CHAPTER 7: AMATEUR MUSIC

One theory as to why so many Dutch instruments survive is that there may have been a large amateur music-making scene in the Republic. While there is insufficient existing relevant information on amateur double-reed players,^[1] there are certainly sources which show that there was an extant culture. The Republic had several amateur music societies, known as collegia musica, as well as societies of professional musicians, such as the collegium musicum of Johann Schenck and John Abell (1653–1716<), or that of Hendrik Anders. Schenck and Abell’s collegium musicum is the oldest such society, started in 1696.^[2] Anders’s society was started in 1697 and included distinguished musicians such as Carl Rosier (1640–1725) — as well as his daughters Maria Petronella and Maria Anna — Nicolas Ferdinand le Grand (ca. 1660–1710), Nicolas Desrosiers (ca. 1645–1702<), Jacobus Cockuyt, and Michiel Parent.^[3] These musicians had their compositions published in Amsterdam, many of which include double-reed instruments. Surviving published works from Anders, Rosier, and Desrosiers indicate that there was a market for works for amateurs, even for double-reed instruments.

In 1696, Anders published his Trioos, Op. 1 in Amsterdam. This work has been cited as music for the kleine schalmei due to one being pictured on its cover page (Figure 7.1).^[4] Here, the kleine schalmei is depicted alongside (from left to right) a dulcian, a trumpet, a recorder, a violin, and a four-string bass instrument. To claim that this work is appropriate for kleine schalmeien purely due to the fact that one is depicted artistically on the cover page would be misinformed performance practice. While there is no prescribed instrumentation for the work, the two descant partbooks both say “Violino”^[5] in the header of each page.

Figure 7.1: Title page of Anders’s self-published Trioos, Op. 1 by Jan de Lairesse (1696).^[6]

A second edition of Anders’s Trioos was published by the publishing house of Roger in 1697, under the pseudonym of Utrecht’s Klaas Klaase Knol.^[7] As Roger was selling this edition, it appeared in his catalogues. From 1701, this work was listed in the category of “Livres de pieces pour les Flûtes, les Hautbois & pour les violons à la Françoise a 3 & 4 parties”.^[8] Anders’s Symphoniæ introductoriæ, Op. 2 was self-published in 1698, though a version may have also been published by Roger as it appears in his catalogues, starting in 1698.^[9] In the same 1701 catalogue, this work is not listed in the same category as the Trioos, but rather the category of “Sonates pour les violons à deux violons & une Basse Continue, la pluspart avec un violoncello ou viole de Gambe.”^[10] From 1712, the work continues to be catalogued exclusively in violin-related sections, with the instrumentation of two violins, viola, and basso continuo.^[11] However, this indication has not prevented modern-day musicians performing and recording this work with a misinformed instrumentation such as on kleine schalmeien and dulcian.^[12] As heard in the recording above, the Trioos do work on the kleine schalmeien, but whether it is historically-appropriate is another matter altogether. 

Rosier, although principally living in Cologne, worked in the Republic in the years 1683–1699, retaining his title of vice-Kapellmeister in Cologne during this period.^[13] His Pièces choisies à la manière italienne (1691) are written principally for two flutes and basone, though the instrumentation of “autres Instruments”^[14] is also given.^[15] One work of his, Quatorze Sonate (1697), was written for “les violons et le Haubois” (first edition)^[16] or “les violons & les Haubois” (second edition, 1710).^[17] The parts are for dessus 1 (G2, C₄–C₆), dessus 2 (G2, G₃–C₆),^[18] dessus 3 (the part says “Trompette” in the header; G2, C₄–C₆), hautcontre (C3, E₃–C₅),^[19] basse (F4, C₂–E₄), and basse continue (F4, C₂–A₄).^[20] The work is described as being particularly for violins or “le hautbois” (plural in 1705)^[21] in all of Roger’s catalogues, until 1712 when it receives an entirely new description; “Quatorse Sonates à une Trompette ou Hautbois, deux dessus de Violon, une Haute contre, une Basse & une Basse Continue ou tous Hautbois”.^[22] This implies that the third dessus part can be played on trumpet or oboe (with the rest on string instruments), or that there are five parts played by oboe band, plus basso continuo. This indication is present on every Roger catalogue from 1712 onwards, as well as those of his successors. In any case, the ambiti of the parts fits the range of an oboe band (three descant oboes, one tenor oboe, one bassoon) very well, with only two notes in the second dessus and one note in the haute-contre being problematic.

Desrosiers — sometimes misleadingly referred to as De Rosier — was responsible for several publications in Amsterdam, both of his own and by other composers. Many of these publications are appropriate for double-reed instruments. Antoine Pointel, his brother-in-law, published an arrangement of Lully’s Cadmus et Hermione for him, titled Les airs de l’opera de Cadmus et d’Ermione (1687). It does not survive but it was described as being appropriate for “tout sorte d’Instruments”.^[23] Pointel published his Concerts in 1688, supposedly also for “tout sorte d’Instruments” according to catalogues, but the three versions of this work are only described as being for flute and/or violin in the works, themselves, though no copies survive.^[24] The same can be said for his La fuite du Roi d’Angleterre^[25] (1688), though it survives and, from 1701, it is listed amongst oboe music in Roger’s catalogues.^[26] Desrosiers published an instrumental arrangement of Lully’s Armide for violin or flute ca. 1688, printed by Johannes Stichter. Unlike the two earlier Pointel publications, there is no indication that it would be suitable for all sorts of instrument, but it does include a “Menuet pour les hautbois”.^[27] Desrosiers’s own composition, Suittes en trio, was published in three volumes by Roger in 1703 and again by Pieter Mortier (1661–1711) ca. 1710. Unfortunately, they do not survive but it is known that they were intended for flutes, violins, and oboes.^[28]

Le Grand worked in the Amsterdam Schouwburg in the years 1706–1710.^[29] He composed exclusively vocal music, including the music for a zangspel, Triomf der Batavieren^[30] (1709).^[31] There is little surviving information on Cockuyt, aside from the fact that he played a bass instrument in the Schouwburg^[32] in the years 1678–1681 (see Figure 5.1.1).^[33]

Parent, although not known to be a composer, was a maker of both oboes and bassoons, as well as flutes.^[34] While most surviving sources concern Parent’s instrument-making, the advertisements refer to him principally as a musician, with bassoon being his priority. Supposedly, he also showed his customers how to play their instruments.^[35]

Another Schouwburg musician, Servaas de Konink, had several works published by Roger. Of his oboe music, this included two sets of trios in 1695 and 1698, twelve lost sonatas with continuo in 1698, and twelve lost sonatas for two dessus also in 1698,^[36] as well as a book of minstrel and drinking songs which only survives as a Mortier edition from 1709. A manuscript of 12 flute sonatas works in the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbütten may be a handwritten version of the 1698 sonatas with continuo.^[37] Three volumes of Hollantsche Schouburgh, en plugge dansen vermengelt met sangh airen were published by Estienne Roger and edited by “Servaas de Konink”,^[38] but likely refers to his son, Servaas de Konink Jr who also worked in the Schouwburg in the years 1705–1718.^[39] De Konink Jr’s departure from the Schouwburg seems to coincide with the publication of the series’s fourth, fifth, and sixth volumes in 1718, with his name no longer mentioned. A seventh surviving volume was published in 1721, followed by four more volumes in 1729,^[40] of which only the eleventh volume survives.^[41]

Roger’s reach through England, France, Italy, German-speaking areas, and Scandinavia allowed the Republic’s amateurs to acquire works by composers from beyond the local scene. Visiting composers were able to collaborate with Roger to publish their works in Amsterdam. The lack of international copyright laws allowed Roger to reprint many works from abroad without the original publisher or composer’s consent.^[42] As a result, several foreign works were disseminated throughout the Republic, several of which for double-reed instruments, and have been compiled as part of Appendix A. Aside from Rosier’s Quatorze Sonate, only one work published is explicitly for oboe band, 12 Sonates à un hautbois de concert (ca. 1711) by Johann Michael Müller (1683–1743). Some other works with open instrumentation and sufficient voices may also be appropriate for oboe band, depending on the ambiti of the parts.

One of the most common publications of the period was arrangements of (sections of) Lully’s tragédies en musique. These arrangements are for three or four parts — reduced from the original five parts — and are usually designated the generic instrumentation of all sorts of instruments. These arrangements must have been popular as they were published by both Pointel and Roger, and again ca. 1715 by Roger with a Dutch-language title page instead of French. Roger’s arrangements are listed in his catalogues amongst three- and four-part French oboe music. Other relevant Lully publications include selections of arias and trio sonata arrangements.^[43] A manuscript by Charles Babel from 1696, titled “Balets de Lully”,^[44] contains several excerpts from Lully’s works, arranged for two dessus parts, a missing haute-contre part, a taille part, a “basse concert” part, and a missing second bass part. According to the library which holds this manuscript, the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky, there was never a quinte part, like the other Lully arrangements published by Pointel and Roger.^[45] The carving on the oboe stamped “W: BEUKERS” (Figure 4.2) may be an example of how amateurs may have played these four-part arrangements; with partbooks on a table. The instrumental disposition also matches an instrumentation which — for the most part — suits the ambiti of these Lully arrangements well.

Instrument methods and music theory books were also published by Roger, two of which were for oboe. The first of these was a new 1709 edition of Jacques-Martin Hotteterre’s (“Le Romain”) 1707 treatise, Principes de la flûte traversière […],^[46] which includes a brief section on the oboe (“Methode pour apprendre ajouer du Haut-Bois”).^[47] Schickhardt’s oboe method, Principes du hautbois, contenant des airs à deux hautbois sans basse,^[48] was published by Roger between 1710 and 1712. There are no extant copies but it was featured in the catalogues of Roger and his successors until 1744.^[49]

Figure 7.2: Jan Steen’s Kinderen leren een poes dansen (<1679).^[50]

Artistic depictions of folk musicians provide a less formal overview on amateur music culture in the Republic. Jan Steen’s (ca. 1626–1679) Kinderen leren een poes dansen (also known as De dansles)^[51] is an oil painting from early in the period of study, or earlier. Set with a homely backdrop, a girl accompanies a kitten’s “dancing” on the shawm (Figure 7.2). She plays without a score, meaning it is likely that a known tune is being played, possibly one that may have appeared in a published collection of melodies.

Double-reed instruments were also used in outdoor folk settings. One example from 1705 shows a shawm accompanying outdoor dancing (see Figure 5.3.1).^[52] A 1716 example depicts several instruments fulfilling a similar function (Figure 7.3), including at least one double-reed instrument. As a relatively late example, the mix of left- and right-handed playing may be evidence that these musicians were not formally-educated.

Figure 7.3: Detail from the front matter of Jan van Gijsen’s (1668–1722) songbook, Het vermaaklyk Buitenleven, of de Zingende en Speelende Boerenvreugd (1716).^[53]

The image’s accompanying poem by “A. v. H.” refers to a sweet sound being sung, accompanied by a transverse flute and “Hoboon”. The fourth verse of “Bedelmans Lied”^[54] in the songbook refers to dance music played by violins, flutes, an oboe, and a bass instrument.^[55] Along with the pastoral terminology discussed in Chapter 3, there was certainly an association of shawms and oboes with the outdoors, specifically in an amateur sense.

Summary

To Chapter 8: In the Church