Jospeh Haydn

Andante and Variations in F Minor

Andrew Appel, fortepiano

Montage: David Rodgers Hamilton

Piano: Copy of Anton Walter by Tom and Barbara Wolf of The Plains, VA Recording engineer: David Walters

Program Notes

Haydn’s music, the very character of his genius, radiates with the optimism of the Enlightenment.  There is the power and joy that is born of reliance on and the triumphs of the mind, of reason. There is the belief that we live in a sunrise of knowledge, beauty, and truth.  To some extent and for the modern listener, the vast world of sentiment and expression in his music is unexpected and thus overlooked.  We think of him as so good-natured and so willing to please that the darkness and struggle so evident in Mozart and Beethoven escapes our notice in his music.  This is as unfair as it is incorrect. Listen to the opening of the Creation, or any of the Seven Last Words to inform you about Haydn’s profound understanding of our pains and our struggles.  

This Andante and Variations in F minor present Haydn’s haunting, longing, and plaintive modes.

When I was a child Haydn was the Surprise Symphony, a few piano sonatas in very major keys, and a short biography that mentioned that though called Papa Haydn, he never had children; so much incorrect and confusing information. In fact, Haydn had a natural son with an opera singer and the extent of his personal experience was vast. When I heard these variations for the first time, I did not know what to make of them as they belied what I knew about the composer.

To touch our hearts, Haydn wants us to approach our minds. He relies on our memory and our ability to understand a musical narrative.  As such, his manipulation of form, of musical ideas, is as masterful as the finest novelists of the time.  In the F minor variations, he uses a formula that he employs in several piano sonatas and trios, the double variation. He presents us with two contrasting themes for elaboration and alternates from one to the other.

The initial F minor andante is haunting and melancholic. The accompanying left hand has a halting heartbeat motion while the suspended melody meanders, often lingering on one note. Haydn employs just enough counterpoint to allow for depth but not to distract from the Gothic sadness and atmosphere of the theme. He follows this with a second, contrasting theme in F major. It is coquettish and employs a feathery arpeggiated figure that reminds me of a fine and seductive soprano. It also reminds us that Haydn was a master of imaginative textures for the new keyboard instrument, the piano. After presenting the two “personas”, he elaborates on both. Syncopations and sighs mark the first minor variation, silver trills the first major one. Then a swirl of 16th notes, like a breeze in an ancient cemetery, followed by a bravura allegro in the major and a flourish of chords to end the set of variations. But Haydn is not finished with us. He returns to the original andante and makes us feel that this recapitulation will allow us rest, to conclude. NO! The symmetrical set of variations explodes into a tempestuous fantasia that finally dissipates into a ghostly farewell.

These variations were written after Haydn’s first trip to London with the virtuoso Babette Ployer in mind. She was a student of Mozart’s and an impressive pianist. Haydn’s sense of the world had been changed after enjoying the height of respect and fame in London. He was welcomed by Royals, lionized by intellectuals, and celebrated by the very large, music-loving middle class of England.

If Haydn thought of himself as a romantic composer (and there are writings and descriptions that suggest he did) then the musical representation of chaos at the opening of the Creation, the c minor piano sonata, and these variations show this modest, brilliantly skilled, and humane master at the pinnacle of sensitive, generous, and far-reaching composition. There is in Haydn’s music a kindness that allows us to feel as if he is there, with us, guiding our hands as we interpret his work. That kindness may obscure the impressiveness of his genius.

- Andrew Appel, Hillsdale NY, March 2021

Francois Couperin

Second Ordre, Book One Pieces de Clavecin

Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers Hamilton

Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 after J. Ruckers 1642 Petit ravalement in Germany c.1695

Recorded at St. Mary's in Hudson, NY, July 2013 & July 2014
David Walters engineer and producer
Karen McLaughlin July 2013 co-producer
Barbara Wolf August 2014 co-producer
Tuning: Richard Hester-session 1, Barbara Wolf-session 2

Program Notes

This collection of pieces in D is the longest in all the books of Couperin and contains several masterpieces. Grace and nobility seem to reign. In his official portrait Couperin has one hand on the score to "Les Idées Heureuses". It is a work of sonorous nostalgia and melancholy. " La Garnier" a tribute work, sings out in the tenor range of the harpsichord combining sensuousness and rhetoric in a most poetical homage. "La Terpsicore" delineates dance gestures and paints the muse of movement. Debussy in his preludes owes much to the spirit and genius of this piece. The dance movements live in the courtly world of the chateau (the gavotte and courantes) or the rough and tumble world of the barnyard or village square (rigaudon and passepied). There are suites within the suite (for Diane) and there is not one genre or character piece that is not inspired in its choices of delicate dissonance and voluptuous harmonies.

The abundance of beats, trills, shakes in this second ordre empowers the music to enchant our hearts and move our souls. There is an intimacy here that touches, delights, and refreshes the way the first Parisian raspberry tarts open our spirit to spring each and every April.

- Andrew Appel, Hillsdale NY, Nov 10, 2020

Francois Couperin

Cinqieme Ordre (Book One, Pieces de Clavecin)

Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers Hamilton
Harpsichord and tuning: Willard Martin, Bethlehem PA 1984 After Nicolas Blanchet c. 1720 (from the Dreyfus collection)

Recorded at St. Mary's in Hudson, NY, August 2015
David Walters engineer and producer
Karen McLaughlin co-producer

Extracted Notes

From the opening A maj. chord, elegantly delineated, Couperin immerses us into a shimmering, effervescent, translucent tonal world. Tonalities in the 17th century display their character from the variety inherent in unequal tunings. A major has luminous energy and at the same time, bucolic sweetness. The entire Allemande Grave leads us into an atmosphere of liquid clarity and luminous sonority. The tableau here is one of blues and light greens and pinks that entice us to recline in the grass and enjoy the breezes passing over our heads. Each Ordre or suite from Book One of the Pieces de Clavecin of Couperin is a gallery of tonal imagery, pictures at an exposition, and the entire volume is a retrospective. At forty years of age, Couperin had already composed a repertory of harpsichord music unparalleled by others. Five suites (he calls ordres) allowed him to gather his accomplishments in an authorized edition. With the exception of the 4th ordre, these are large compilations of pieces, many of them containing suites within larger suites. Couperin has mastered contrasting styles from the majestic Racinian Baroque through poetic 17th century "precious', to the most au courante, witty, succinct Rococo works bringing to mind the palate of Watteau and the raucous vitality of the Italian theater. In many ways, the future and the past are back to back in this volume. The tonality of each ordre (G minor, D minor, C minor, F major and A major) acts as a sun radiating character into a solar system of works. There is tragedy in the C minor pieces, there is grace, homage and portraiture in the D minor ones. And in the final ordre of the book, there is the crystalline, bucolic, and fresh. My own impression is that Couperin has taken us on a promenade beyond the strictures of the chateau, beyond the sculpted formal gardens past the gates into fields and woodlands. We are face to face with a natural but still safe world. There is adventure in the pastoral. La Logiviere, the Allemande Grave that opens the Cinquieme Ordre is rich in contrasting textures. It is a tableau of liquid clarity and luminous harpsichord sound. The courantes balance courtly dance with poetic rhyme. Notice that each one finds a coherent textural few measures that make sense or give order to one the most beguiling and abstract of dances in the classical suite. I have a conjecture about the sarabande, La Dangereuse. When in 1734 Rameau presented his first opera, Hippolyte et Aricie, Couperin had just died. The opera’s opening aria, Temple Sacré uses the same melody. Might it be that Rameau was paying homage to Couperin, the other giant of the early 18th century? There is no evidence to prove this conjecture but it is not reasonable to believe that Rameau celebrated a parallel genius and wanted to mark the event of Couperin’s passing? The expected series of dances concludes with a bubbling and vibrant gigue that puts an A major smile on our faces. From these late 17th century vantage points our vista changes and we are placed into a world of Rococo delicacy and imagery. We see here Couperin’s mature style, so economical and effecting, marked with a deceptive simplicity unique in the Western canon. Now the instructions Couperin offers at the top of each piece become about affect. They are interesting in their clarity. Gracieusesment, Legerement sans vitesse. He points out both character and movement or speed. Though harpsichordists will differ on Couperin’s exact tempo, though we will differ on what “gracious” implies, we don’t disagree with Couperin! He puts us on a correct path and illuminates the piece at hand.

G. F. Handel

Lucrezia, Cantata for voice & continuo

Pascale Beaudin, soprano
Loretta O’Sullivan, cello
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Cello: Peter Wamsley, London 1720
Harpsichord: Thomas & Barbara Wolf, 2006, after GBC, 168(5)

Recorded: Won Dharma Center January 20-22, 2020
David Walters: Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited & mastered.
Barbara Wolf: Co-producer and tuner

TRANSLATION

RECIT: Oh Eternal Gods! Oh Stars! You who strike at wicked tyrants, take up your terrible darts and let your thunderous flames reduce the evil Tarquin and Rome to ashes. From his proud brow let the laurel fall. May an abyss open at his feet and, making him an unforgettable example, swallow him into the bowels of the Earth!

ARIA: Already boasting about my suffering, the betrayer of my honor, wicked and faithless, takes his leave. Oh! Punish the arrogant deceit of this traitor, this evil monster. Just heaven, deadly fate.

RECIT: Perhaps it is to punish me more for my offence, Oh gods, you do nothing. If the stars are unheeding, if the heavens are deaf to my pleas, to YOU, fearful gods of the abyss I turn. I look to you to avenge my betrayed honor.

ARIA: May the ground beneath his feet open and the air he breathes (the evil Roman) grow foul! Wherever his steps lead him, wherever he looks, may he meet ghosts and harbingers of ruin.

RECIT: Ah, in the abyss the furies remain silent. Has Jove no thunderbolts for me? Has hell become merciful? Ah, have I already become a thing of hatred to both heaven and hell? If punishment does not fall on my head, my remorse will be greater knowing that I have the power to punish myself.

ARIOSO: May remorse punish my despairing soul, and may the sword that I fearlessly hold do justice to my faithless body.

RECIT: To father, husband, Rome and the world I offer my death. May I be forgiven the hateful crime by which, against my will, I tainted our honor. May another more hateful crime, that of not killing myself before the evil act, be forgiven.

FINALE: Now in my breast this blade begins to accomplish its cruel task. My heart is more deeply hurt by the pain of this unavenged wrong than by the fury at the approach of death. BUT, if it is not my destiny here on earth to punish the tyrant, I will make of him a more savage example: He will fall lifeless when I take up my deathly shafts against him, and furious and cruel, I will wreak vengeance in hell.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonata in B minor BWV 1014 for violin and harpsichord

Olivier Brault, violin
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Violin: Pierre Charette, Montréal, 1998 : inspired by Venice violin making of the first quarter of the 18th century.
Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 after J. Ruckers 1642 enlarged in Germany c.1695

Recorded, December 9 and 10 2018, Won Dharma Center
Marlan Barry, Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited and mastered.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonata for flute and harpsichord in B minor

Charles Brink, flute
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers
(1. & 2. Brink and Appel in rehearsal and Autumn Gladiola. Photos David Rodgers 3. The Flight of Icarus (Breughel) & Fall of Phaeton (Rubens).

Flute: Martin Wenner 2005 copy of IH Rottenburgh
Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 after J. Ruckers 1642 enlarged in Germany c.1695

Recorded, August 19 & 20, 2019, Masonic Temple in Hillsdale, NY
Marlan Barry, Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited and mastered.
Willard Martin (A=392) Tuning

Antonio Vivaldi

Cello Sonata V in E minor

Loretta O'Sullivan, cello
Adam Cockerham, lute
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Cello: Peter Wamsley, London 1720’s

Marlan Barry, Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited and mastered.
Recorded, June 17, 2019 Masonic Temple, Hillsdale, NY
Harpsichord: Williard Martin after a Ruckers single manual.
Pitch: 415
Tuning: Willard Martin
Paintings Rembrandt (attribution), Tiepolo, Watteau, Goya

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonata in B minor
BWV 1030
for flute & harpsichord

Charles Brink, flute
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage & photographs: David Rodgers
1. & 2. Brink & Appel in rehearsal & Autumn Gladiola.
3. The Flight of Icarus (Breughel) & Fall of Phaeton (Rubens).

Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991
(after Ruckers (1642) enlarged in late 17th century (c. 1695)
Flute: Martin Wenner 2005 copy of IH Rottenburgh

Recorded at the Hillsdale Masonic Temple 8/19-20/19
Marlan Barry, engineer and producer
Willard Martin, tuning (A=392)

Georg Bohm

Suite VIII in F minor

Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 (after Ruckers (1642) enlarged in late 17th century (c. 1695)

Recorded at the Hillsdale Masonic Temple 7/6/17
Marlan Barry, engineer and producer
Richard Hester tuning (A=392)

Pietro Locatelli

Sonata in A major opus 8 # 10 for violin, cello & continuo

Olivier Brault, violin
Loretta O'Sullivan, cello
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Violin: Pierre Charette, Montréal, 1998 : baroque violin inspired by Venice violin making of the first quarter of the 18th century Cello: Peter Wamsley, London 1720’s
Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 after J. Ruckers 1642 enlarged in Germany c.1695

Recorded, October 24, 2017
Marlan Barry, Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited and mastered.
RIchard Hester tuning (A=392)
Paintings and drawings of Canaletto, Tiepolo, and Longhi

François Couperin

Septieme Ordre from Book 2 of Pieces de Clavecin

Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 after J. Ruckers 1642 enlarged in Germany c.1695

Recorded at St. Mary's in Hudson, NY, July 2014
David Walters engineer and producer
Barbara Wolf co-producer and tuning

Johann Gottlieb Graun

Sonata in F major for flute, viola and continuo

Charles Brink, flute
Kyle Miller, viola
Loretta O'Sullivan, cello
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Flute: Martin Wenner 2005 copy of IH Rottenburgh
Viola: Wang Zhi Ming (working for Lu-Mi Strings, Beijing 2008) copy of a Gasparo da Salò
Cello: Peter Wamsley, London 1720’s Harpsichord: Rutkowski & Robinette 1991 after J. Ruckers 1642 enlarged in Germany c.1695

Recorded, October 23, 2017
Marlan Barry, Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited and mastered.
RIchard Hester tuning (A=392)

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonata in G major BWV 1019 for violin and harpsichord

Olivier Brault, violin
Andrew Appel, harpsichord

Montage: David Rodgers

Violin: Pierre Charette, Montréal, 1998 : inspired by Venice violin making of the first quarter of the 18th century.
Harpsichord: Rutkowski and Robinette, after Pascale Taskin 1769
Recorded, Bard Chapel July 17-18, 2017 Marlan Barry, Produced, engineered, mixed, digitally edited and mastered.