J.P.SWEELINCK :: ECHO FANTASIA :: WIM WINTERS CLAVICHORD

The music of Sweelinck has been always close to my heart. I has such a grandeur, structure, balance, depth,... it feels as waling in one of those incredible Dutch churches built by masters like Van Campen, where all seems to be exactly at the right place, not sterile, but combining overview with air and emotion. Something like that.
You will hear in the Afterthoughts on this recording that I like playing on this little instrument built by Christopher Clarke in 1978 very very much, but that, as for the time being, my focus will stay on my large unfretted clavichord I usually play, and on the coming pianoforte.
But checking the video before uploading, I... must admit that it has a stronger effect with me than I thought it would have. I'm surprised by that little clavichord in a way that, while playing, felt different. The affect of what this instrument brings in this music is deeper than I initially thought it would be. Some other elements that I only now notice very clear: the length of the tone, especially in the tenor range !! Have you heard those long notes... almost hard to believe how they keep there ground tone. Yes, my large clavichord has a long tone as well, but that type of clavichord is not to be compared to such small instrument, where length of tone must be exceptionally hard -I might be wrong - to achieve.
And this is 1978...! Clarke sure must have put a benchmark for future generations, even if he only had built this instrument only. He sure is a master-builder, but that is something one does not have to learn anymore out of my pen.
So, all of that saying that I kind of doubt my own words already that I yet have to speak to you in the next Afterthoughts. An instrument like this might actually come sooner than planned. If budget allows of course :-).
And for the Sweelinck Echo Fantasia: I always have learned this to be a piece solely for organ. And that might be the case. But, as the beautiful recording by Hogwood of Bach's Gott, du frommer Gott on clavichord, inspired me to record that piece as well on clavichord, I for long wanted to test an echo fantasia out on clavichord. Sweelinck and unfretted clavichords are no match, really not, but on a fretted clavichord, with a dynamic range as this Clarke clavichord has, a world opens. I believe it make sense to perform this music like this. Let me know what you think!
Thanks for watching / listening / reading!
Wim
--
🙋Make the foundation of our work stronger and become member of our awesome community at Patreon.com: ▶ / authenticsound
--
Start your tempo journey here: • How Fast did Beethoven...
--
💿 Buy Pachelbel's Hexachordum Apollinis on Vinyl, CD or Flac) here: bit.ly/Pachelbe...
--
📩One weekly mail in your mailbox? 👉bit.ly/as-maili...
--
👩‍🎓 Check out my course on Keyboard Technique: 👉bit.ly/Keyb-Tech
--
📱 Website: ▶www.authenticso...
#sweelinck #clarkeclavichord #hoksentchapel

[@oppx-ng2iz]

Ｉ enjoyed your playing very much. Ｉ like this organ music .Ｓweelinck has many popular organ music.“Mein Junges Leben hat ein End”　“Echo Fantasia SwWV275” “Ballo del Granduca”... But Ｉ believe this ECHO FANTASIA is his masterpiece . So Ｉ enjoyed .thank you.from Japan.

[@backtoschool1611]

The neuances are just lovely!! I have a book of Sweelinks music, and this one that I would love to learn. Thank you for sharing this lovely music.

[@polonaise20]

A wonderful short film about playing this music by Sweelinck in the austere environment of this little church. It is fascinating to see this little clavichord brought into the church in it's case and then having complex music played on it with a full sonority and clarity of the musical parts and echo effects . Afterwards it is neatly put back into it's case and taken out of the church ! A great video ............ thanks !

[@AuthenticSound]

You are more then welcome .... it is so wonderful knowing that this beauty can be shared through media like KZbin ! w.

[@j.vonhogen9650]

Excellent performance!

[@gatozarin]

wow that’s what I call a sublime perfomance!

[@antoniavignera2339]

Formidabile esecuzione in questo bellissimo clavicordo portabile.Complimenti Wim .

[@eydiguttason1961]

Thank you God bless greeting from Aalborg Denmark

[@prospectivepenguin5688]

Beautiful. I'm feeling kind of old thinking about how long its been since this video was released.

[@manoelfernandez3461]

I heard your interpretation during a vacation i had in Europe

[@SimoneBattaglia94]

This is amazing. I love this music. Great playing and very rich sound! The echo effects work nicely too! I remember a morning listening to most of Sweelinck works played on a 17th century Ruckers while staring at Bruegel's painting (I have a book with most of his paintings), it was a time-travelling experience. These dutch men were so colourful and playful yet so fragile and introvert. It's like they tried to portrait an imaginary better world through their art. Yet I always sense that there is a sense of doubt and sorrow in this art, like if they knew perfectly that their time was limited and judgement would have come for them one day. There's always some implicit bitternes. I wonder if you like Frescobaldi and in general the italian school of that era. That is in my opinion some of the deepest music ever written. His toccatas, ricercare and fiori musicali would sound great on this instrument. Thanks for this marvelous recording!

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you for the very nice reflections, I know what you mean. Frescobaldi... o yes ! If time allows...! w

[@jamesvanderhoorn1117]

For me, as a Dutchman, it has always been difficult to clearly perceive what is typically Dutch in Dutch art. It takes the eyes and ears of a foreigner. But gradually I've come to realize we, like all nations and cultures, have the virtue of our defects. Stolidity, impassiveness? Are we boring? Maybe so. But there's this unostentatious intimacy. Solidity, modest but persistent inquiry.

[@williamhuband7913]

Fabulous & delightful - Thankyou Wim

[@jackhousman6637]

Absolutely stunning, Professor, music and playng. And such a SWEET instrument. Please make more videos on it, and on another as much like it as possible, when time, budget etc. allow.

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks Jack, there is still one more recording to come on December 20th on this instrument, that, as we speak, sadly enough... is back in Brussels with his owner!

[@blipblip88]

Lovely. Thank you!

[@fredhoupt4078]

delightful. Thanks for this. Gould introduced me to this composer. Not enough of his music has been heard.

[@AuthenticSound]

Sweelinck is a big composer indeed!

[@achenpigeon]

Sweelinck's in every way my favorite composer, and I must say that you do the master justice! As for your description of his music... it is perfect. I've never been to one of these large Dutch churches, but I've seen plenty of the paintings depicting their interiors from the 17th century: so quiet and humble, yet so utterly magnificent, just like Sweelinck's music.

[@AuthenticSound]

Really glad you liked this ! w.

[@achenpigeon]

I love how in some parts of the piece, you're almost dancing while playing! I'm curious how you would play this piece on the organ - how would you register it? It seems like most, with a three-manual organ, would start off with principals on hauptwerk and then contrast the principals of ruckpositif with those of the oberwerk (or brustwerk) during the echo section.

[@ml57uk]

Fantastic as usual. For my taste, an instrument like this and its repertoire would be a fabulous addition to Authentic Sound. I was also very happy to see this for another reason - a copy of this exact instrument is being build for me right now for delivery in the late spring! PS: another vote here for no overlaid sounds on the playing.

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you Mike ! I'll keep that in mind, for sure. Perhaps interesting (or not, I just mention), I have created a private group for Authentic Sound on Facebook, where we could think together on some projects, or details even like this. I often wonder what others would find , and there we can shout out loud our thoughts ! Really, no pressure, I just mention this. here's the link: facebook.com/groups/347007315678123/?fref=ts

[@ruckers1624]

Again a nice video! One can really hear what a little instrument like that can do dynamically! Thank you for sharing!

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks for watching! You're right, it surprised me as well... w.

[@ruckers1624]

Wim, I've listened to this a few more times this late afternoon (after a terrible time with my pre-teen daughter!!!! argh!) and noticed a few things... is that red-curtain up in the front row for your recording or because of Advent time? 2ndly wondering how interesting a comparison would be between a short-octave ruckers harpsichord and this lovely clavichord recording... again it's just the musicologist in me maybe... nothing is wrong, and yet nothing is "right". Would be simply interesting... even a small Chappel like that and a short octave copy would be acoustically very interesting to compare. Maybe it's my love for this composer and the music of his time... thanks again for sharing!

[@lshin80]

Superb piece and execution! But how are you going to live without that little awesome instrument??? ;)

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks Luca. I guess by watching this video from time to time, crying.... :-) In one way it makes live easier, not to worry in the morning about on which instrument to play.

[@fugatomusic1334]

Sublime sound :)8:14

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks, glad you liked this !

[@RobertMargouleff]

Like the sound on this one!

[@AuthenticSound]

thanks!

[@picksalot1]

You looked quite comfortable playing the small clavichord while standing. Do you know if it was traditional to play it standing? I'm really enjoying your performances of Sweelinck. Thanks

[@AuthenticSound]

In organ playing it kind of was in earlier times practice to sometimes only have a small support at the 'Ruck positive". Challenge is to have your arm weight applied in the right way, so moving the upper body is required. Great to know it looks good, but in fact it's quite difficult!

[@manoelfernandez3461]

Wich edition did you use? (Stunning performace by the way)

[@AuthenticSound]

Just the trusty Dover (which is not the best but I'm using it for years now)

[@manoelfernandez3461]

@@AuthenticSound What do you think about Breitkopf's Peter Dirkesen and Harald Vogel edition?

[@OfficialWorldChampion]

This instrument sounds great...does it have a short octave?

[@williamhuband7913]

P.S. - I'd love to hear the same piece played on your large Saxon style Clavichord. I'm guessing that with the "longer" sonority of particularly the base, that it would sound quite dramatically different. Regards & compliments of the season.

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks Bill, and glad you liked this! Sweelinck and the Saxon instrument: it is really no good match, I cannot find a way to get the sound right. That might sound strange, but the instrument feels as playing on a Steinway suddenly (don't tell Joris :-) ). I have not figured out why, it lacks a kind of intensity, that these little clavichords do have. But it would be subject for a q&A, I'll think about that!

[@MagnuM0705123]

If I'm not mistaken, you've chosen to keep the reverbs that you've experimented with previously. Is that right? In any case, it's wonderfully played and mixed. This instrument really has a lot of sweetness to it, which I think is a wonderful characteristic. I'd love to hear more fretted clavichords, if you can get your hands on some! And perhaps play them in your improvised studio, so we really can get a full sense of the characteristics of these wonderful instruments.

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks, really glad you liked this. Yes, I kept the same balance and added a tiny bit of reverb. In the next recording, the mic's are positioned somewhat further away, will be nice to hear your reaction on that. As mentioned to some other followers, I have created a private group for Authentic Sound on Facebook, where we could think together on some projects, or details even like this. I often wonder what others would find , and there we can shout out loud our thoughts ! Really, no pressure, I just mention this. here's the link: facebook.com/groups/347007315678123/?fref=ts

[@ShelbyBryant]

Hey Wim! Can you talk with us about C. Gesualdo?

[@leonardoantoniodichiara]

Ad essere sincero devo dire che anche sul clavicordo questo brano rende bene. Forse sull'organo gli effetti d'eco rendono meglio, ma la tua esecuzione come al solito esalta lo strumento. Complimenti...!

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you so much, Leonardo, glad you liked it!

[@weltsauerstoff]

Fine playing as always, but -- playing in the sanctuary and on the altar itself? o_O

[@AuthenticSound]

I only realized afterwards that there are sensitivities that don't play as much in Belgium. I'm sorry if this felt not right to you, it wasn't intentional

[@weltsauerstoff]

Well, you can't please everybody everytime. :)

Very beautiful, but the background noise in the beginning (when the music starts) is very distracting.

[@AuthenticSound]

I understand, it is a compromise, since having a video intro where the player is not instantly playing (as we normally have), it is kind of weird also to not have those background sounds. Some listeners even asked me to open the sound for the home recordings here when I sit down at the instrument. The last part of the trilogy will not have this 'issue', promise !

[@AuthenticSound]

Kresimir, as mentioned to Mike, I have created a private group for Authentic Sound on Facebook, where we could think together on some projects, or details even like this. I often wonder what others would find , and there we can shout out loud our thoughts ! Really, no pressure, I just mention this. here's the link: facebook.com/groups/347007315678123/?fref=ts

[@zacharybond23]

Which Echo Fantasia is this? It seems Sweelinck composed multiple of them.

[@josemgu91]

Echo Fantasia, SwWV 261: imslp.org/wiki/Echo_Fantasia%2C_SwWV_261_(Sweelinck%2C_Jan_Pieterszoon) I've found it as "Echo Fantasia XI" too.

[@josemgu91]

That's weird, it seems that "Echo Fantasia, SwWV 261" is another echo fantasia but the music sheet in the link is indeed of this one!

[@KLSinCT]

Which original antique clavichord is this instrument based on? Is it double or triple fretted?

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks for listening! Here's a video on the instrument and links are in the description box of it: kzbin.info?o=U&video_id=-QEbW8VXd3k

[@robertopoletti3673]

catholic churces are far more beautiful and rich than protestant ones. PS: i am atheist, not catholic. It's just an esthetic issue not religious.