort music amongst viol consort players, and his high reputation in the wider music community for his keyboard and choral music, there is not an over abundance of recordings of the consort music of Orlando Gibbons currently available. This recording by Phantasm is a very welcome addition to the catalogue, receiving very high praise in reviews; indeed, it won the Early Music category for Gramophone magazine's Record of the Year last year.
As you would expect, the disc contains a wide range of Gibbons' consort works, beginning with six of his six part Fantasias, followed by two five part In Nomines, four three part Fantasias, a six part Pavan and Galliard, and ending with the Divisons in six parts of "Go from my Window". Somewhat surprisingly, the disc also includes arrangements for viol consort of three Pieces for Virginals in four parts, the five part madrigal "The Silver Swan", the Anthems "O Lord, thy wrath rebuke me not" and "Hosanna to the Son of David" both arranged for six parts.
The performances of the works for six part viol consort are the highlight of the disc: the six part Fantasias receiving readings which are both expressive and expansive, bordering on the romantic, and the six part dances and Divisions bringing the disc to a joyous conclusion. The five part In Nomines come alive in a way that is regrettably rare in performances of the In Nomine genre. Being more austere than the larger scale consort works, the three part Fantasias require a bit more effort to engage the listener, however I feel that in this instance the performers give the impression of trying just a bit too hard and these fantasias come out sounding a bit twee.
Similarly, the arranged works on this disc come off with varying success. The Virginal Pieces work remarkably well, in particular the introspective Pavan Lord Salisbury; similar arrangements of more of Gibbons' keyboard works would be welcome additions to the viol consort repertoire. Being a madrigal "The Silver Swan" works naturally on viols, as does the somewhat introspective anthem "O Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not". The same cannot be said for "Hosanna to the Son of David", a joyfully dramatic anthem, which just sounds small without the intensity of human voices singing the words.
Technically, the performances are beyond flawless. The recording was made in the warm acoustic of the chapel of Merton College, Oxford, with any reverberation well under control. The resulting sound is rich and velvety, and I must add that at no time do the treble viols sound undernourished, which is all too often a problem with viol consort recordings. The performers employ vibrato extensively, though mostly judiciously.
This disc is undoubtedly a rewarding listening experience and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in viol consort music. Furthermore, the quality of both the performances and the recording, combined with the engaging nature of Gibbons' music, would make it a perfect introduction to viol consort music.
2. "Thomas Tomkins - Above the Starrs" (Harmonia Mundi HMU 907320) . Fretwork with singers
For those of you who would like to find out what can be achieved when first rate singers perform with a first rate viol consort, I can most wholeheartedly recommend this recording where the viol consort Fretwork is joined by six of the doyens of early music singers, including Emma Kirkby and tenor Charles Daniels. In this recording, five verse anthems of Thomas Tomkins are performed with one voice to a part with astonishing results. After experiencing the intensity of these works performed in this way, the traditional college/cathedral choir with token viol consort approach comes across as somewhat tame.
Along with the verse anthems, the disc includes just one of Tomkins' consort songs and a comprehensive sampling of his consort works ranging from three of his six part fantasias down to a couple of three part In nomines. This would have to be one of the best programmed discs surveying the works of an English viol consort composer. I hope that it will set a pattern for future recordings.
It must be added that this recording is now nearly two years old so you may have difficulty finding it amongst the stock at retailers; nevertheless the effort and wait of ordering it in from your record shop is well worthwhile.
3. Concerts à deux violes esgales du Sieur de Sainte-Colombe Volume 1
Susie Napper & Margaret Little, violas da gamba
Volume 1 ATMA (ACD 2 2275)
If you ever wanted a crash course in the subtleties of French baroque viola da gamba duos this is essential listening. These 67 Concerts (to be released on four double CDs) for two viols along with numerous pieces for solo viol are probably the main body of work surviving by the brilliant but reclusive M.Saint-Colombe, brought to life in the film Tous les matins du monde.
Remember the depiction of Marin Marais covetously "spying" beneath the tree house, where his teacher Saint-Colombe was practicing? This is drawn from Le Parnasse françias by the famed biographer Evrard Titon du Tillet who claimed that Saint-Colombe was trying to keep his technique to himself. Now this recording is available, I wonder what would Saint-Colombe think? It seems his secrets are out.
There's another famous story about le sieur Saint-Colombe as told by his "natural" son. ".when his father played a Sarabande for a man who had come to hear him, the man was so moved that he fell in a swoon." (Pierre-Louis D'Aquin de Château-Lyon, Le Siècle Littéraire de Louis XV, 1754). This is the great danger when you listen to this recording. It is so perfect that there is really nothing you can do but give yourself up to it!
Having written that Saint-Colombe's "secrets are out", it is one thing to listen and marvel, another to try and recreate them. Saint-Colombe's style is every bit as theatrical as that of Marais and demand absolute synchronicity of ensemble. For example, he often has measured sections juxtaposed with unmeasured sections and includes rapid metrical changes, all of which have been uncannily intuited by Les Voix Humaines. There's also some astonishing effects which really took me by surprise: the composer apparently loved to exploit the coulé de doigt (glissando) and this is mischievously evoked at the end of track 17, CD1, Gavote 2e from Concert No.5 Le badin. The dripping tears of the Sarabande from Concert No.7 Le pleureux couldn't fail to move the hardest of hearts while Sainte-Colombe's furies (characteristic use of fast notes on the low strings) are just brilliant in dances such as the Ballet from Concert No.8 La conference. (CD 1 track 30) . Delicious.