• Startseite
• Literatur
• Noten
• Noten 3-stimmig
• Caurroy, Eustache du: 3 Fantasies

Caurroy, Eustache du: 3 Fantasies

for 3 instruments.

These three fantasies come from du Caurroy´s FANTASIES A III. IIII. V et VI PARTIES, published in Paris by Pierre Ballard in 1610 - the only French printed collection of its kind to survive from this time. Eustache Du Caurroy (1549-1609) was very much a composer of the French court; for many years he was vice-maitre de la chappelle royale and was eventually promoted to surintendent de la musique; his Missa pro defunctis was sung at the funeral of Henry IV. His book of fantasies contains 42 pieces in all, many of which are based on plainsong melodies, though there is also a setting of the well-known chanson le suis desheritée. Nos. 2 and 3 here are based on a melody that crops up in many forms in different countries. In England it was known as “The Queen´s Almain”. and survives in a keyboard arrangement by William Byrd (Fitzwilliam Virginal Book); it was at some stage turned into the Lutheran chorale “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen”, used by Bach (another German text used was “Helf mir Gott´s Güte preisen”); it turns up in Valerius´ Nederlandtsche Gedenck-Clanck of 1626 with the Dutch text “Maraen, hoe moogt gy Spies en Laus”, as well as the title “Almande Nonett”. Du Caurroy´s collection contains three additional fantasies based on this melody, two in four and one in five parts.
In this edition the original note values have been retained throughout. The use of the modern assumption that accidentals hold for a whole bar has required the occasional correcting accidental in parentheses; there are also one or two purely editorial accidentals, applying to the single note, that are printed small above the stave.
Du Caurroy´s collection was probably intended primarily for viols. However, the present three pieces will sound well on a variety of instruments, especially recorders. Where the range of a part goes beyond the compass of these instruments, alternative editorial notes are supplied in a small size.