The Haslemere Manuscript, Pieces and Lute Partitas | Vol. 5/5

The Haslemere Manuscript

This manuscript contains tablatures that a lutenist from Dresden or Prague assembled in the second half of the 18th century, most likely to be used for his own playing or teaching. His instrument of reference was a 12-course D-minor-tuned lute. Some pieces require a 13th course, but they are few in number, and the indication of a 13th course may have been added later. This copyist often indicated a composer's name alongside the titles; however, many pieces, whose origin must have been known to him, are anonymous. The tablatures are generally grouped by key, in order to be played consecutively without having to retune the bass courses. Only rarely are these groups of pieces explicitly referred to as Suites or Sonatas.

The original manuscript is now kept at the Carl Dolmetsch Library, in Haslemere, England; its reference is GB-HAdolmetsch ms II.B.2. Its history is unclear; it may have belonged to the Fétis collection, since we know that Fétis sold or traded several of the many works he had purchased1.

In the early 20th century, the manuscript was acquired by Eugène Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940). Born French into a family of organ, piano and harmonium makers, Arnold Dolmetsch went to London to study early music and its instruments. He earned a baccalaureate in music in 1889, and settled in London.

After teaching a short while, he began building keyboard instruments, and opened a lutherie workshop in Haslemere in Surrey, where he built copies of almost every sort of instrument played from the 15th to the 18th century.

Johann Michael Kühnel was a German lutenist, born circa 1665.

His grandfather Samuel Kühnel was a good musician; his father Auguste Kühnel, born on 3 August 1645, was Kapellmeister in Kassel in the reign of Charles I of Hesse-Kassel. The latter was a remarkable composer and disciple of the famous Abbate Steffani. He was also a very distinguished gambist who played at many German courts and performed successfully in Paris and London as well.

Johann Michael Kühnel was equally renowned for his proficiency on the bass viol and the lute, and he composed for both instruments.

In Berlin, he entered the service of the court of Frederick III of Brandenburg, who in 1701 became King of Prussia under the name of Frederick I, as Secretary of the Prince. Under the reign of Frederick William I, the artist-secretary extended his service a further five years. However, the "Soldier King", a hunter and a brutal ruler, was not the patron of the arts his father was, which is perhaps why our musician was engaged, in 1717, by William Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, with the same title. Later in life, he served the Field-Marshall and Prime Minister of Saxony Jakob Heinrich von Flemming for several years in Dresden. He died in Hamburg.

Johann Michael Kühnel had a sonata for one or two bass viols and continuo printed. His compositions for the lute were not printed, and that music exists mainly in manuscript.

Jean-Daniel Forget | Le Luth Doré ©2015