Here are some thoughts as I publish the latest pieces contained in the edition of the works of JB Peyer by Pierre Gouin (Editions Outremontaises). First of all an infinite thank you to him for his work of very high quality musical engraving and searchers for forgotten treasures.
Thanks also to the CCH members who first decided to record these pages and who made them available to us.
After having organized eight series of pieces according to the ecclesiastical modes, the ms 1220 of the “Staatsbibliothk zu Berlin”, contains 17 others pieces in sometimes less usual keys (Es, f minor).
The pieces in e minor (Quarti toni) are always my favorites, but among the isolated pieces, the f minor prelude & fugue (RW 94-95) is certainly the one I would take to a desert island. This prelude and fugue is an absolutely extraordinary work, of a rare intensity, with sometimes a beautiful harmonic audacity.
The style of all the pieces seems a little later than the dates of the author's life suggest, but certain archaisms remain here and there. I don’t know what to think about the real composer, but he knew his job.
The ms ends with a last magistral piece containing a triple fugue…. it amplifies the first diptych (Rw1-2) by giving it an even more enriched and solemn form. The circle is complete.
What started out as a simple technical exercise has taken on unexpected proportions. I strongly encourage members of the CCH et HW communities to continue exploring these works.
I hope I didn't make too many mistakes in my interpretation.
PS :listening to these recordings again, I noticed that certain notes were sometimes interrupted or slightly repeated... I am going to disassemble my keyboards to remove the oxidation which has developed on certain contacts.
RW 88-89
RW 90 /
2:20
RW 91-92 /
3:39
RW 93 /
5:30
RW 94-95 /
7:28
RW 96-97 /
11:57
RW 98-99 /
14:37
RW 100 /
17:35
RW 101-102 /
19:32
mp3 is in 256 K
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