Muffat, Georg

Georg Muffat

Armonico tributo

(b. Megève, Savoy, 1 June 1653 – d. Passau, 23 February 1704

Preface
In 1682 the archdiocese of Salzburg celebrated its Jubeljahr, the 1100th anniversary of its foundation by St. Rupert, and it appears that the whole court was involved in the celebrations. Perhaps the most spectacular event was the performance of the so-called Missa Salisburgensis, most likely composed by Biber for this celebration. In addition to these more sacred festivities, most of the court composers, including Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, Andreas Christoph Clamer, and Georg Muffat, produced printed collections of instrumental music. Biber’s contribution was his collection of twelve sonatas, the Fidicinium Sacro-Profanum Tam Choro, quam Foro (Sacred and Profane String Music, apt as much to the choir as to the forum, c. 1682), and Clamer’s Mensa Harmonica XLII. Rarioribus Sonatinis Instructa (The Harmonious Table, arranged from forty-two more scattered little sonatas, 1682) included seven sets of dances.

Muffat’s publication for this occasion was his first collection of instrumental music, the Armonico tributo:

Armonico Tributo, cioé Sonate di Camera commodissime a pocchi, ò a molti stromenti: Consacrate All’ Altezza Reu.ma del suo Clem.mo Prencipe Massimiliano Gandolfo dei Conti di Küenburg Arciuescouo di Salisburg, Prencipe del S.R. Imp. Primate di Germani, Nato Legato della S.tâ Sede Apostolica &c.&c. per la Centenaria memoria della fondatione del Arcivescovato: Da Georgio Muffat, Organista e ajutante di Camera di S.A.R.ma M.DC. LXXXII. In Salsburgo, Nella stampa di Giou: Batt. Mayr Stampatore di S.A.R.ma.

[A Harmonic Tribute, namely Chamber Sonatas accommodated to few or to many instruments. Dedicated to the Most Reverend Highness, his Most Clement Prince, Maximilian Gandolf, from the Counts of Khüenburg, Archbishop of Salzburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Primate of Germany, made Legate of the Holy Apostolic Seat, etc., etc., for the memorial centenary of the foundation of the archbishopric: by Georg Muffat, organist and chamber servant of his most reverend highness. 1682, in Salzburg, at the press of Johann Baptista Mayr, printer to his most reverend highness.]

The dedication clearly indicates the haste with which Muffat sought to complete these works in time for the Jubeljahr in Salzburg.

Altezza Reverendissima. E Vero che eccedono ogni atto di douuta gratitudine i singolarissimi favori, che l’A.V.R.ma si é compiaciuta di compartir mi in ogni tempo; ma con modi particolari in questo mio viaggio d’Italia, dove con tanta mia confusione há fatto spicare la sua Magnanima generositá: Má per questo io non devo mancare di non far cognoscere al mondo l’infinitá degli oblighi che devo al mio Clementis.mo Prencipe. Ardisco dunque di consacrare all’A.V.R.ma l’Armonico Tributo di queste mie Sonate, nelle quali se vi é cosa alcuna di menó diffettosa, sarà derivata da quel vivissimo desiderio che hó sempre hauuto d’incontrare il nobilissimo gusto di V.A.R.ma La scarsezza del tempo con l’urgenza del Viaggio, e di mie diverse occupazioni può servir di legitima scusa per un gratiosissimo compatimento; Mà, più mi confido nella somma innata benignitá di V.A.R.ma già avezza a gradire e scusare le debolezze della mia obligatissima servitú; E col più devoto de miei umil.mi ossequij baciando all’ A.V.R.ma la sacra Veste profundamente m’inchino. Roma 4. di Sett. 1682. Di V.A.R.ma Umilissimo, Devotissimo, ed Obligatissimo Servitore Georgio Muffat.

[Most Reverend Highness: It is certainly true that every gesture of expected gratitude and singular favors that your Most Reverend Highness is pleased to distribute to me at every moment, exceeds every attestation of thankfulness, in particular concerning my journey to Italy, where to my great confusion your magnanimous generosity was made clear. However, on account of this, I ought not to omit forming an understanding of the infinite world of obligations that I owe to my most clement prince. Consequently, I risk consecrating to your Most Reverend Highness the harmonic tribute [Armonico Tributo] of these, my sonatas, in which, even if there should be something of the least imperfection, it will be derived from that most vivid desire that I have always to comply with the most noble taste of your Most Reverend Highness. The lack of time, along with the urgency of the journey and of my diverse occupations, is able to serve as a legitimate excuse for a most gracious indulgence. However, I myself trust more in the total innate kindness of your Most Reverend Highness since formerly it had appreciated and excused the weakness of my most indebted service. And with the more devout of my most humble regards, kissing the sacred gown of your Most Reverend Highness, I profoundly kneel. Rome, September 4, 1682, of your Most Reverend Highness a most humble, devoted, and indebted servant, Georg Muffat.]

From the dedication to his Armonico tributo, it seems that Muffat was still in Rome when he received word about the Jubeljahr and the apparent expectation of the court musicians to prepare suitable musical tributes. He quickly prepared a number of compositions, whose diverse movements included a variety of styles, which he later described in the dedication to his Außerlesener mit Ernst- und Lust-gemengter Instrumental-Music (1701), whose contents were partly arrangements from the Armonico tributo.

Ecco l’ELETTA PRIMA de’ i miei CONCERTI Gravi-giocondi, promessa in essi, che Ti consegno, Benignissimo Lettore, intitolata perciò d’una più squisita Armonia, perche contiene non solamente nelle Arie la viva soavità dello stile di Balletti, alla Francese, cavata dal puro fonte del fù Signr. Giov. Battistá Lulli; mà ancora alcuni squisiti Gravi, ed affetti del pathetico Italiano, e diversi scherzi della vena Musicale, variamente intrecciati, coll’alternare del Concertino e del Concerto grosso.

[I present to you, sympathetic reader, this first collection of my instrumental concertos, blending the serious and the gay, entitled “of a more select harmony” because they contain in the Arias both the lively sweetness of the ballet style (in the French manner), drawn from the pure fountain of Jean-Baptiste Lully, but also some exquisite “graves,” using the passionate affect of the Italians, and various “scherzos” of a musical vein, and alternations of many sorts, interspersed with special diligence between the great choir and the trio of soloists.]

In the same dedication, he also reported that he had been inspired when he heard Arcangelo Corelli’s concerti grossi performed.

Mi venne la prima Idêa di questa ingeniosa mescolanza à Roma, dove sotto il famosissimo Apolline dell’ Italia Signr. Bernardo Pasquini mio semprè riveritissimo Signr. Maestro, imparavo il modo Italiano nel l’Organo, e Cembalo; quando con sommo diletto, ed ammiratione jo senti alcune belissime Suonate del Signr. Archangelo Corelli, l’Orféo dell’ Italia per il Violino, prodotte con grandissima pontualità, da copiosissimo numero di suonatori.

[The idea of this ingenious mixture first occurred to me some time ago in Rome, where I learned the Italian manner on the organ and harpsichord from the most-famous Apollo of Italy, Signor Bernardo Pasquini, my always most-revered master, and where I heard, with great pleasure and astonishment, several beautiful sonatas of this sort, composed by the gifted Signor Arcangelo Corelli, the Orpheus of Italy on the violin, and performed with the utmost accuracy by a great number of instrumental players.]

At the time Muffat published his collection, this new Italian manner of mixing different sizes of ensembles was relatively unknown. As he would do in his later collections, Muffat included a detailed explanation of the performance conventions in an additional preface to the users of this collection.

 

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