Rembrandt - Music From the Golden Age of

Musica Amphion, Pieter-Jan Belder

Songs and dances, fantasias and sonatas by native contemporaries of the master Dutch draughtsman and painter; an engrossing portrait in sound of 17th-century Dutch high culture.

Mahler based the second movement of his Seventh Symphony on The Night Watch by Rembrandt, but the painter himself depicted few musicians and no acquaintances with musicians are known. His most famous musical contemporary was the keyboardist and composer Sweelinck, whose setting of Psalm 1 is presented here in a consort-style recording alongside three keyboard works played on harpsichord and organ.

This collection also highlights much more unfamiliar names to illustrate the rich musical culture of the Low Countries at the time of the painter’s flourishing. There are vivid sacred madrigals by Herman Hollanders; stylish pavans by Cornelis Schuyt; a transcribed, extensive Salve Regina for organ by Pieter Cornet; a song for solo recorder by the lutenist Jacob van Eyck, Doen Daphne d’Over schoone Maegt; solo-vocal motets by the poet and diplomat Constantijn Huygens, who did in fact know Rembrandt; and much, much more.

All the works and composers, however unfamiliar, are elucidated in an invaluable booklet essay. The organ recordings were made in the Oude Kerk of Amsterdam which played a significant role in Rembrandt’s life (and became the resting place of his wife, Saskia), on the church’s transept organ, which has been newly restored to the meantone temperament which the composers on this album would have known and written for. Full sung texts are also included in this invaluable and unrivalled collection.

anon.:
 Daphne (3 Variations)

Ban:
 Me veux tu voir mourir 1640 (in contest with Boesset)

Barlasca:
 Vijfde Fantasia

Buns:
 Trio Sonata No. 7 in F sharp minor / E flat minor

Cornet:
 Salve Regina

Eyck:
 Doen Daphne d'over schoone Maeght

Hacquart:
 Sonata VIII a Quatro for 2 violins, viola, viola da gamba & b.c.

Herwich:
 Concerto

Hollanders:
 Antequam comedam suspiro
 Cum inferni tenerbris
 Dolor me compellit dicere

Huygens:
 Air
 De profundis
 Pathodia Sacra et Profana
 Quare tristes es
 Usquequo,Domine

Merula:
 't Hane en 't Henne-gekray

Noordt, A:
 Psalm 2
 Sonata a flauto solo e basso continuo in F major

Padbrué:
 Madrigal 'Dat ick betovert ben'

Schop, J:
 Almande
 Brande Mr. Primerose
 Sarabande op La Suedoise

Schuyt, C:
 Canzona 'La Barca'
 Pavaen en gagliarda 10 (six part consort)

Sweelinck:
 Almande Gratie, SwWV318/N7 'More Palatino'
 Hexachord Fantasia
 Pavana Lachrimae
 Psalm 1

Vallet:
 Fortune Angloise / Malle Sijmen / Slaep, Zoete Slaep

Verrijt:
 Flammae Divinae Op. 5
 Quae Habitas in Hortis