howard posner
Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:41:35 -0700
> "Plainte de Monsieur Weiss sur la generosite de la grande Noblesse > au cap de bonne esperance, en attendant la flotille d'or de leur > promesse." This has come up on this list before, but my archive-searching skills are not what they could be. A quickie net search turned up this, from some concert program notes by Michel Cardin, www.edmontonchambermusic.org/0607CardinNotes.html: > The Plainte has no title at its heading, though the following > information can be found in French at the end: `A plainte by Mr. > Weis on the generosity of the great Nobility at the cape of good > hope, whilst awaiting their promised flotilla of gold: composed on > January 11, 1719.' These sentiments can be found in the music, > which combines disillusionment with serene meditation in a manner > that is philosophical and without rancour. Weiss was visiting > Vienna with the Saxon court while preparing for the marriage of the > inheritors to be held on the twentieth of March. One wonders which > of the two courts was held in disdain by Weiss for the failure to > provide monetary payment. It is true that the Viennese court had > tried to lure him with an incredibly large salary. I hadn't heard the tea explanation before. Where does it come from? and who are the "grand nobility at the cape of good hope?" -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html