Friends in High Places
Baroque In The North
rec. 2025, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK
Reviewed as a download
First Hand Records FHR193 [77]

During the baroque period, two instruments became especially associated with French music: the hurdy-gurdy (vielle) and the musette. Whereas the former was of Eastern origin and made its appearance in Europe in the Gothic period, the latter was developed in France in the 17th century. The air supply to the bag comes from a small bellows strapped under the arm. The instrument described by Mersenne (1636/37) and Borjon (1672) had a range of ten notes (f’–a”) and drones in F and B flat. In the early 18th century, a second chanter (melody pipe) was added, giving the instrument a range to d”’ and allowing the possibility of double stops (New Grove).

At first the musette was used for the performance of rustic dances of a rather simple character. With time the instrument developed technically, and this resulted in music of a more sophisticated and technically demanding character. The music written for the musette was often not that different from music for other instruments, such as the transverse flute or the oboe. It was common practice to publish music that could be played on various instruments, at the discretion of the performer(s), and with time the musette was included as one of the options.

Amanda Babington, with her ensemble Baroque In The North, recorded a programme in which the technical and musical evolution of the musette is demonstrated. Although the instrument has made its appearance in recordings of French baroque music, it still takes a minor place in the musical world. It is telling that four items are first recordings, and four are first commercial recordings.

As mentioned, the early music for the musette was rather simple. The programme focuses on music of the 18th century, but some composers still wrote pieces in the traditional style. Examples are the Amusement No. 3 by Colin Charpentier and the Duos Galants by Esprit-Philippe Chédeville; the latter are for two musettes. In the same vein Jacques-Christophe Naudot composed his Babioles Op. 10. However, they are technically more challenging than the pieces just mentioned. A token of the development of the musette and its emancipation are his Fêtes rustiques Op. 8, which are written in the Italian style.

That is also the style we meet in the work which opens the programme, the Trio sonata in C by Alexandre Julien Dugué, a composer about whom very little is known. Here the musette is joined by the transverse flute, and both parts are technically challenging. Notable is Dugué’s daring use of harmony and the exploration of the second chanter, the petit chalumeau. The sonata includes arpeggios which switch between grand and petit chalumeau. Of the same technical level are the sonatas for musette and flute without basso continuo by A. Tolou, another unknown quantity; apparently even his first name is not known. The two parts are equally challenging; Amanda Babington, in her liner-notes, states that the musette part is not that idiomatic, for instance by the inclusion of passages with repeated notes and leaps. It suggests that Tolou did not play the instrument himself.

Jean-Baptiste Dupuits’ Sonata in G is an example of a piece which can be played on different instruments. It was originally conceived for the hurdy-gurdy. Dupuits was a composer and a teacher of harpsichord and hurdy-gurdy. He claimed to be a student of André Campra. In 1753 he opened a public school of music which gradually expanded into a supply of courses for every instrument. His first publication was a method for the hurdy-gurdy: Principes pour toucher de la vièle avec 6 sonates, probably printed in 1741. Some of his sonatas have been recorded by Tobie Miller and her Ensemble Danguy (review; review). Here the sonata is played on the musette, which is specifically mentioned in the title of the Op. 3 (“Laquelle partie s’execute également sur les Musettes, Violons, Flûtes”). It is odd that the tracklist marks this sonata as one for hurdy-gurdy and basso continuo, whereas the title of the collection has Sonates pour un Claveçin et une Viele. This indicates that the harpsichord plays a concertante role. The hurdy-gurdy (musette) has an accompanying role in the first three movements, but acts more as a soloist in the pair of minuets which closes the sonata. Notable are the indications of articulation and ornamentation in them. The two middle movements are called andante here but are in fact pastorellas.

It is no wonder that the name of Joseph Bodin de Boismortier appears in this recording. He was the most prolific composer of his time in France, who mainly wrote music for amateurs. Most of his works are scored for instruments to the choice of the performer(s). His Suites Op. 27 can, according to the title page, be played on two hurdy-gurdies, musettes, recorders, transverse flutes or oboes. It is typically entertaining stuff for amateurs that was not technically too difficult.

The programme is extended with pieces for flute and harpsichord respectively. Jean Daniel Braun is another composer about whom little is known. Jed Wentz, with his ensemble Musica ad Rhenum, devoted a three-disc set to his oeuvre, and even he has little to tell about Braun’s life. He is mentioned by Johann Joachim Quantz in his autobiography, referring to a visit to Paris in 1726. He wrote music for several instruments, including the hurdy-gurdy and the musette. Although Wentz recorded pieces for unaccompanied transverse flute, the suite included here is not part of his recording.

Louis-Antoine Dornel is better-known by name, but again not that much about his life is known for sure, and that includes the years of his birth and death. He was educated as an organist and held several positions in this capacity in Paris. It is known that he wrote several motets which were greatly appreciated and were also performed at the Concert Spirituel, but as all these works have been lost we know nothing about their features. What has been left is a handful of organ pieces, suites for the harpsichord, some collections of chamber music, two chamber cantatas, a divertissement and some airs. His Pièces de clavecin date from 1731. The Suite in A minor is typical of the time in that all the movements are character pieces; four of the five have the form of a rondeau.

These pieces by Braun and Dornel are included to mark the similarity in style between the music for the more common instruments and what was written for the musette, this way documenting the latter’s emancipation in the course of the 18th century.

This disc is an interesting and musically compelling survey of what was written for the musette. It shows how a relatively simple and marginal instrument became fashionable and appealed to some of the best composers of the time to explore its features. Amanda Babington is a specialist on the musette; one could call her the opposite number of the above-mentioned Tobie Miller, a virtuoso on the hurdy-gurdy. Babington is not less of a virtuoso on the musette, which she plays brilliantly and with much flair and zest. Martyn Shaw is her perfect partner on the transverse flute, producing a strong but beautiful tone. The flute tends to be a little dominant in some pieces, but overall, the balance is satisfying. David Francis delivers a fine performance of Dornel’s suite.

Given that this disc includes mostly pieces that are not available on disc, it is a substantial addition to the discography, and a must for any lover of 18th-century French music.

Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
https://bsky.app/profile/musicadeidonum.bsky.social

Contents
Alexandre Julien Dugué (1714-1780)
Trio sonata in C, op. 4,3
Esprit-Philippe Chédeville (1696-1762)
Duo Galant in G, op. 5,5
A. Tolou (?-?)
Sonata No. 1 in C
Jean-Baptiste Dupuits (fl 1741-1757)
Sonata in G, op. 3,6
Jean-Daniel Braun (fl 1728-1740)
Suite in G minor
Colin Charpentier (?-?)
Amusement No. 3 in C
Louis-Antoine Dornel (c1680-after 1756)
Suite No. 1 in A minor
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689-1755)
Suite in G, op. 27,3
Jacques-Christophe Naudot (c1690-1762)
Babioles in C, op. 10,2
Fêtes rustiques in G, op. 8,6

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