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Pieter Bustijn Suittes pour le Clavessin
?1649–1729
World Premiere Release SUITTE I in D minor I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Giga
0’49 2’00 1’16 1’27 1’08
6 7 8 9 10
SUITTE II in D I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Giga
0’34 2’46 1’07 2’59 1’37
11 12 13 14 15
SUITTE III in G I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Giga
0’46 3’00 1’28 1’31 1’38
1 2 3 4 5
16 17 18 19 20 21
SUITTE IV in C I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Giga VI. Variatio
0’33 1’49 1’05 2’01 1’34 1’46
22 23 24 25 26
SUITTE V in G minor I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Tempo di Gavotta
1’38 2’11 1’16 2’07 0’53
27 28 29 30 31 32 33
SUITTE VI in A minor I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Aria VI. Giga VII. Variatio
0’51 2’32 1’30 1’56 1’14 0’31 0’43
34 35 36 37 38
SUITTE VII in E I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Giga
0’55 2’22 1’07 1’43 1’24
The frontispiece of the Suites for harpsichord by Bustijn
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SUITTE VIII in A I. Preludio II. Allemanda III. Corrente IV. Sarabanda V. Giga VI. Aria VII. Variatio Prima VIII. Variatio Seconda
1’16 2’11 1’18 2’00 1’35 0’57 0’57 1’09
Alessandro Simonetto
harpsichord
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SUITTE IX in D I. Intrada II. Corrente III. Sarabanda IV. Aria V. Tempo di Borée VI. Gavotta VII. Menuet
1’26 1’12 3’05 1’16 0’53 0’37 1’00
Cover image – Anton Ignaz Melling (1763–1831); The Main Square, Middelburg, 1812 (gouache on paper) Photo: Musée Marmottan, Paris, France/The Bridgeman Art Library Harpsichord built by William Horn in 2008 after a model by Johannes Ruckers (Antwerp 1638). This recording is originally at 88.2 Hz* 24 bit. Sound capturing, editing (32 bit) and mastering: Alessandro Simonetto Executive production: OnClassical, Via Ca’Morolazzaro 27/a, 36020 Pove del Grappa, Vicenza (onclassical.com, kdf@onclassical.com) Photo: 훿 Federica Vettori and 훿 2011 Brilliant Classics
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Pieter Bustijn The historian Mattheus Smallegange (1624–1710) in his Beschryving van den Zeelandschen Adel reproduced the coat of arms of a family ‘from Liège’ named Bustijn and came from France. It is uncertain whether or not it is the same family but some insights suggest it can be assumed that the origin is the same. According to the Dutch musicologist Prof. Dr. Albert Clement, who uncovered Bustijn’s nine suites some 20 years ago: ‘Firstly, a survey of people named Bustijn who were buried in Middelburg in the period between c.1680 and 1740 shows that the name was often written as Bustin, which indicated a Francophone origin. Secondly, a great number of them - also with the Bustijn spelling - were buried in the Waalse Kerk (Walloon Church) in Middelburg. Thirdly, they often had the same (French) Christian names.’ The reason for the lack of biographical details about the composer’s life might be the loss of the greater part of the Middelburg archives in 1940. Thanks to the will belonging to the family of Laurens Udemans of Middelburg and the Laurens family tree reported on the Godshuizen archive, we know that ‘Pieter Bustyn, musicyn en Organist’ married Apollonia van Fuyrden, a granddaughter of Cornelis Udemans. Apollonia had five children of which only the youngest, Pieter, had a daughter. Laurens Udemans, a son of the above-mentioned Cornelis, had no children himself and decided to leave his personal archive to Apollonia, who was the daughter of his sister Cornelia. ‘Deduction of data presented by the records of the Eglise Wallonne learns that Pieter Bustijn probably is the same person as the one baptized on 25 July 1649, who is referred to as ‘Bustin, fils de Jean’. It is conceivable that his parents were Jean Bustin and Marie d’Hostel, who were married on 4 August 1648’ (Albert Clement). Apollonia’s grandfather Cornelis Udemans (1598/99–1678) was a very respectable man, known as the author of several publications and friend of the poet Jacob Cats (1577–1660). After the fall of Antwerp in 1585, Middelburg became an important center of art, in the 17th and 18th century, only second to Amsterdam. Famous painters such as Philip van Dijck, Adriaen Coorte and wood-carvers like father and son Van der Bilt and Gerard de Grendel lived in Middelburg during those years. Middelburg also had a collegium musicum where Pieter Bustijn must have been an important figure. He undertook, in fact, the role of ‘carillonneur’ and organist on 30 August 1681 at the Nieuwe Kerk, after the death of Remigius Schrijver. In Middelburg he had some excellent instruments at his disposal and there is no doubt that he provided regular organ and carillon concerts other than the accompaniment of Sunday services and the maintainance of the musical instruments. Pieter Bustijn died on 22 November 1729 at the age of eighty.
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94187_Pierre bustijn_BL2v3.qxd
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Bustijn’s Harpsichord Suites The IX Suittes pour le Clavessin occupy a unique position in Dutch music. Much music was composed in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries, but relatively little of it appeared in print and many works have been over in the course of time. The Suittes surely deserved great consideration in their day. Bustijn’s suites were printed about 1712 by the renowned music-printer Estienne Roger (1665/66– 1722), one of the greatest publishers of the time. The two remaining copies of this edition can be found in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Brussel and in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Paris). This printed edition was well-known in the first half of the 18th century, enough to be quoted in some catalogues (one of them dated The Hague, 1759) and even in an anthology of keyboard music compiled by Johann Gottfried Walther (1684–1748), cousin of J.S. Bach, where the name of Bustijn appeared alongside names such as Buxtehude, J.L. Krebs, Bach and the French composers Clérambault and Nivers. According to Albert Clement, the style of these nine suites is to be placed between the works of (earlier) French masters and (later) German composers of the Baroque era. ‘The Suites are characterised by a completely individual style, which on the one hand seems to point to the keyboard works of J.S. Bach and G.F. Händel, and on the other hand shows a certain amount of French influence which, however, is less than one might infer from the French title-page’ (ndr. and the Italian titles of the pieces). ‘The Suites offer us a surprising glimpse into Dutch musical life during the Baroque period and they are of great importance as far as the history of keyboard music in the Netherlands is concerned’ (Albert Clement, ‘Pieter Bustyn, musicyn en Organist’). Similarity with J.S.Bach’s compositions The Preludio of the Sixth Suite is mostly identical with the theme of Praeambulum 6 (and 2-voice Invention) BWV784, just as the beginning of the Prelude of Suitte II (in D major) is similar to the beginning of Fantasia 1 (and 3-voice Sinfonia) BWV787. Some other similarities are present, here and there, as the beginning of the first Allemanda in d minor which we can be compare to the Allemande of the third French Suite by the genius of Eisenach (even if, in that case, we only talk about the initial three notes). It may well be that Bach knew Bustijn’s works well; they may even have had some influence on him. To conclude with the words of Albert Clement: ‘Bustijn’s central position in the musical life of Zeeland around 1700 in general, and the quality of his compositions in particular, demand that we devote more attention to this artist than so far has been the case’. Translation: Beverley K. Drabsch 6
Bibliography and Publications For the sources of these notes and the texts quoted, cf. Introduction (by Albert Clement) to Pierre Bustyn, IX Suittes pour le Clavessin, Amsterdam c 1712. Facsimile editon [EXEMPLA MUSICA ZELANDICA I], ed. by Albert Clement (Middelburg 1992). Out of print; second edition to be published in 2011 (to be ordered through the Royal Zeeland Society of Sciences: see www.zeeuwsgenootschap.nl) Albert Clement, ‘Pieter Bustyn, musicyn en Organist’, TIJDSCHRIFT VAN DE VERENIGING VOOR NEDERLANDSE MUZIEKGESCHIEDENIS 37 (1988), pp. 81-98. For newly edited sheet music of Pieter Bustijn please contact kzgw@zeeuwsebibliotheek.nl Alessandro Simonetto Alessandro Simonetto ‘is a tremendous natural talent’ (Eric James, music associate of Sir Charles S. Chaplin). Alessandro Simonetto studied harpsichord after graduating in piano, composition, and sound engineering at the Conservatory of Music Agostino Steffani in Castelfranco Veneto, and at the Conservatory of Music Cesare Pollini in Padua, Italy. He then refined his skills through participating in various masterclasses, and through performance studies at the KTH/TMH of Stockholm and in his native country. In 2004, in collaboration with dozens of enthusiast musicians, he launched kunstderfuge.com. The site is now the main resource of .mid files of classical music on the internet. Alessandro Simonetto is also the founder, producer and artistic director of the record label OnClassical (onclassical.com), the only iLabel to be entirely devoted to classical music. He has produced over 100 recordings, which have been released by a variety of labels. He has composed works for keyboard instruments, choir, chamber ensembles, and electronic music. He is the conductor of Coro Bassano, a historic male choir devoted to folk music. Special thanks to Benedetta Salmini and Maria Pia Lanza.
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