If lute could speak...
Although Gallus Anonimus' The Chronicles (or at
least its first part, written in 1112) provides evidence that the lute
was an instrument popular and in common use in Poland already during
the reign of King Bolesław Chrobry, the Polish visual arts which
survived to our times include the pictures of lute from the early 15th
century. Wall paintings in the Saint Trinity church at the Lublin
Castle, founded by King Władysław Jagiello in 1418, a stained glass
window in the Friars Dominicans' Church in Cracow (1430–1440), the
triptych of the Holy Trinity in the Wawel; Cathedral produced in 1467,
Great Altar in the St. Mary's Church in Cracow by Veit Stoss in
1477–1489, all contain show musicians playing lutes. During the reigns
of kings Zygmunt Stary and Zygmunt August, lute's position in the
Polish musical culture strengthened yet further, as it was then called
"the queen of instruments". It was not by chance that the richly
decorated coffin of King Zygmunt August produced in 1573, which still
remains in the crypts of the Wawel cathedral, contained the picture of
lute on a prominent position. Composers of those times used that
instrument keenly. Its sweet and delicate sound soothe Kings and mighty
of that world. The instrument was handy enough to be taken to make a
garden walk even more pleasant. Customs from the royal court were
swiftly imitated and spread widely in the courts of aristocracy and the
gentry. It was so easy to reach for the lute and express all shades of
mood, and one's feelings and emotions. It was an instrument perfectly
fit to produce such latest contemporary developments of the composers'
techniques as a polyphonic facture treatment which, in Bakfark's
compositions, was coming to six voices, and to evolve rich and
beautiful harmony. Brilliant and virtuoso ornamentation was a
particular embellishment to the lute instrument to play a lighter, more
entertaining repertoire. The instrument characteristic sound goes very
well with a human voice, with singing. Dances formed quite an extrinsic
and abundant part of the lute music repertoire. Polish lute dances were
acclaimed and esteemed far beyond the borders of the Polish Kingdom.
The 16th century lute tablatures survived to our times in the from of
manuscripts or their longhand copies. Only the Valentin Bakfark's
Tablature, published in print in 1565, is continuously acclaimed in
Poland. Fortunately, a considerable number of compositions by the
Polish musicians were included in tablatures scribbled or printed in
those years far beyond the Polish borders.
While compiling music for this particular recording, we have consulted
vast number of
resources, including the organ tablatures. The two Francesco Maffon's
songs, which have been originally printed for the four-voice vocal
ensemble, we applied the technique widely-used by the lute-players: the
intabulation, or the transfer from the score notation. The instruments'
peculiarities required application of numerous diminutions, a common
practice by the 16tth century lute players anyway. The intabulation has
been performed for the two lute instruments. The solo compositions and
all arrangements for the then-contemporary playing elements of free
interpretation of from and ornamentation. Application of such means of
artistic expression brings closer the musical image of this recording
to the Renaissance times. The record's title is an incipit of Jan
Kochanowski's popular epigram on Bakfark.
Valentin Bakfark (1506–1576) – lute player and composer of
Hungarian origin. Educated at the court of Transylvanian governor Jan
Zapolya. Between 1549 and 1566 he was the court musican at the King
Sigismundus Augustus's court, and there he was knighted. He personally
supervised the printing of his tablature Harmoniarum musicarum in
usum testudinis factarum, tomus primus, in Cracow, in 1565. That
volume contains a collection of musical compositions dedicated to the
King. The volume was printed in the famous printing works of Lazarus
Andrysowic. The volume is the only in Poland, and known to these days,
printed lute tablature. Bakfark's compositions are masterly and
consequent in his development of three- to six-voice polyphony. Jan
Kochanowski, in his epigram On Bakfark, wrote:
"If lute could speak
Thus she would say:
Leave me for Bakfark
Ye all on bagpipes play!"
Diomedes Cato (before 1570–after 1607) Italian lute player,
singer and composer; from his early childhood residing in Poland at the
royal court of King Sigismundus III Vasa and at the mansion court of
Stanisław Kostka, Malbork economic governor and deputy treasurer of the
Prussian Lands. Cato's compositions, abundant in number, included
polyphonic chants, a madrigal – Tirsi morir volea, several
preludes, fantasias, passamezzi, galiards, a barriera favorito and
dances for solo lute, as well as the organ compositions and numerous
intabulations.
Wojciech Długoraj called also Wojtaszek (around 1557–after
1619), a lute player and composer – he was brought up and educated at
Samuel Zborowski's court, where he stayed until 1579. Between 1583–1586
he was the court lute player for King Stefan Batory. For a time he was
also a friar at the St. Bernard's convent in Kraków. He spent the last
years of his life abroad. He left the longhand-written tablature, the
so-called Długoraj’s Tablature, written in the German system; the book
contains almost five hundred and fifty compositions were also included
by J. B. Bésard in his tablature: Thesaurus Harmonicus, and one
Długoraj's Polish dance was included in the longhand form, published in
Cologne in 1603.
Franciszek Maffon (2nd half of 16th century): a composer, and a
son of a Kraków bourgeois, Piotr Maffon, a descendant of Brescia. He
was an organist at the Polish Kings: Stefan Batory and Sigismundus III
Vasa's courts. The three pieces recorder on our CD are all we know of
his compositions.
Mikołaj z Krakowa (Nicolas of Cracow). Living in the first half
of 16th century, a Polish organist and composer, native of Cracow and
working there. No closer details on his life survived to our times. He
was a versatile composer, who produced music in mere instrumental
forms, but was composed also both ecclesiastical and lay music.
Mikołaj's compositions survived included in the Tablature of the
Holy Spirit' cloister in Kraków. He was the oldest composer of
dances known in Poland by his name.
Jakub Reys Polak (around 1540–around 1605) – a Polish musician,
lute player and composer. He spent most of his career in France, where
he arrived in 1574. From 1588 onwards he was a court lute player for
Henry III, King of France, and later, for King Henry IV. It was due to
his origins that he was given the nickname of "the Pole". He was known
and admired for his particular virtuosity in playing, for novelties in
the technique instrumental, deep and beautiful sound of his instruments
and improvising skills. His pieces were included in as many as five
popular volumes printed and published in 1603 to 1617, and were also
included in the longhand – copied lute tablatures. He composed
fantasies, preludes, branles, courantes, galiards, voltes, a sarabande
and a ballet.
Marcin Zalewski
(Translated by Tomasz J. Popielicki)