Hi Stuart,
Beautiful and I'm happy someone has finally started looking into the
Merchi publications for (English) guitar. As I have recently done some
research into some of his music I can add a bit of background info.
Merchi actually preferred the "Spanish" guitar as can be noted from a
fragment from the Public Advertiser, February 10, 1769:
"Signor Merchi [...] begs Leave to acquaint the Nobility and Gentry,
that he continues to teach Singing, and the Accompanyment on both the
Spanish and English Guittar; he however recommends the former; for
though it be a more difficult Instrument than the English Guittar, yet
it is more harmonious and pleasing,; nay, it proves as proper for
Accompanyment as the Harpsichord; and as to the Difficulties, a
skillful Master may very easily remove them. Signor Merchi has invented
a new and most expeditious Method, after which any Person with a little
Attention may be able to play a Minuet in two Lessons, and to accompany
an Air in four or five. He also offers to supply the Dilletanti with
the choicest Collection of Opera Songs, both French and Italian, with
some of his own Compositions, as well as Duo, Trio, Allemandes,
Minuets, Rondeux, which he has lately set [...]" (Public Advertiser,
January 15, 1774, GDN Z2001147297, BBCN).
Merchi (we usually don't which of the two brothers Giacomo or Giuseppe
Bernardo - only the early Paris publications mention the first name
Giacomo I seem to recall) went to London to teach and publish guitar -
same as they (or one of the brothers) did in Paris. In Paris they
published about 40 works, mostly for guitar, about half of which is
accompaniment of popular song (from the Opera Comique), but there are a
couple of instrumental works for (Spanish) guitar as well. Some of this
Paris output has been republished in London for (English) guitar, but
if you want to dig into the real bulk of Merchi repertory you'll have
to look into their Paris output. He also published one book of
triosonata's and two books of duo's, all of which were listed for
violin or mandolin or pardessus de viole. Some of his guitar duo's are
in the Paris taste of accompaniment with a violin (guitar has the lead
and accompanied by a violin).
Merchi had established himself in Paris as a maitre de guitarre,
colascione ("calisoncini") and mandolin (at least until the big
maestro's took over in the 1760s). He and his brother were actually
listed as virtuosi players touring Europe in the 1750s on all of these.
Part of the Paris output is the famous guitar method in two books - the
second of which goes into the details of "agremens" (ornamentation) and
is usually quoted for praising the use of single strings on the guitar
(making the transition from the baroque course-strung guitar).
This particular treatise can be quite useful when you're about to play
Merchi music, to see what he really meant with some of his
ornamentation signs. For example, contrary to normal theory and
practice, he recommends a triller to start on the principal note rather
than the upper note (which makes a lot of sense on the guitar as well).
He actually shows some influence from Tartini in use of ornamentation
and his triosonata's and violin/mandolin duets bear this out as well.
I'm not sure where they had their music education but Brescia isn't all
that far from Padua, so it's not all that surprising to see this
influence.
Kind regards & thanks for posting!
Pieter
_______________________________________________________________________
From: "Mayes, Joseph" <[email protected]>
Sent: 04 September 2013 23:26
To: "WALSH STUART" <[email protected]>, "lutelist Net"
<[email protected]>
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Giacomo Merchi: Allegretto per la chitarra 1776
Nice!
Joseph Mayes
On 9/4/13 4:50 PM, "WALSH STUART" <[email protected]> wrote:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_iZXUD6rTA
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