François Castet: luths ténor et soprano
Gilbert Carnal luth ténor
Pierre Perdigon clavecin
Avec la participation de Martha Mac Gaughey basse de viole
Published by Edition Costallas 1977 for Erato Fiori Musicali LFM 18027

Face 1
00:00 Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) Toccata (Instrumentation: Fr. Gastet, P. Perdigon)
01:50 Johnson (v. 1600) Laveches Pavyn- 3:53 Laveches Gallyarde (Réalisation Fr. Gastet)
05:33 Anonymes (V. 1600) A Lesson – 07:35 A Trebble (Réalisation Fr. Gastet)
09:07 Francesco da Milano (1497-1543) La Spagna Anonyme (1525)
11:31 My Lady Carey’s Dompe (Instrumentation Fr. Gastet, P. Perdigon)
14:45 Anonyme (XVe s.) Dama mi gran querer (Réalisation Fr. Gastet)
18:42 Anonyme – Lyon (1540) Passe Mezzo Milanese – Gaillarde (Réalisation Fr. Gastet)
22:10 Johnson (v. 1600) A Trebble (Réalisation Fr. Gastet)
Face 2
24:44 Adam ]arzebski (+ 1649) Tamburetta (Réalisation : P. Perdigon, Éd. Nationale Polonaise)
27:48 Adam ]arzebski (+ 1649) Norimberga (Réalisation : P. Perdigon, Fr. Castet, Éd. Nationale Polonaise)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Trio en Do Majeur pour luth et basse continue (F XVI 3)
32:40 Allegro non molto
36:43 Larghetto –
40:39 Allegro (Réalisation : P. perdigon, d’après Ie manuscrit original)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Trio en Sol mineur pour luth et basse continue (F XVI 4)
43:06 Andante molto
47:22 Larghetto
49:29 Allegro (Réalisation : P. Perdigon, G.Malipiere et Fr. Castet) (Éditions Ricordi)

Among the options at the musician’s disposal are those of
opposing contrasting timbres or of joining two similar
instrurn nts in dialogue. Here it is the second option that has
been chosen. Two lutes, or harpsichord and lute offer a wide
range of resources, in an as yet Iittle-known repertoire.
The lute repertoire, significant both in its quality and
quantity, covers three centuries of the history of music. And
it includes a fairly large number of duos. The largest number
of these were written in Elizabethan England. We drew on
this admirable repertoire for the duos of considerably varied
character that are recorded here.
The enigmatically-titled “Laveches”, pavan and galliard, is
one among manyexamples of a single theme used for two pieces,
first in broad binaryrhythm for the pavan, and then in a brisker
ternary form as a galliard (etymologically, of course, “galliard”
comes from the French gaillard, meaning brisk and jolly).
The two other English pieces which followare ofless complex
composition. The first is a “lesson” (a term equïvalent to the
Romantic “étude”), possibly intended as practice for duet
playing: The second is a so-called “treble”, the term being
used in the sen se of a melodic variation in the upper part
on a repeated ground bass.
Another still simpIer repetitive ground is that of the splendid
“M y Lad y Carey’ s Dom pe’: ad ance set for the keyboard around
1525. It seemed appropriate here to stress its languishing
air, giving the lead to harpsichord and lute alternately.
Frescobaldi’s Toccata, with which the record begins, is
unquestionably one ofthe most monumental of all pieces ; and
yet it lasts less than two minutes. The work’s manuscript
indication gives no specific guidance on instrumentation
(“Toccata per spineta sola 0 Iiuto”), and so we decided ‘to
introduce all the instruments that are used on this record:
lute, harpsichord, bass viol, and the second lute filling
out the bass with a Iightly-drawn realisation.
Francesco da Milano, one ofthe best-known sixteenth-century
Italian lutenists, produced, amongother inestimableworks, this
vel’y fine counterpoint on the “Spagna” ground-bass. The
writing is very fluid, with a simpie, vertical harmonic support
given to one lute, ant the other taking the actuel counterpoint.
From an anonymous Italian lute-book of about 1540, kept in
the Lyons Iibrary, we chose the “Passemezzo et gaillarde
milanese”, on the “Folia di Spagna” ground-bass, famous for
centuries, and used by so many composers including, for
example, Handel.
We also feit justified in including on the record mus ic not
originally written for lute, and we chose a fine Spanish
early -Renaissance song, “Dama mi gran querer”, whose
texture suits the two lutes so weIl.
The first side ends with a return to Elizabethan music and
another treble, more sophisticated than the first. Here the
ground is made up of two chord-sequences, alternating
and supporting two kinds of treble variation.
The second side is made up of much longer pieces. Both of
those by Vivaldi are entitled “Trio per leuto, violino e
basso”.

#PierrePerdigon