**Jeremiah CLARKE, Suite en ré majeur "Suite de Clark", Maurice ANDRÉ, Ensemble Orchestral de l'Oiseau-Lyre, Pierre COLOMBO, 1955, LONDON Editions de l'OISEAU-LYRE Records, OL 50137

Photo de la pochette du disque: http://www.notrehistoire.ch/group/pierre-colombo/photo/48330/
Une petite merveille d'enregistrement, un des premiers disques de Maurice André, et en plus sous la direction de Pierre Colombo!!

Jeremiah Clarke (1673/1674 - 1707) est un compositeur anglais dont les deux oeuvres restées les plus connues sont certainement une "Marche du Prince de Danemark" et un "Trumpet Voluntary", qui ont été pendant très longtemps attribuées à Henry Purcell. Il a pu être établi avec certitude qu'il s'agit en fait bien de compositions de Jeremiah Clarke.

Pour quelques informations sur cette suite, voir le texte au bas de cette fiche.

Maurice André enregistre cette oeuvre en 1955 (selon la base de données du site www.maurice-andre.fr), avec l'Ensemble Orchestral de l'Oiseau-Lyre sous la direction de Pierre Colombo. La première parution a lieu sur le disque Oiseau-Lyre OL.LD 154 / LOL.OL 50137, probablement en 1957 (étant donné que le dernier disque Oiseau-Lyre mentionné dans le 3e - et dernier - supplément du WERM 1953-1956 est le disque OL.LD 127 / LOL.OL 50101).

La plus ancienne mention de ce disque - que j'aie pu trouver sur la toile - provient du "The Musical times" volume 98, 1957, ce qui confirme bien que ce disque est paru au plus tard en 1957.
Il a été réédité plus tard en stéréo - par exemple sur le disque Oiseau-Lyre OLS 160, mais il s'agit hélas d'une fausse stéréo, produite électroniquement: ces enregistrements n'ont été effectués qu'en monophonie. J'ai aussi ce disque en pseudo-stéréo, mais je préfère vous offrir ici l'enregistrement d'origine, en monophonie:

Jeremiah Clarke, Suite in D major "Suite de Clark", Suite en ré majeur, Maurice André, Ensemble Orchestral de l'Oiseau-Lyre, Pierre Colombo, 1955, LONDON Editions de l'OISEAU-LYRE Records, OL 50137

1. Prelude. Duke of Gloster's March 01:52 (01:52), 2. Minuet 01:20 (03:12), 3. Cebell 01:07 (04:19), 4. Rondeau, Prince of Denmark's March ("Trumpet Voluntary") 01:43 (06:02), 5. Serenade 01:26 (07:28), 6. Bourrée 01:06 (08:34), 7. Écossaise 01:09 (09:43), 8. Hornpipe 02:22 (12:05), 9. Gigue 01:24 (13:29)** Entre () les temps cumulés, pour vous permettre de mieux vous situer dans l'enregistrement. **LONDON Editions de l'Oiseau-Lyre Records OL 50137, TT 373-IB, TT 374-IB -> WAV -> léger DeClick avec ClickRepair -> MP3 320 kbps, le tout effectué par moi-même: l'enregistrement est donc de ce fait libre de droits d'autres personnes ou sociétés, le disque étant paru il y a plus de 50 ans, et le compositeur et autres ayants droits décédés il y a plus de 70 ans.

L'enregistrement peut être aussi téléchargé sur la page suivante de mon site, en format FLAC (donc comprimé sans pertes):

http://www.renegagnaux.ch/458378/460378.html.

Quelques informations sur cette suite, je cite le texte original tel que publié au verso de la pochette du disque, qui est très intéressant.

"[...] *In spite of his alleged melancholy, he had a gift for writing gay and happy melodies, like those in this Suite de Clark (as it is named on the original manuscript in the British Museum).

It includes the famous "Trumpet Voluntary" tune, under the simple title of "Rondeau". This first appeared in print in 1700, as a harpsichord piece entitled "The Prince of Denmark's March, by Mr. Clarke. Round-O", along with various other pieces by Clarke and his contemporaries, such as Croft and Barrett; the "Trumpet Voluntary" title was not known until the nineteenth century, when the tune became erroneously ascribed to Purcell.

The nine numbers of the "Suite de Clark" have survived in four part-books but various cues in the MS. indicate that the music was intended for solo trumpet with strings, oboes and bassoons, just as it is played on this disc.

There was probably a fifth part-book containing the trumpet-part, which has been lost, but since the trumpet usually played the Same notes as the first violin (or "First Trebles") it is quite easy to reconstruct the trumpet part, especially as several of the numbers have survived in harpsichord versions as well. This way of copying or even printing such "suites of ayres" was the commun method at the time, in England; even the earliest printed version of Handel's famous Water Musick exists in the form of a short suite (most of it still unknown) for solo trumpet and strings.

The first movement of Clarke's suite is brief, and of a march-like character and it is not surprising to learn that it also survives in another source as "The Duke of' Gloster's March" - the Duke being the infant son of Queen Anne and the Prince of Denmark. This little boy was fond of playing at soldiers with his youthful companions - is it too fanciful to hear something naive and childlike in the strains of this short prelude?

The second movement is a gracious "Minuet"; the third is a "Sybelle" or "Cebell", a curious kind of gavotte, with a prominent bass accompaniment, which emerges as a solo here and there. Such Cebells were very popular in England c. 1700; Mr. Thurston Dart has shown how they originated in a tune associated with the goddess Cybele in Lully's opera "Atys" (1676). This tune, which was known in England as "The Old Cebell" had such solo bass passages. In course of time many English çomposers (and some foreigners, too) tried their hand at writing New Cebells, notably Mr. Henry Purcell himself, who produced one which was highly popular. This example by Clarke is typical both of the style and of the composer. [...]

No. 4 in his Suite, the famous "Trumpet Voluntary" tune, here given its earliest title of "The Prince of Denmark's March: Rondeau"; il is too well-known and direct in its appeal to require comment.

The fifth item is called "A Serenade" in its harpsichord version; it is a broad and noble movement of great dignity. The sixth is a gay and skittish dance-tune, entitled "Bourrée", although it more resembles a "Rigaudon"; but then, English composers never seem to have been very sure of the exact rhythms of imported French dances. A Scottish air follows, as No 7; as only part of the tune seems to fit the natural trumpet, it is played by the strings alone in this recording, for variety's sake. Similarly the next movement [No 8], which is very English indeed, being a "Hornpipe", sounds well on oboes and bassoons, the modern equivalents of the traditional instruments of the old English Waits or town minstrels. Finally, the suite ends with a splendid "Gigue" [No 9], in which the solo trumpet comes into its own once more, with some passages of great power and brilliance; and the whole work terminates with a slow "petite reprise" of the final bars, as if to usher in some grand affair of state in the last days of the Stuart kings.* [...]"
texte de Charles Cudworth, cité d'après le verso de la pochette du disque OL 50137.**