On 05/09/2013 06:21, Pieter Van Tichelen wrote:
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
Thanks Pieter and thanks for all this detailed information.
I think it's just the case that, every so often, someone digs out some
Merchi (whichever one) and has a go. James Tyler and Robert Spencer
recorded a Merchi (J.B?) duet for ('Spanish' gut-strung) guitars
decades ago. Taro Takeuchi has just released a CD, Affectuoso, with
music for both types of guitar from the 1760s/70s and which includes a
virtuoso rendition of Merchi's variations on La Folia, also for
'Spanish' gut-strung guitar (lasting about 15 minutes!).
The little piece I played from Dodici Suonate does actually specify
Giacomo Merchi on the title page.You say that some of the Paris
repertoire was republished in London for the English guitar? I have
the Studio Per Edizioni Scelte reprints of Merchi and I know Le Guide
Des Ecoliers but I don't remember seeing any music for the Spanish
guitar recycled as music for the English guitar. But some of Merchi's
English guitar music (published in London) does turn up in C.F.A.
Pollet's publications for 'cistre ou guitharre allemande' published in
Paris (without attribution).
Stuart
____________________________________________________________________
From: "Mayes, Joseph" [1]<[email protected]>
Sent: 04 September 2013 23:26
To: "WALSH STUART" [2]<[email protected]>, "lutelist Net"
[3]<[email protected]>
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Giacomo Merchi: Allegretto per la chitarra 1776
Nice!
Joseph Mayes
On 9/4/13 4:50 PM, "WALSH STUART" [4]<[email protected]> wrote:
> [5]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_iZXUD6rTA
To get on or off this list see list information at
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References
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5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_iZXUD6rTA
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