© Michel Cardin
The London Manuscript
Solo Sonata 9 in d minor
(Smith-Crawford 13)
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This sonata is all in a copyist’s hand, except for an embellishment suggestion at the bottom of a page, which is inscribed by Silvius himself. Three of the five movements of this sonata appear also in the Rostock Manuscript. I mention five movements rather than six, since the Largo that appears to end the sonata would in fact, as stated in my introduction, seem to be part of a duet (most likely with transverse flute) that will be compiled here with the other duets in a third part. It is at least possible that Weiss (or the owner Adlersfeld) had decided to insert this one isolated page as a replacement for the more typical sarabande movement, noticeably absent from this sonata. (The duo is composed in the appropriate key, D minor, and it would come as no surprise to see this piece as being adaptable as a solo, considering the many possibilities for ornamentation).
The sonata displays nevertheless a remarkably high degree of thematic cohesion. At the beginning of each movement the melodic outline of the dominant => tonic polarity is reiterated in an obvious fashion using the same descending schema. In addition, there is a high degree of resemblance between the prelude and allemande and the equivalent movements for the seventh sonata. Some passages are, for all practical purposes, identical. As with the apparent reincarnation of various Scarlatti Sonatas in different collections, these works should not be considered as mere inferior variations of other previously or subsequently composed pieces. The proud toccata-like allure of the fantasia from the seventh sonata is contrasted by the seriousness of purpose found in the Preludie of the ninth sonata which, although initially self-contained and sweet, becomes slowly agitated to the point of anxiety. Immediately prior to the last chord of this unmeasured prelude, there is an indication to return to an insertion added in Weiss’s hand, who presumably found the ending a bit hasty, necessitating the addition of a few modulating arpeggios before the conclusion. With the insertion ending as it does in the middle of a phrase at the end of a page (one surmises the existence of another scrap of paper containing the rest of the information) it has become necessary to recompose the missing material. My reconstruction has been kept to a minimum by merely completing the descending scale passage, and returning to the final chord by means of an arpeggio and a cadence which resembles, in all respects, the previous cadences:
Possible interpolation for the incomplete Weiss’s insertion
The suspicion that these preludes were often improvised and committed to paper only after the successful completion of all other movements seems to be confirmed in this case. It is possible to discern the general spirit of the entire sonata through Weiss’s use of harmonic and melodic sequences. While contemplating the devout character of D minor, is it not possible to view the beginning of the Allemande as a veritable pious offering? The subtle differences that exist between the allemandes of sonatas numbers seven and nine are, in my opinion, all the more noticeable against the background of the overwhelming similarity of these movements. With the courante (Cour: ) however, we are no longer dealing with similarities, rather with a variant : an earlier version or a reworking of the same piece in Dresden Sonata S-C 34. The principle themes are identical in both variants, with differences occurring at the level of internal development. These differences are noteworthy to the extent that they give to each variant a unique musical character.
The Bouree must have been a popular ‘hit’ during the 18th century. Of all the works of Weiss, this one can be found in the greatest number of sources including the London ms I (2 versions), London ms II (lutenist Straube’s collection), Strasbourg, Rostock, Göttweig, Moscow, Warsaw (in four different volumes), and Buenos-Aires. The difficulty encountered while trying to obtain copies of all manuscripts is equalled only by the joy experienced while comparing twelve versions of the same piece! This comparative study of phraseology and finger patterns has been a most enlightening exercise. While there are many small variations from an example to another, all remain for the most part very similar with two notable exceptions : the second London version (p.78) wherein the repeated sections are written out in an ornamental fashion, and the Moscow version which is essentially the same piece written in diminution, the quaver values replacing the crotchets. I would then recommend that in a performance the bourree appear in both the original and the diminutive (double) forms. The use of a minuet as a final movement gave cause for some concern, alleviated largely by the discovery of a theme of such beauty. This Menuet brings to mind so perfectly the “all-encompassing, pleasant and satisfying” universe of d minor as described by Mattheson. One is always left with the irrepressible urge to play the minuet a second time with scarcely a consideration for the so-called problems of musical redundancy.
Copyright © 1998-2006 Laurent
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