An educational programme featuring early music. The musical world of Samuel Pepys, part 1. On the basis of his diaries we will sketch his musical performances and his experiences with 17th century English musical life.
Who was Samuel Pepys? He lived from 1633 till 1704 and he worked as a clerk with the Brittish admiralty for a large part of his life. Pepys wrote diaries for 9 years with which he became famous.
In our programme about Pepys we will limit ourselves to the world which Pepys sketched us in the years 1660 until May 1669. A lot happened in those years.
It took more than a century until Pepys’ diaries were deciphered after his death. The fact is that he wrote his diaries in a code based on stenography according to Thomas Shelton. And there were lots of extracts of naughty affaires with a lot of ladies in some kind of Latin, French and Spanish gibberish.
But Pepys also mentioned his musical performance of him and his wife; and he described musical life in those days.
In the first programme music includes Henry Lawes, Nicolas Lanier, Giulio Caccini, Thomas Ravenscroft, Giovanni Battista Draghi and Thomas Morley.
1. Henry Lawes (1596-1662)
– Sweet, stay awile
Glenda Simpson, mezzo-soprano. Barry Mason, baroque guitar. Rosemary Thorndycroft, bass gamba
(Saga Classics EC 3367-2)
2. Giulio Caccini (1545–ca. 1618)
– Amarilli mia bella
Tania d’Althann, soprano. Paolo Cherici, lute
(Arts 47203-2)
3. Nicholas Lanier (1588-1666)
– Like hermit poor
Evelyn Hubb, soprano. David Hatcher, viola da gamba
(Etcetera KTC 1361)
4. Thomas Ravenscroft (ca. 1582-na 1635)
– A round of three country dances in one
– There were three ravens
The Hilliard Ensemble conducted by Paul Hillier
(HMA 19011531)
5. Giovanni Battista Draghi. (ca. 1640-1708)
– Suite in G Minor:
Prelude, Allmand, Corrant, Air, Jig
Davitt Moroney, harpsichord
(Virgin Veritas 5 45172-2-8)
6. Thomas Morley (1557-1602)
– Miraculous love’s wounding
Hilliard Ensemble
(EMI CDC 7 49197-2)
7. Giulio Caccini (1545-ca. 1618)
– Dite o del foco mio
Tania d’Altham, soprano. Hans Hirsch, harpsichord
(ARTS 47203)
8. Anoniem/Giovanni Coperario/William Lawes
– Ballet: Whichdances – Satyres Masque – Symphony – Adonis Maske – Cupararee – Saraband and Scottish tunes
Pedro Memelsdorff, recorder. Andreas Staier, harpsichord
(DHM 05472 77318-2)
Portrait: Samuel Pepys (painter: Robert White)
