Robert Blocker, Dean
doctor of musical arts degree recital Jonathan Salamon, harpsichord
Thursday, October 20, 2022 | 7:30 pm | Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall
Michelangelo Rossi c. 1601–1656
Toccata No. 1 in C major, from Toccate e Correnti d’Intavolatura d’Organo e Cembalo (1657)
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre 1665–1729
Suite No. 3 in A minor, from Pièces de clavecin (1687)
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–1750
I. Prelude II. Allemande III. Courante IV. Sarabande V. Gigue VI. Chaconne VII. Gavotte Toccata in E minor, BWV 914
intermission
Program, cont.
George Frideric Handel 1685–1759
arr. William Babell
Partita No. 5 in G major, BWV 829
I. Præambulum
II. Allemande
III. Corrente
IV. Sarabande
V. Tempo di Minuetto VI. Passepied
VII. Gigue
“Vo’ far guerra” from Babell’s Suites of the most Celebrated Lessons, arr. from Handel’s Rinaldo (1711)
This performance is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. As a courtesy to others, please silence all devices. Photography and recording of any kind is strictly prohibited. Please do not leave the hall during musical selections. Thank you.
Bach
Artist Profile
Jonathan Salamon, harpsichord
Jonathan Salamon is a harpsichordist based in New York, NY. A prizewinner at the 2019 Mathieu Duguay Early Music Competition in Lamèque, Canada, he has performed and presented scholarship at festivals and academic conferences in the U.S. and abroad, including at the American Bach Soloists Academy (San Francisco), for Harvard’s Graduate Music Forum, and at the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía (Spain), among others. Jonathan is the Principal Harpsichordist with the Chamber Orchestra of New York and in November
2021 made his concerto debut with the Orchestra in a sold-out concert at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall. A 2020–2021
Fulbright Scholar, Jonathan researched and performed eighteenth-century vocal and instrumental music of Amsterdam’s Portuguese synagogue.
Committed to supporting early music communities in North America, Jonathan was a member of Early Music America’s Emerging Professional Leadership Council from 2019–2021. He completed his undergraduate studies at NYU in Piano Performance as a student of Seymour Bernstein. He holds a Master of Music degree in Harpsichord Performance from the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Arthur Haas, and is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Yale.
Program Notes by the performer
Toccata No. 1 in C major rossi
The toccata was one of the most exciting keyboard genres of the seventeenth century. Derived from the Italian verb toccare, “to touch” or “to play,” the toccata enabled the keyboardist-composer to flex his or her improvisational ability, virtuosity, and compositional skill. Free sections alternate with fantastical ones that often feature playful imitation between the hands, with melodic fragments darting back and forth in a dramatic fashion. The toccata was also a practical piece, allowing the keyboardist to test the instrument and explore its depths.
Michelangelo Rossi was born in Genoa and enjoyed a stellar reputation as a violinist during his lifetime. Rossi is best known for his collection of keyboard pieces titled Toccate e Correnti d’Intavolatura d’Organo e Cembalo, published in Rome in 1657. During this era, keyboard tuning prioritized the sweetness of pure thirds. This resulted in dissonances in remote keys that were particularly shocking and colorful. Rossi took advantage of those colors in the seventh Toccata from this set, which features an extreme level of chromaticism that sounds like controlled pandemonium.
Rossi’s Toccata No. 1 sets the tone for the set with the restful purity of C major. The opening invites the performer to embellish three simple chords that establish the key. Languid, leaping lines juxtapose tuneful imitation with moments of respite and reflection. As the piece develops, Rossi takes the listener on a journey to unexpected keys and contrasts in tempo and texture,
punctuated by cadences. He builds the extensive middle section from a short motive that alternates between leaps and steps. As Rossi stacks this motive repeatedly, the piece becomes more energetic. A brief, slower interlude gives way to the final section with jubilant imitation between the hands that accelerates to a satisfying final cadence.
Suite No. 3 in A minor de la guerre
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was a Parisian harpsichordist who impressed Louis XIV with her prodigious ability as a child. One of the most renowned composers of her age, she garnered acclaim for her two books of richly expressive harpsichord music. Her output also includes chamber music and sacred and secular vocal works. She was the first French woman to write an opera, Céphale et Procris, which premiered in 1694.
The suite is an inherently French genre consisting of a series of stylized court dances of various national origins (e.g., the Allemande is a German dance). Though one would generally not have danced to these harpsichord pieces, the dance-inspired movements retain their stately characters and evoke the refinements of court entertainment. Each dance is replete with glittering ornaments and distinctive rhythmic patterns.
De La Guerre’s Suite No. 3 in A minor, from her first book of harpsichord pieces published in 1687, begins with an unmeasured prelude. This characteristic French genre invites the performer to sculpt the duration of the harmonies based on one’s taste, the instrument in use, and the acoustic setting. De
La Guerre takes advantage of the harpsichord’s idiomatic broken chordal texture (the style brisé), with cascading chords and running lines that evolve and transform in space. The improvisatory prelude conjures the dark, searching tone for the rest of the suite.
The subsequent movements are formally typical of the baroque dance suite—in two halves, with each half repeated—and are characteristic of the airy and graceful French style, with flowing, linear melodies that are abundantly ornamented. Highlights of the suite include a reflective Sarabande, the stately Spanish-inspired dance; a commanding Gigue (French for “jig”) with biting ornaments; and a brooding Chaconne, with a theme that returns between varied sections, an exception to the two-part form of the dance movements. The selection of movements closes with a Gavotte, a lively dance of peasant origin that became a court favorite well into the eighteenth century. De La Guerre’s suite is a fine and markedly expressive example of the late seventeenthcentury French harpsichord tradition.
Toccata in E minor bach
During his time in Weimar, J.S. Bach wrote seven toccatas for the keyboard (without pedals) that show an astonishing variety of form and character. The Toccata in E minor demonstrates a daring young virtuoso keyboardist experimenting with composition. Like the Rossi Toccata No. 1 in C major, the structure unfolds in contrasting sections that alternate between free-flowing improvisatory passages and stricter, metered
ones. The daring, cascading passagework evokes the stylus phantasticus (“fantastic style”) employed in toccatas by Bach’s North German predecessors Dieterich Buxtehude and Georg Böhm.
The first section introduces the key of E minor with improvisatory flair, rising and falling with insistent figuration. The section culminates in a contrapuntal dialogue between the hands reminiscent of the Italian keyboard school, and it ends on an expectant major chord. The second section, which is marked “un poco allegro,” is a four-voice fugue. The term fugue is derived from the Italian word for “flight.” Fugue is a genre, but also a procedure: a theme (called a subject) is declared; then, in subsequent voices, the subject takes “flight” alongside other melodies. Complex rules govern the interaction between the lines of intertwined music. In between instances of the subject are “episodes,” where the listener is drawn along to changes in key and texture. In connecting Bach’s E-minor Toccata to the Italian tradition, Richard D.P. Jones notes that the second section’s fugue subject is almost identical to a theme by Venetian composer Giovanni Legrenzi that inspired Bach’s Fugue on a Theme by Legrenzi, BWV 574b.
In the third section, marked “adagio” (“at ease”), improvisatory broken chords set the stage for recitative-like passagework. A shocking tremolo, part of the “fantastic style,” breaks through the glassy demeanor and leads to blistering scales. The section becomes more intense, with fast runs paired with dissonant harmonies. However, Bach pulls back into a sunnier and introspective
Program Notes, cont.
state for a little while. That is quickly torn away with an increase in harmonic tension, with leaping figures in the bass set against agitated chords in the right hand. Finally, all tension is released in an exuberant “allegro” fugue that puts the “fantastic style” on display again. The subject’s copious tremolos are meant to astonish, and the wide leaps next to scalar passages generate textural contrast. The piece concludes with an improvisatory passage that outlines an E major chord, first unwinding rapidly downwards, then ascending to a final and triumphant E.
Partita No. 5 in G major bach
J.S. Bach gave the four volumes of his Clavier-Übung (“Keyboard Practice”) collection the distinctive subtitle “Music to Delight the Spirit,” indicating the artful cultivation of many compositional frontiers for any musician to enjoy and explore. The first volume, Clavier-Übung I, was published in 1731 and comprises six Partitas (suites) for the keyboard. The Partitas demonstrate Bach’s mastery of diverse genres and styles, and the publication also shows Bach’s shrewdness in the business of selling music. Bach sought to take advantage of the German public’s thirst for keyboard music, devising a publication that would stand out in a crowded marketplace. For example, in the preface to the collection, he specifically mentions the miscellaneous, charming movements—galanterien, or galant pieces— that a composer typically placed between the Sarabande and the Gigue. These were light dances or playful pieces, such as the Gavotte or Scherzo, that keyboardists
enjoyed for their airy, diverting nature. Andrew Talle notes that Bach changed the names of five of the six opening movements of the Partitas to distinguish them, and to make his Partitas more marketable: Sinfonia (C minor), Fantasia (A minor), Overture (D major), Praeambulum (G major), and Toccata (E minor), rather than the genericsounding Prelude.
Compared to his “French” Suites and “English” Suites, the Partitas are grander and more technically difficult. The Partita in G major is perhaps the sunniest and one of the most playful. The Praeambulum is filled with joyful flowing scales, hand crossings, and arpeggios. The sweet but somber Allemande’s lilting triplets sound imploring against the duple rhythm, while the Corrente’s quick passagework aims to charm. As in most of Bach’s suites, the Sarabande is the high point, with sighing appoggiaturas and suspensions that contribute to the movement’s emotional sensibility. The Tempo di Minuetto is a wonderful exemplar of the galanterien: with lots of hand crossings and arpeggiated chords that climb up the keyboard, this is the type of novel piece that a consumer might have appreciated. The suite ends with a brilliant Gigue that is uniquely challenging. In the second half of the Gigue, Bach introduces a new theme and weaves it together with the theme from the first half, producing a puzzle for the fingers that must be carefully reconciled. The Partitas show that Bach never compromised his phenomenal artistry—even while having a bit of fun—in producing “Music to Delight the Spirit.”
“Vo’ far guerra” handel, arr. babell
William Babell’s solo harpsichord arrangement of the show-stopping aria “Vo’ far guerra,” from Handel’s opera Rinaldo, became one of the most famous English keyboard works of the eighteenth century.
Published in 1717 by John Walsh as the final piece among arrangements of other Handel arias and miscellaneous movements by Babell, “Vo’ far guerra” became known as the “Celebrated Grand Lesson” and was re-issued several times over the century. The piece was among the pinnacles of keyboard virtuosity for its time, representing a dazzling and modern school of harpsichord music. Extravagant runs, arpeggios that encompass the entire keyboard, and thick block chords foreshadow the increasing technical demands of music throughout the eighteenth century.
Handel’s opera Rinaldo was a major success when it premiered in London, cementing his reputation as one of England’s leading composers of Italian opera. In this aria, Armida, the sorceress Queen of the Saracens, sings in response to King Argante’s confession of love to Almirena, the promised lover of the titular hero Rinaldo. But Argante did not realize that the Almirena standing before him was Armida in magical disguise. Armida’s vengeful fury, declarations of war, and magical prowess are expressed to great musical effect.
The structure of Handel’s aria is laid out as a dialogue between the singer (Armida), the orchestral musicians, and the harpsichord soloist. The trading of themes and virtuoso
figuration creates a resplendent texture that contributes to the operatic majesty. Handel himself improvised the harpsichord part during the opera, and Babell’s arrangement enabled the public to bring the spectacle into the home. Alternating between the harpsichord’s two keyboards creates dynamic contrast between the introspective, song-like sections and fiery passages.
The music historian Charles Burney (1726–1814), writing much after the fact, had an unfavorable opinion of the aria, perhaps due to the perceived musical excesses of the late baroque. Burney turns his judgment first to Handel, writing that he “must have captivated by the lightness and elasticity of his finger; as it contains no one learned or solid passage.” The endless repetition of musical ideas, while thrilling, never leads to deeper musical material. Finally, Burney scoffs at Babell’s arrangement, writing that “there is no instrument so favourable to such frothy and unmeaning Music as the harpsichord.” Whether one agrees with Burney’s assessments or not, one cannot deny that Babell’s entertaining arrangement brings the theatrical grandeur of eighteenth-century opera to life.
Upcoming Events at YSM
oct 21 World orchestra premiere of Helen Hagan’s Piano Concerto Yale Philharmonia
7:30 p.m. | Woolsey Hall
Tickets start at $12, Yale faculty/staff start at $8, Students free*
oct 26 Lunchtime Chamber Music
12:30 p.m. | Slifka Center
Free admission
oct Fall Opera Scenes 28 & 29 Yale Opera
7:30 p.m. | Morse Recital Hall
Tickets start at $12, Students start at $5
nov 2 Jan Jiracek von Arnim, piano Horowitz Piano Series
7:30 p.m. | Morse Recital Hall
Tickets start at $23, Students start at $11 nov 3 Aaron Jay Kernis & David Lang, faculty composers
New Music New Haven
7:30 p.m. | Morse Recital Hall
Free admission
nov 6 Wendy Sharp, violin Faculty Artist Series
3:00 p.m. | Morse Recital Hall
Free admission
yale school of music box office
Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College Street, New Haven, CT 06511 203 432–4158 | music-tickets.yale.edu
wshu 91.1 fm is the media sponsor of the Yale School of Music
Connect with us @yalemusic@yale.music
yalemusic
YaleSchoolofMusicOfficial
If you do not intend to save your program, please recycle it in the baskets at the exit doors.
