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The London Manuscript | Volume 1

Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) • Baroque lute • French tablature

A Method for the Baroque Lute based on Historical Sources

Peter Croton (1957) • Baroque Lute • French Tablature

The London Manuscript | Vol. 1 to 2 | Complete

Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) • Baroque lute • French tablature

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• Author(s): Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750)
• Title: The London Manuscript
• Year of edition: c.1717-1723
• Source:GB-Lbl Add. Ms. 30387
• Volumes: 1-2

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Description

The London Manuscript

The “London Manuscript” is an assemblage of 317 pages of tablature for 11, 12 or 13-course baroque lute, all written in French tablature. With very few exceptions, all the compositions are by Silvius Leopold Weiss. Many of them are annotated with the composer’s name and, frequently, giving the year if not a more complete date, and often the name of the place of copying. With one exception on folio 78v where the composer himself confirmed his identity, writing “Véritable original S.L. Weis”, all other attributions are not in Weiss’ autograph hand.

The collection is held in the British Library in London. The manuscript contains 237 pieces: 26 complete solo sonatas, plus 3 preludes, 2 fugues, 1 prelude and fugue, 2 fantasies, 2 tombeau, 1 caprice, 1 overture, 1 plainte, plus some minuets, gavottes and other pieces. It also contains five other ensemble works: three four-movement Concertos for lute and transverse flute—but with the flute parts missing—and two unspecified sonatas bearing no supplementary parts or indications, but that seem most likely written to be played as an ensemble.

Examining the dates, places where copied (Prague is often named) or the annotations, especially the dedications to nobles of the city such as Count Johann Anton Losy and M. Cajetan Baron von Hartig, it can be concluded that these documents were assembled in Prague. Weiss had many friends and pupils in the city. At least three of his stays there are clearly known and documented: in 1717, in 1719, and in 1723 for the coronation of Emperor Charles VI as King of Bohemia. In addition, the composer was closely connected with the Bohemian prince Philipp Hyacinth Lobkowitz, whom he met on several occasions in Prague and Roudnice nad Labem, with whom he corresponded and to whom—both he and his wife were very fine lutenists—he dedicated works.

Within the pages of this “London Manuscript” one can recognise the writing of at least six scribes, including the composer himself. Successive and incomplete page numbers, later corrections, many in Weiss’ own hand, together with pieces—especially preludes obviously added later—indicate that the compilation was slow and done in several stages and that the collection was known to the Master.

Research by Douglas Alton Smith led him to believe that the works were collected and assembled by Johann Christian Anthoni von Adlersfeld, a member of the Prague Academy of Music. Thanks to research by Claire Madl, we know that this music lover, flautist and lutenist, was a Prague merchant who had an active business life, conducting business in various European capitals. In 1716, Johann Christian Anthoni was knighted with the title of Knight of the Empire, allowing him to add “von Adlersfeld” to his surname and to have a coat of arms. It is this coat of arms that can be seen on the cover of the London Manuscript.

Tim Crawford offers numerous explanations concerning the genesis of the London Manuscript. He presumes, for example, that the volume was compiled in Prague in three distinct phases: in 1717, 1719 and 1723, corresponding to Silvius Leopold Weiss’ visits to the city. He took part in the compilation by rereading and making corrections. On the third occasion, he not only made minor corrections to the tablatures, but also replaced lost pages.

All the tablature is ordered with great practicality and in the chronological order of the composition of the pieces. At some unknown date after 1724, given that the last third of the sonatas are undated, the period covered is thought to extend into 1724, and the estimated date of the last modifications is 1725.

A century and a half later, in 1877, the collection was acquired at auction by the British Library for two pounds (£2.00). It is now held by the Manuscript Department with the shelf mark, Additional MS 30387. This collection bears no title, but it is affectionately known among lute players as “The London Manuscript”.

The oldest pieces, dating from before 1719, are grouped together at the beginning of the manuscript, composed for 11-course lute. Some of these tablatures have amendments in their bass lines to adapt them to the 13-course lute. From 1719 onwards, the scores were written directly for this newer model of instrument.

Even if there is seldom any specific indication that the pieces are to be grouped together as sonatas, suites or partitas, the order of the pieces follow the customary order of French dance suites. Many of them also have thematic connections that make it clear they belong together as sonatas. Some thirty pieces have no key or thematic identity to link them with those around them. Inserted between the sonatas, they are foreign to them. Finally, the three sonatas bearing names such as “Concert d’un luth avec une Flute traversiere” show that these tablatures are for a lute playing with at least one other instrument whose parts have been separated and are now lost. As with two other sonatas, and a single “Largo” movement, the structure of the music shows that we are still dealing with duets or ensemble music.

In the late 1980s, Douglas Alton Smith began publishing the complete works of Silvius Leopold— Weiss Sämtliche Werke für Laute—work that was continued by Tim Crawford and Dieter Kirsch during the following more than thirty years. They numbered the suites of dances (or suonatas or parties), with a sub-numbering of the pieces that compose them. Pieces not attached to a group were classified in another series with a number followed by an asterisk. Although this WeissSW nomenclature is not a true catalogue of works and has its weaknesses, it is currently the most common, convenient and accepted way of specifying the works of Silvius Leopold Weiss.

The sonatas of the “London Manuscript” are numbered from WeissSW1 to WeissSW32 and the single pieces are from WeissSW1* to WeissSW28*.

As sometimes the placing of slurs is imprecise in these tablatures, they have been adjusted without being reported in the commentary. Readers are invited to refer to the original to make their own decisions. All added slurs, however, are reported.

Based on the number, diversity and quality of the pieces contained within, the “London Manuscript” constitutes a considerable contribution to our knowledge of lute music in the early eighteenth century. The Baroque period with its austere counterpoint period came to an end, giving way to the gallant style that was newly born and developing. It should be remembered, however, that this manuscript contains less than half of the known works of Silvius Leopold Weiss that we know. Many are gathered in manuscripts left to us by various lutenists who were friends, followers or students of the Master.

Content

Volume 1

Sonata 1 in F Major
Prélude (Prælude)
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bouree)
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Menuet (Men:)
Gigue (Gique)
Menuet
Menuet (Men:)
Gavotte

Sonata 2 in D Major
Prélude (Prelude)
Allemande (Allem)
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bourée)
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Menuet (Men:)
Gigue (Giga)
[Gavotte]
[Double]

Sonata 3 in G minor
Prélude (Prelude)
Allemande
Courante (Courr)
Bourrée (Bouree)
Sarabande
Menuet
Menuet 2do

Short fragment in B-flat Major
[Unnamed]

Sonata 4 in B-flat Major
Prélude (Prelude)
Ouverture, allegro et presto
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bouree)

Allegro 1* in G Major
Allegro

Courante 2* in G Major
Courante Royale (Courente Royale)

Sonata 5 in G Major
Prélude (Prelude)
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bourée)
Sarabande
Menuet
Gigue

Sonata 6 in B-flat Major
Concert d'un Luth et d'une Flute traversiere. Del Sigre Weis
Adagio
Allegro
Grave
Allegro

Sonata 7 in C minor
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Gavotte
Sarabande
Menuet
Gigue

Sonata 8 in B-flat Major
Concert d'un Luth avec une Flute traversiere. Del Sigismundo Weis.
Andante, presto
Andante
Allegro

Sonata 9 in F Major
Concert d'un Luth avec la Flute traversiere. Del S.L. Weis.
Adagio
Allegro
Amoroso
Allegro

Bourrée 3* in D minor
Bourrée

Prélude 10.1 in E-flat Major
Prélude (Prelude)

Sonata 10 in E-flat Major
Prélude (Prelude)
Allemande
Courante
Bourrée (Bouree)
Sarabande
Menuet
Chaconne (Ciaccoñe)

Menuet 4* in G Major
[unnamed piece]

Sonata 11 in D minor
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Gavotte
Sarabande
Menuet
Gigue

Sonate 12 in A Major
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Boureé)
Sarabande (Sarabanda)
Menuet
Chaconne (Ciacona)
Gigue

Sonata 13 in D minor
Prélude (Preludie)
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bouree)
Menuet

Largo 5* in D minor
Largo

Fugue 6* in C Major
Fugue (Fuga)

Sonata 14 in G minor (duo?)
Adagio
Gavotte
Sarabande
Menuet
Bourrée (Bourée)
Chaconne (Ciacoña)

Fugue 7* in D minor
Fugue (Fuga)

Allemande 8* in A minor
L'Amant Malheureux

Fantaisie 9* in C minor
Fantaisie (Fantasie)

Menuet 10* in B-flat Major
[Unnamed piece]

Sonata 15 in B-flat Major
Plainte de Mons: Weis
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Paysanne (Paisane)
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Menuet
Gigue

Sonata 16 in A Major
Allemande (Allem:)
Air en écho
Paysanne (Paisañe)
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Menuet (Men:)
Pastourelle (Pastorell)

Sonata 17 in C Major
Allemande (Allem:)
Courante (Courente)
[Bourrée]
Sarabande
Menuet
[Paysanne]

Addenda

Fantasia 11.7 in D minor
Fantasia (from Dresden Ms)

Prélude 12.8 in A major
Prélude (from Dresden Ms)

Bourrée 13.4 in D minor
Bourrée (from Moscow Ms)

Volume 2

Sonate 18 en Ré Majeur
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Angloise
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Menuet
Passacaille (Passagaille)

Tombeau 11* en Mi bémol mineur
Tombeau sur la Mort de M: Cajetan Baron d’Hartig
Adagio assai

Bourrée 12* & Menuet 13* en Do Majeur
[Bourrée]
Menuet

Sonate 19 en Fa Majeur
Prélude (Prelud:)
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bourée)
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Menuet
Gigue

Sonate 20 en Ré mineur
Prélude (Prelud:)
Un poco andante
La Badinage
Le Sicilien
Menuet
Gigue

Gavotte 14* & Menuet 15* en Ré mineur
Gavotte
Menuet

Sonate 21 en Fa mineur
Allemande
Courante (Courrante)
Sarabande
Bourrée (Bourée)
Tempo di Menueto
Gigue

Sonate 22 en Sol Majeur
Prélude (Preludie)
Toccata & Fugue
Courante
Bourrée (Bouree)
Sarabande
Menuet
Allegro

Sonate 23 en Si bémol Majeur
Divertimento à Solo
Prélude (Prælude)
Entrée
Bourrée (Bourée)
Bourrée (Bourée)
Gavotte
Gavotte
Sarabande
Menuet
Menuet
Saltarella

Sonate 24 en Do Majeur
Ouverture
Bourrée (Bourée)
Aria
Menuet
Trio
Gigue

Menuet 16* en Fa Majeur
Menuet

Sonate 25 en Sol mineur
Andante
Passepied
[Bourrée]
Sarabande
La babilieuse en Menuet
Gigue

Sonate 26 en Ré Majeur
[Prélude]
Marche
Gavotte
Aria
Menuet
Musette
Rondeau en écho

Bourrée en Ré Majeur
Comment Sçavez-vous ? J. M. Pichler

Sonate 27 en Do mineur
Prélude (Prælude)
Allemande
Gavotte
Rondeau
Sarabande (Sarabanda)
Menuet
Rigaudon (Riguadon)
La belle Tiroloise

Sonate 28 en Fa Majeur
Le Fameux Corsaire
Allemande
Courante (Courrante)
Bourrée (Bouree)
Sarabande
Menuet
Presto

Sonate 29 en La mineur
L’infidèle
Entrée
Courante (Cour:)
Sarabande
Menuet
Musette
Paysanne (Paÿsane)

Sonate 30 en Mi bémol Majeur
Prélude (Prelude)
Allemande
Rigaudon
Sarabande (Sarab:)
Gavotte
Menuet
Le Sans Soucie

Prélude & Fugue 17* en Mi bémol Majeur
Prelude (Prælude) and [Fugue] del Sgre Sylvio Leopold Weis

Menuet 18* & Trio 19* en Sol Majeur
[Menuet]
Trio

Sonate 31 en Fa Majeur
Allemande
Allegro
Bourrée (Bourée)
Menuet
Menuet 2do
Gigue
Bourrée (Bourée)

Tombeau 20* en Si bémol mineur
Tombeau sur la Mort de Mur Comte d’ Logÿ arrivée 1721
Adagio

Prélude 21* en Do Majeur
Prelude (Prelud:) de Weiss

Menuet 22* & Gavotte 23* en Do Majeur
Menuet
Gavotte

Fantaisie 24* en Do Majeur
Fantasie

Capriccio 25* en Ré Majeur
Capricio

Menuets 26* & 27* en Ré Majeur
Menuet
Menuet 2

Paysanne 28* en Ré Majeur
Mademoiselle Tiroloise

Sonate 32 en Fa Majeur
Allemande
Courante (Cour:)
Bourrée (Bourée)
Sarabande
Menuet
Menuet
Gigue

ADDENDUM

Allegro 91.2 en Ré Majeur
Allegro (from Grüssau PL-Wu2003 Ms)

Specifications

• Editor(s): Jean-Daniel Forget & Guy Grangereau
• Music period: Baroque
• Instrument(s): 11c/13c Baroque lute
• Instrumentation: Baroque lute solo
• Notation: French tablature
• Modern edition: Urtext
• Publisher: Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions
• Year of publication: 2021
• Collection: Lute and Theorbo Music Collection

Volume 1

• Pages: pp. 300
• Dimensions: 230x310 mm
• Weight: 0,924g
• Binding: Section sewn glue binding
• ISMN:377-0-0017-8841-8

Volume 2

• Pages : 304 pp.
• Dimensions : 230x310 mm
• Poids : 0,930g
• Reliure : Dos carré collé cousu
• ISMN : 377-0-0017-8842-5

Editors

Jean-Daniel Forget

Computer Scientist, Lutenist

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 formal 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 for the Baroque Lute: A Practical Guide for Beginning and Advanced Lutenists. He continues to assist Serdoura in the preparation of Le Luth Doré’s Urtext editions.

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Guy Grangereau

Guitariste, luthiste

Guy Grangereau est un musicien professionnel qui a étudié le jeu de la guitare à Paris, notamment auprès du brésilien Turibio Santos. Puis, il a perfectionné ses connaissances musicales à l’école Martenot de Paris.

Depuis 1984, il a donné des cours de guitare et de piano et, pendant vingt ans, il a enseigné la guitare dans des écoles de musique.

Son instrument de prédilection est une guitare (Maurice Dupont) initialement à 13 cordes, à laquelle a été ajoutée une 14e corde ; plus récemment, deux cordes et un manche théorbé pour les quatre dernières cordes ont été ajoutés. Cet instrument à 16 cordes peut être accordé en tierces (accord ouvert) ; il l’utilise pour transcrire des œuvres composées pour clavecin. Il joue également un luth baroque théorbé à 14 chœurs (Stephen Murphy).

Depuis 2010, il collabore avec Jean-Daniel Forget pour la copie des manuscrits de luth baroque allemand des 17 et 18e siècles, en apportant plus particulièrement son expertise musicale à la révision de l’œuvre de Silvius Leopold Weiss.

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Urtext

Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions

The Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions offer musicians and musicologists worldwide reliable and authoritative musical texts. The main features are:

• superb and aesthetically appealing music engraving
• optimized for practical use (page turns, fingerings)
• books originally in Italian tablature are published in both Italian and French tablatures
• high-quality and durable (cover, paper, binding)
• both original and modern prefaces, documentation of the corrections made and explanatory footnotes in English, French, Italian, German …

About Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions

Our editions are urtext: we strive to provide reliable musical texts that are as true as possible to the existing sources and the composer’s intentions. We are aware, of course, that it is impossible to reconstruct the one and only urtext. Often, several manuscript sources exist for the same piece, and there is little reliable guidance for determining which version best represents the composer's intentions.

Although we cannot entirely dissipate historical uncertainty, we can compare texts and correct obvious errors, which sometimes occur even in autograph manuscripts. Sources have been meticulously examined - note by note, mark by mark.

When facing ambiguity inherent to the sources, wise editorial judgment must take the place of textual certainty.

The most important observations and editorial decisions are elucidated in the prefaces, in the critical commentary, in footnotes, or marked as such in the musical text. It therefore comes as no surprise that an editor has to invest a great deal of patience, knowledge and time when piecing together an urtext that is true to the source and, hopefully, to the composers’ intentions as well. Proven specialists with extensive knowledge and experience edit our Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions in close cooperation with our Editorial Department.

Each verified musical text preserves the original fingerings and notation of ornamentation and, in the absence of original manuscript notations, also sets forth helpful suggestions by modern masters regarding useful fingerings and ornaments faithful to historical style, as a stimulus to further thought and a starting point for the student's approach to performance.

We are deeply grateful to all the extraordinary musicologists, music teachers and artists that put their knowledge and experience at our disposal for Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions.

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