© Michel Cardin
The London Manuscript
Solo Sonata 26 in F Major
(Smith-Crawford 32)
The complete and updated version of 'London unveiled' by Michel Cardin can be downloaded as pdf files: 'London unveiled'
This is the last solo sonata, found in the very last pages of the London Manuscript. Nine individual works can be found between Sonatas 25 and 26 (Please refer to the table of titles in the General Context) some of which show considerable maturity. Sonata no 26, which exemplifies the tonality of F major to the same extent as did the preceding sonata, is also contained in its entirety in both the Dresden and Wroclaw manuscripts. The gigue exists in the Podebrady ms though the Dresden copy has a different gigue. In London the second minuet is not present in the sonata but squeezed between sonatas 18 and 19, 70 pages away. Why is that for? It might have been composed separately and added later. This relationship seems to have been forgotten in the critical commentary of the Peters edition, and our first impression is to believe that this menuet is not in London. In the Wroclaw version, this sonata has the title Parthie a liuto solo Sigre Silvio Leopold Weifs 1739 (to the best of our ability to decipher it given the poor condition of the microfilm and/or manuscript). It is possible that the year in question could be 1729 or 1719. Different versions of the same piece provide an opportunity not only to analyse a variety of fingering possibilities but also to choose between different approaches. This fascinating variety of sources offers an interesting basis for comparison despite the occurrence of errors in these complementary texts.
The Allemande follows the model of its equivalent piece in the first sonata. In fact the same could be said of both sonatas in their entirety. We find the same compositional style and tonality at the end of the London Manuscript (Sonata no 26) as we did at the beginning (Sonata no 1) and middle (Sonata no 14, S-C 19). This is further proof that the composer was thinking in terms of a homogeneous whole, representative of his first period, even if certain works already show the finesse found in the later large sonatas (the last 14 of the 20 Dresden Manuscript originals). The deliberate homogeneity is such that the first measure of the last sonata is exactly the same as that of the allemande from sonata no 1 ! Because the Dresden and Wroclaw copies do not have this identical departure, I feel it wise to borrow the beginning as found in these manuscripts to better differentiate this allemande, which is, admittedly, quite different afterward. There is nevertheless more than a passing familial resemblance between the allemandes of sonatas nos. 1, 14, 25 and 26. This could also be said of the courante (Cour: ), which has the same style, rhythm, harmonic progression and voice play as that of the first sonata. This courante has a unique lightness that carries us with verve through an uplifting sequential organisation, the like of which can be found possibly only in the courante of the eighth sonata S-C 12. The listener is treated to a triumphant theme with majestic bass leaps, in addition to another theme in the first part that reminds us of the Gloria in Excelcis Deo melody in Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
The Bouree, as well-constructed as all the other Weiss bourrées, is surprising in that the first theme bears a strong resemblance to that of the presto in The Celebrated Pirate. More bass tones, or rather, the repetition of bass tones, are to be found in the Wroclaw version. This invites speculation as to whether the owner may have been using old or less resonant strings on his lute. There are, however, almost no slur indications in the Wroclaw version. The Sarabande is extremely intense, with long breathing phrases, delicately linked one to the other. As with the other movements in the sonata, the sarabande was more carefully edited in the London manuscript, showing very sophisticated fingering and slurring indications. This is quite clear even from the beginning of the piece.
As with the Sarabande, the Wroclaw first Menuet appears to have been quickly edited, with many inconvenient fingerings. The work offers an example of interpretation through alternation between ‘notes egales and notes inegales’, with all decisions being based on the quest for natural phrase expression. The second Menuet (from p.242) is full of elegant gracefulness and adequately reinforces the first minuet. Curiously enough, the Wroclaw version is clearly superior to the Dresden. These discrepancies between manuscripts provide further impetus for carefully researching all sources when embarking upon a project of this kind. As a general rule, the Dresden appears to be more meticulously edited than all other sources, with the exception of the London ms, of course. The unity of the sonata is maintained in the second minuet through the use of motifs built on thirds, motifs that are present in the bourree. In any case, the left hand configurations and the modulations in the second part provide ample evidence, in our view, that this minuet was composed by Weiss. It comes as a delight to hear the ubiquitously Baroque descending fourth bass progression (think of the Pachelbel canon) at the beginning of the piece.
The Gigue confirms our opinion that there was an intentional desire to solidly conclude the London Manuscript in a style similar to the beginning. The gigues of sonatas S-C 1 and S-C 32 have in common the same number of bars, plus the same octave progressions at the ends of sections. The work was either written at the same time as the first sonata or reworked at a later date to provide the essential homogeneity between the two, the mordents being a possible indication of the latter scenario. In effect, mordents are indicated more frequently in later works. Regarding the slurs, some can be borrowed profitably from the Podebrady ms. However, as is usually the case, many inexact renderings (missing bass notes, copying errors, etc.) are to be found in all of the versions other than the London and Dresden manuscripts.
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