You are on page 1of 71

THE VIOLONCELLO WORKS OF MICHEL CORRETTE

by
Wayne C. Smith

A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the


SCHOOL OF MUSIC
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

1 9 8 8
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
SCHOOL OF MUSIC

I hereby recommend that this document prepared under


my direction by Wayne C. Smith
entitled THE VIOLONCELLO WORKS OF MICHEL CORRETTE

be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for


the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts.

Signature of Major Professor


b4. :1:31 HU'
Date

Acceptance for the School of Music:

Dir %tor, Gauate Studies in Music

Date
0.2/ q8
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to express his appreciation to his


adviser, Dr. Gordon Epperson, for his sound advice and
counsel in the preparation of this document; to Dr. James
Anthony, for his invaluable help; and to Dr. John Ferrell,
Dr. Jeffrey Showell, and Dr. Leonard Pearlman for their
support.
Thanks are also due to Kathy Haugan and Michèle Lamb
for their kind assistance in translation of texts from
French to English.
My special gratitude goes to my wife, Dawn Smith,
whose welcome support throughout the preparation of this
document is manifest in this work.

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . . vi
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES . . vii
CHAPTER
1. MICHEL CORRETTE: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH . . . 1

2. THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL METHOD . . 7

3. AN EXAMINATION OF CONTEMPORARY METHODS . . . . 26


4. LES DELICES DE LA SOLITUDE . . . . . 33

Sonata#1 . . . . . . 33

Sonata#2 . . . . . . 35
Sonata#3 . . . . . . . 36
Sonata#4 . . . . . 37

Sonata#5 . .
. . 40
Sonata #6 . .
. . 41
5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . 43

APPENDIX A: A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE TO


CORRETTE'S 1741 METHODE . . . . . 45
APPENDIX B: A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE TO CORRETTE'S
LES DELICES DE LA SOLITUDE . . . 47
APPENDIX C: THE SONATA FOR TWO CELLOS FROM
1741 METHODE . . . . 49

iv
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS -- Continued

Page
APPENDIX D: A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE OF
METHODE BY CUPIS . . . . 54

APPENDIX E: A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE TO THE


METHODE OF TILLIERE . . . . . . 56

APPENDIX F: DOCTORAL LECTURE RECITAL PROGRAM 58

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY . . 61
vi

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustration Page
1. Title page from 1741 Méthode . . . . . 5

2. Frontispiece from 1741 Méthode . . 6

3. Chapter IV from 1741 Méthode . . . 16

4. Chapter V "Chromatic" from 1741 Méthode . . . 17

5. Division of the string from 1741 Méthode . . . 18

6. Various bow strokes from 1741 Méthode . . 23

7. Title page from Méthode Nouvelle et Raisonnée


by Cup i s
. . . . . . 29

8. Frontispiece from Les Délices de la Solitude . 34


vii

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example Page
1. How to hold the bow . . . 12

2. Pousser bowing . . . 14

3. Tirer bowing . . . 14

4. Positions . . . 19

5. Cadences . . . 2 0

6. Pincé . . 20

7. Batterie . . . . . 21
8. J. S. Bach Suite #2, final bars of Prelude . . 22

9. J. S. Bach Suite #2, final bars of Prelude


with embellishment . . . . . . 22

10. Fingerings by Cupis . . . 30

11. Use of extension . . . . 31

12. Sonata Op. XX, #1, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -4 . . . 33

13. Sonata Op. XX, #1, 3rd Mvt., mm 1 -2 . . . . 35

14. Sonata Op. XX, #2, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -10 . . . 35

15. Sonata Op. XX, #2, 3rd Mvt., mm 1 -4 . . . . . 37

16. Sonata Op. XX, #3, 3rd Mvt., mm 1 -6 . . . . . 38

17. Sonata Op. XX, #4, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -8 . . . 39

18. Sonata Op. XX, #4, 2nd Mvt., mm 1 -8 . . 39

19. Sonata Op. XX, #5, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -4 . . . 40


viii
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES -- Continued

Example Page
20. Sonata Op. XX, #6, 1st Mvt., mm i -2 41
21. Sonata Op. XX, #6, 1st Mvt., mm 9 -12 . 41
CHAPTER 1

MICHEL CORRETTE: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Details concerning the life of Michel Corrette are few


and scattered. Born in 1709 in Rouen, son of Gaspard
Corrette, Michel lived a long and prosperous life, dying
in Paris on January 22, 1795.1 His career included posts
as organist, teacher, composer, and arranger.2 Through
his profession Corrette became quite wealthy, and this
successful
His detractors scorned his numerous students, labeling
them "anachorètes" (asses of Corrette).4
François- Joseph Fetis notes that Corrette was styled
"Chevalier de l'ordre du Christ" and that he was organist

'David Fuller, "Michel Corrette," New Grove


Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Vol. 4 (London:
Macmillan, 1980), p. 801.
2 Fuller, p. 801.
3 "Michel Corrette," Die Musik in Geschichte und
Gegenwart (Kassel: Barenreiter, 1949 -1967), pp. 1692 -1695.
4Fuller, p. 801.

1
2

of the Jesuit College in the rue Saint -Antoine in Paris.5

It was in Paris that Corrette was to establish his career,


and from that great city center his musical enterprises.
He was appointed organist to the Grand Prieur of France in
1737. In 1750 he moved to the post of organist of the
Jesuit College where he remained until taking a similar
position in the service of the Prince of Conti in 1759.
Corrette was in the prince's employ only one year before
accepting an appointment as organist to the Church of Ste.
Marie Madeleine in 1760. His final post as organist was
to the Duc d'Angoulême, beginning in 1780.6
A prolific composer, Michel Corrette wrote sacred
works, secular vocal compositions, stage works, concertos,
orchestral and chamber music, keyboard music, and over 20
instructional methods. Scholars point to Corrette's
concertos as his crowning glory.? James Anthony states
that "for the most productive part of his long life,
Corrette was involved in some fashion with the concerto.
. .i8 Anthony continues: "The twenty -five 'concerto
comiques' for various instrumental combinations, which

5François- Joseph Fétis (Ed.), "Michel Corrette,"


Biographie Universalle des Musiciens, Vol. 2 (Paris:
Didot, 1875), p. 365.

6Fuller, p. 801.

7Fuller, pp. 801 -802.


8James Anthony, French Baroque Music (New York:
Norton, 1978), p. 313.
3

range in time from 1732 to 1760 . . . are examples of


'descriptive' concertos.i9
Corrette's 1728 publication of the VI Concertos pour
les Flutes . . . violons ou Hautbois, avec la Basse
Chiffre pour le Clavecin, Op. III may be considered the
first concertos in France composed by a native of that
country that conform to the typical features of the
Italian concerto.10
Supporting the theory of a marked Italian influence,
Manfred Bukofzer describes Corrette's work as "tinged"
with the Italian style. But he maintains that Corrette's
music does, nonetheless, uphold the French tradition.l-
His open adoption of Italian conventions piqued the
jealousies of his fellow countrymen. Van der Straeten
theorizes that Corrette's acknowledgment of the
superiority of Italian violinists over native French
virtuosos contributed to the ill feeling among his
colleagues and this, he believes, led to the labeling of
his students as "les anachorètes. "12
In his works for organ, Corrette displayed a flair for
virtuoso effects. He used the french classical organ as a

9Anthony, p. 314.
10Anthony, p. 312.
11Manfred Bukofzer, Music in the Baroque Era (New
York: Norton, 1947), p. 250.
12Edmund Van der Straeten, History of the
Violoncello (London: Reeves, 1971), p. 268.
4

concert instrument, acknowledging that its color potential


was second only to that of the orchestra.13 In keyboard
music for the harpsichord, Corrette illustrated the
extremes that "descriptive" music can approach. His
divertissement pour le clavecin ou le forte piano of 1779
is entitled "containing echoes from Boston and a naval

victory." The work describes the noise of arms, of


cannon, replete with the cries of the wounded and the
plaints of the prisoners from this combat.14

13Anthony, pp. 285-296.


,

14Anthony, p. 263.
5

M 1 i

THE'ORIUE ET FRA TIUL


TI
.=.?ortr 12yprendre en pea tran.+
LE VIOLONCELLE
C/a/11 .' lI
LZ ' ('l 01?/
Ens emble
1
-Pee ea de 21.fiteii111(' 11.vet- d'o .-5 ,; n/ls [7I,,eIII,TlO!`ml'Plllsl.
et [L ..Z)11,1Aio/t de Ca/'L7[' pour/Vice.- veut ¿tun f les
C.Y//ll/1 tellcc.'I71P/ k/, llt',iJi i y/1. v s!!/' !l' Man cire !!-
_1,i!0l0/1('('<l '
(Me/Wilk 1111'l/1 ( lí' `'1/'ll('/ll/('/'t' /Pi
( c!'/!.l' (ply'
p[ !['1!P ./et

vat' .P'171/1711 /l' l<<'/' lZl 1 I;'l'!lt-ell'


.
L ) l il l C i'(' C'_
-

PAR CORRFITTE.
:'I í'l 1'.
('
1<Ic'
!'l da["
) .

('
.

/
!«l(ál,
.1
,
,
/' r l
C
/,'l!t'
/il`'^13vT1c'l/t/,
l('c! _!('
a 1-
"lie
Jr'. 11J/<</ .l<<,,,¡l,/. l),' ,
li'/'c'. 1'l!' >'!/_ll'l[lc' 7 Q (..,,/,;- d'or,
(
li
(JI'/!c ,/ 4' 1-l.' J14, !'i, ilf'[/ i' l/ii'/lit/tr !.l lll`',lí'l iIi/ .
.
/lR;%

_4.7.17-02V, t' fil de _i3 [t(///r /t/e /e le /(' .


l)('.' l '/!'lil/( it/ t fi' ( 1, ...-if 73 ci- 1,%.
.

( , .

Illustration 1. Title page from 1741 Méthode


No 6ic J'ouGraz cLe L'hcurno air.> Noble upholder of harmony

1°a. ta it
Qu izvec lïI wEr' lzc idue .rcrav ,
lnlocLcc>
Tic denote L.I»u d no.. Co,ccrtr
With what majesty you appear to us!
By your divine melody
You breathe life into our concerts.

Illustration 2. Frontispiece from 1741 Méthode


CHAPTER 2

THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL METHOD

It is from his instructional methods, which cover


nearly every instrument familiar to classical eighteenth
century practice, that we best remember Michel Corrette.
Van der Straeten describes Corrette's vast output in this
genre as truly "astounding.i15 Let us examine his Méthode
Théorique et Pratique pour . . . Le Violoncelle.
in 1741. It bears
the following title:
Méthode Théorique et Pratique /pour apprendre en
peu de tems/ Le Violoncelle /dans sa perfection./
Ensemble/Des principles de Musique avec des Leçons
a I, et II, Violoncelles. /L 'Division de la Corde
pour placer s'ilon veut dans les /commencemens, des
Lignes traversalles sur le Manche du/Violoncelle./
Plus une petite Méthode particuliere pour ceux qui
jouent de la /Viole, et qui veullent jouer du
violoncelle./ Composée /par Michel Corrette./
XXIVe. Ouverage./ Prix 6 en blanc. /A Paris. /Chez/
l'Oratoire attenant la ville de Constantinople/
Me. Boivin, rue St. Honore a la Regle d'Or. /le Sr.
Le Clerc, rue du Roule a la Croix d'Or./ A Lyon,
Chez Mr. de Brotonne rue Merciére/ Avec Privelage
du Roy MDCCXLI.
The opening explains that the cello was in wide use in
France for twenty -five or thirty years prior to the

15 Van der Straeten, p. 267.

7
8

appearance of his Méthode. It had been introduced to

France by the virtuosos Batistin Stück and St. Sevin.16


Jean -Baptiste Stück, of German origin, was born in
Livourne. It was Stück and the Italian cellist,

Bononcini, who are credited with first introducing the


cello to France in the early eighteenth century. -7

Stück's career in France began in the employ of the Prince


of Carignau. He later moved to the post of "ordinaire de
la musique" for the Duke of Orleans at the Palais- Royal.

He died December 8, 1755 and was buried at l'Eglise de


Saint Eustache.18 Saint -Sevin, called Abbé, served as the
stand partner of Stück at the Paris Opera beginning the
opera season of 1727.19
Corrette remarked: "It is true that the sound of this
beautiful instrument carries much farther than all
others. "20 Maurice Riley, in his study on early string
methods, recalled Corrette's boast that the cello's wide
acceptance came about because "one violoncello makes more

16Michel Corrette, Méthode Théorique et Practique


pour . . Le Violoncelle
. (Paris: Author, 1741),
. . .

reprint, Geneva: Minkoff, 1972), p. A.


17Sylvette Milliot, "Jean- Baptiste Stück,"
Recherches sur la Musique française classique (Paris:
Picard, 1969), p. 9.
18Milliot, pp. 96 -98.

19Eugene Nogue, "Abbé St. Sevin," Le Violoncelle


son Histoire ses Virtuoses (Paris: 1913), p. 100.
20Corrette, Méthode, p. A.
9

sound than six viols. "21 This type of comparison roused


the ire of Hubert Le Blanc, whose famous essay entitled
Defense de la basse de viole contre les entreprises du
violon et les prétensions du violoncel appeared in 1740,
one year prior to Corrette's Méthode.22 Evidence of the
superior tone of the cello and its greater flexibility
over its competitors was gaining general recognition.
Corrette reasons:
If all countries give preference to the cello to
play the basso continuo it is not without reason,
the bass being the foundation of harmony. It is
thus necessary to choose the bass instrument which
is most sonorous and with which one can play all
sorts of music: powerful, simple, figures, etc.
Because all music which lacks a string bass
becomes insipid in such a way that the music
without bass always leaves much to be desired by
the ear.
He goes on to say that "since until now there has not been
a method published for this instrument which is so useful
to music, I believe that the public will not be angry to
have the true approach which is used now by the great
masters. "24

21Maurice Riley, "The Teaching of Bowed Instruments


from 1511 to 1756" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Univ.
of Michigan: 1954), p. 116.
22Hubert Le Blanc, Defense de la basse de viole
contre les entreprises du violon et les prétensions du
violoncel (Amsterdam: Pierre Mortier, 1740).
23Charles Graves, "The Theoretical and Practical
Method for Cello by Michel Corrette" (Unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, Michigan State University, 1971), p. 4.
24Graves, pp. 4-5.
10

The opening section is titled "Principles of Music for


the Violoncello." Here it is noted that the "F," or bass
clef, is the one most widely used by the cello. For
higher tessitura, Corrette acknowledges use of the alto
clef by the French and the tenor clef by the Italians such
as Corelli, Albinoni, Vivaldi, and Valentini.25 Chapter
II is a chart of note values and rests.26 Chapter III
explores the use of the sharp, flat, and natural.27
Chapter IV deals with signs used in music such as the bar
line, double bar, and dal segno.28
"The Measure" is the title of Corrette's Chapter V.
Of two -beat measures, "the two -beat measure marked in '2'
is used in French music for rigaudons, branles, bourées,
vaudevilles, cotillions, gavottes, etc." Of these dances
in duple rhythm, "it is necessary to play the second note
faster," an obvious reference to the French notes
inégales.29 Of measures in triple meter, Corrette noted
that the Italians prefer the signature 3/4 while the
French use "3" alone. Again the Italians use eighths of
equal length, "as in the Courante of the seventh Sonata of

25Corrette, p. 1.

26Corrette, p. 2.

27Corrette, p. 3.

28Corrette, p. 3.

29Corrette, p. 4.
11

Corelli. "30 These references to specific literature


appear throughout his treatise.
Another of Corrette's observations with reference to
specific works by his contemporaries is as follows:
In French music, the second eighth of each pair is
played faster as in the Chaconne of Phaeton by Mr.
Lully, but the pairs are sometimes played equally
when they are sixteenth notes. This practice is
frequently found in chaconnes and passacaglias of
which examples are the Passacaglia from Armide by
Mr. Lully and the Chaconne from Les Indes Galantes
of Mr. Rameau.
Chapter V concludes with the observation that the
French notate duple meter by marking "2" in a measure of
four quarter notes. The Italians use 2/4 with two
quarters. Again showing a slant toward the Italians,
Corrette affirms that "this method is without a doubt
easier. . "32 Chapter VI follows with a discussion of
the musical symbol called the "tie." It is of interest

that Corrette urged his reader to "bring out dissonances"


that are created by suspension by holding "the same stroke
of the bow but by giving a little more force on the second

note to highlight the dissonance which is always found


above the bass . " 33

30Corrette, pp. 4-5.


31Corrette, p. 5.

32Corrette, p. 4.

33Corrette, p. 6.
12

Now begins the "Method" proper. Chapter I, "How to


Hold the Cello," notes two positions: one "standing" with
the cello on an endpin and the other "seated" with the
cello between the knees. Corrette finds the "standing"
position both unattractive and impracticable for the
execution of difficult passages and preferred the use of
the "seated" position.34
Chapter II deals with the bow. Corrette offers three
methods to hold the bow as seen in Example 1. The first,

.De a rzi 2 ¿'re de tent.- et conucre ¿'rche t.


AB C v X-

Example 1. How to hold the bow

"favored by the Italians," places right -hand fingers 2, 3

4, 5 at points A, B, C, D on chart. The thumb is placed


on the stick below 3 at E. The second method places
right -hand fingers 2, 3, 4 at A, B, C with the thumb below
"on the hair" at F while 5 is "poised" on the stick (not
unlike a violinist's grip) at G. The third option places
right -hand fingers 2, 3, 4 at H, I, K with the thumb again
beneath the hair at L, this time with 5 on the side of the

34Corrette, p. 7.
13

stick at M. Corrette says "these three different ways of


holding the bow are equally good and it is best to choose
that with which one has the most power.35
Recommending a strong tone, Corrette states that "to
play the cello it is necessary to have power in the right
arm to pull out the sound.i36 And, moreover, "it is
necessary to play at the middle of the bow . . .," where

. . one plays the notes by pulling and pushing


alternatively when the notes are of equal value.i37 There
are certain times, however, "when it is necessary to push
two notes in the same bow; at other times it is required
to pull two (in the same bow); but the latter occurs less
frequently.38
Example 2 demonstrates the use of two up bows pousser
(p,p) on the same stroke. Of this, Corrette says, "one
pushes two times in the same bow for two eighths or double
eighths when the first is required to be pushed.i39

35Graves, p. 20.
36Graves, p. 20.
37Corrette, p. 9.

38Corrette, p. 9.

39Graves, p. 21.
is aoi
14

1!..W!
00.
WQ'I=11111
s
Aaraomme" as OM
am Ns =IN
AMAMI Mr MI NM
Mr = .0AINIMINIIE
ammoal III ma -Aram Aaaar'ENNI
IIMIL siPAM
ow
1111111=
WM le

TFPT TP TP PTP TP T F T
Example 2. Pousser bowing

Example 3 offers a solution of using either two down bows


tirer (t,t) or two up bows (p,p) as a practical solution.
This two -option solution goes hand in hand with the
author's view that
. . it is not necessary
. to be a slave to . . .

the bowing, provided one observes the note values.


It matters little to those how the bow stroke is
made. I have even heard some Italians who play
the bowings as they come without being concerned
with to pull or when to push. .40 . .

TyT Z' Tp p TP TF P TP TP T
vac ou
T T

Example 3. Tirer bowing

Chapter III notes the standard tuning for the cello is


in perfect fifths. It also offers several methods to

check the tuning of the open strings.41 Chapter IV


demonstrates the diatonic range of the cello, mapping all

"Graves, p. 14.
41Corrette, pp. 12-13.
15

notes in first position42 (Illustration 3). This is


followed by the chromatic realm in Chapter V (Illustration
4). Here Corrette said, "it must be pointed out that each
finger may raise the sound of the string a half step."43
Quite obviously here and in Chapter XIV, "Concerning
Another Position," Corrette set the stage for our modern
fingering of the cello.
Corrette's Chapter VI entitled "New Presentation of
the True Cello Position," uses 0 -1 -2 -4 as the basic

diatonic tetrachord fingering. This bias is geared to


accommodate violinists (accustomed to 0 -1 -2 -3 to finger

similar tetrachords), using 4 on cello as a substitute for


3 on the violin.44 Corrette's "Avertissement" on page 23
of the Méthode discusses the division of the string into
its harmonic overtones. This is detailed in the ensuing
chart (Illustration 5).45 The chart is followed by a
series of lessons,46 including a sonata for two cellos
(Appendix C) .

42Corrette, p. 14.
43Corrette, p. 15.
44Corrette, pp. 17-22.
45Corrette, pp. 23-24.
46Corrette, pp. 25-32.
16

£J/e,L1t/n',Lr<T
Dentnilvti'att7v>z ¿uIJïinc/ze.Dzatonipie
ea+ t '1rtree ,t t ar9ceEV-rt ¡es
&
f/ co-nt /ñct f<re ervr"rpour fg
Pio
oriei le lone no teé ey ce,A^ynu:> .
.sr
easviv-
á.Y .I-ir,é iskic.r T P Z' T
+
P _[''
` -T] - _ _
T
_
P íT 4 '
trr
r
-Q
r i
K/4,. (4,
!loops
t..
llot7.1
Qr;.
dr
.,.
2
SC%

....y.r.0.aQRitiY
tee-Z.-pa
< <.
..
L' J
4
` c1

tit l `i j

et
2.

4 Cor
C
r<i-f, Cz<>/a
e
e
ie, d te; c-1
/
sneátrn a utundai,t9hd
<4 A »rati` y, ti nomme.SuAr mC,
u
.1 it

ey
<
it t/fc 2":e 6/ iiiliri</ll-í1flllcte/ítor9
cvrde,3<:.
. t .

t/olz lvtt r e,t,1 Jr,J't,4/t


. '
2 etu.frt<<tyt,
, ,

2.e. Corde .
re;a liuve,-t/%t1,c4c.etkjt..elicz<etJoapetz.t.
e
Z . GOrtle ou Citante*vLLPi
k1'a .ouvert, J'1, aio9t; llt, t.k z° et/e,4;záf
dirt;t .
. wsá lalt l
etz.,u:wrl
Pi
t-4 41210-)r.
ritepprLrftcrP.
t/ne`rriutpad álntrtaxrnciar
l 1ltt6 lai =Yrorth;
l
Coe fdo
s at,rrczportrfura J7í4 /a 3` acrrte,etf7Zia4, /ale:
r,ru
0 rontaudsrcosrune meet ekirnvntriey
aelltrue e4c 2.4! t-
Zlfto6.,ervei avüer A óoutded cil`q/aet
u 'tLd ne it.uC,itent yue tu' u.te d ier oíJ
_excepte' ctvué ded P:éceepa# aew
t40u
pui oie °ztlet-.
i,cXef itttc-¡e.rt.rtti
t fórree.
IfiutuuJ.ri rlas
e0
.,i
t
h le/ver trap /urea-lee rÌo(q&; t ra
eittpz;'cAé /ercu .

Illustration 3. Chapter IV from 1741 Méthode


_L_c/,tcrlcdt7aáct
o-1

I/f<uct re/rul/ ICervttt c/rezrret


Chapitre
l/lane /Le

pPU tleit"ec
Ell 11>t
Il
t:lto7Zt9ue et

'5111/311
Cluoriatcra eda
e..r/4"tie la »>airt:, re alefu-e tared Al toted et deem' - toste
. 34: Co, cle

z 4'. Corde
2 e. Lvs %

*0 O *O u ti IQ*O
Z

31 ( Orde .

41111Z1INIPME,
a.

a 1.4;14
'
yc^ CoOVft

'

..!'t//cet
kna/le

r'
17

151

.
be
I

s,cv,í4i h son la cote dien ahinc'- l3st C


4 e LO!'t 1 ,
Za ¢1 c,or-de a irre fact tit; et`anfutt mantee-cP áfe
au 1 e, fuíeJt-un frir/n /ad /taut en »tettai: t
Co> zlt
42 ''do
cô te'dtl XI/le t, o fz
Pten retíra.at .leG4E-41Líu: unc= ton dc
ir
ut c ou V . e 2P octls l,úi:
laf-Z'alle dl<1e,d;La Ilr1Z,fAlt77Ll,et .ICt did ái/tc'Pdu
! tauc 77tl,Pdtpozt¿-ae3-e le f!I c' b, da ,n-ëmP roi7t-
d
e n. /e i.e.-lien/it úiz ekrn.e - tort ctu cót4'au/ l/et, ft
oupou.rAli-e /e re uísf<.IetduZre44 eIZ.
c,a,ntie.r,zp2zce orezízaere dm altmc"-47nduc4tí
C/ievaletund'lit sn.émPen/a.c.e enter h it'et lemC'na =
c /eu,rti==

,
tuie,e.tpour rés ou./7Zl eel pe.ra.itt-lepcátt,
17

dún du,u'-tats atcekvsud mi ortjeziVI ,'ettrs'


ou /a z<.iee e.reored úz a,m,c -tpsz clued a'rc _
//
` f2e vaIPt, en.fr-lZ /ezj * ou ,r0/6 , vOt,ez, /Pe`ta :
t
pzt7.eTll ,Cti e
(3 : ,
La 3'7 Corde a Z.Pfa.e tsOl, le Z t/p°ve a
ZZ 4/lance del( %'rl/etd «n b,rt/n< l7,et snAne _
,17finLjzc't to/* lZ ,e/e ret!/ilnt/eQ`rOt d ,
tic'/r7! - ta>,2 e2'!( et: te" <7I! cet//!'C

Illustration 4. Chapter V "Chromatic" from 1741


18

2 4
1)7 J,,.t ( ZZIJ.:
pL[Zil'I Gl,:Jlit'tJ
li-avra,perartrl :r
Malr.:%t da l<° forcelle 1711 ridOl1C'('!l('
a'ff(!/' tout, la. Ltd/ t77!Ìia/% t
1! Sit. Sill et .

4°.c:.ti--lr-.-3'(:t-. Z'r:.le^.Y:rlr .. .a ( '/i.a.e te.. g


!!t !' l -7;1
Jr I;:,.....
l
- Ó t,zsvvv,,ull -
. . . . . . . .
iLtJP
51/4 tti Set
J1t a tt

nei
l! 1t de.
tY.

A'
ri lç 1 ^'Po..íe,:,e .t la pia..
tria,+t.rthat/siZ - - - -
9 44 41;"a p.rt- le., 4
!àrdti
ó l0r B siX<< !at Y.K N .rL1
4 l,e.--
. .

C .J0d Jr+fkuil rt
. . Hr 2
L*,
.,tt
I,.'trt.nh
e : t.n ¡.u.
att r.,,,r.
-
5 .[

. .
l... .
4 L .iIìt r..J /`arti e.nt
rt .v.rt, ..! di, 4'
.r:pv
re .'.

f,61ry.
/t;,..r
' .

a': I,4... . .la,


+n .,r: (.
'r, ..Iet 4tol 1,.: rr. ,r at
.

a
f ,.t.
i

v
9/. 441'r- . ROM,
J .y.t/
%uf. .L:rQ
.

!t rit,t,
.t
y!lywi .
'so . .

3
t` jit
a14. 46,4461,14 reikr J
it, .rot . . . . !v; . . l'i.-

aro re 1:'. ate Octave.


de !a ftai.atr .

a la . . -- - 1 S< <+tt
o:trt,c
double
.

. . . . . Ut
. . lt
i2° orc r.rPla-
8 0: &wr .

f/eivez.lt ( c'
' after
1' [I _'

Illustration 5. Division of the String from 1741 Méthode


19

A discussion on shifting and a list of the positions


is the subject of Chapter VII,47 while Chapter VIII

explains how to return to first position after having


shifted.48 Chapter IX illustrates intervals one can reach
from one string to the adjacent string without changing
the position of the hand49 as illustrated in Example 4.

In Example 4, gl and cl are both fingered by 4. The hand


can then expand to reach octave g with 1 on the second
string with 4 remaining on gl. A similar octave stretch
is employed across strings II -III and III -IV.

:
-s '
t r:r1/!
sasai
ims

znt dir
.4:n1e .
4

int.. de, s
4

sr
1

eitsnt:,,.,r. 404.-tss.r
if

4
N_
N
t
----- ----_.,.....
J':.rh.rr...rw n:i lqstt tr.tt:.:.r .: .

Example 4. Positions

An interesting discussion of ornaments is found in


Chapter X. The section entitled "How to Play Cadences and
Pincés" notes that Italians mark trills with "t," while
the French mark " +."50 Both are symbols with similar
executions as shown in Example 5.

47Corrette, pp. 33-34.


48Corrette, pp. 34-35.

49Corrette, p. 35.
50Corrette, p. 36.
20

Example
teerr.a.aíos is ce
7este cots, carcl%t

5. Cadences
r-.!t
.ft u.- ILne,/&krl.1w. que
!e ae das9t

Another ornament discussed is the pincé (shown in Example


6), which Corrette observes is played on notes of long
duration, "yet never marked" in cello music.51 A reader
finds this casual description of ornamentation, in a era

!
where ornaments were paramount, as curious at best.
Sylvette Milliot notes that ornamentation was so ingrained
in the performance practice of the eighteenth century that

it has become "second nature. "52

Exei:n le.
IMO
ct
111/"IMME
2
sss
4a
41=1 OMNI MIMI NMI MS
-AMMO Wm =m
éseine cote
dcl"cotst
2 1 2
ONO 11.111, MEN II

Example 6. Pincé

51Corrette, p. 36.
52Sylvette Milliot, Le Violoncelle en France du
XVIIIme Siècle (Paris: Champion -Slatkine, 1985), p. 697.
21

She adds that "ornaments were changing, simplifying and


losing their importance.53 No doubt a combination of
these factors led to Corrette's cursory treatment of this
important facet of performance practice.
Chapter XII is concerned with arpeggios. Here
Corrette shows that the arpeggio is commonly notated as a
block chord (Example 7), although executed as a batterie.
This has application in the closing bars of J. S. Bach's
Suite #2 in d minor BWV 100854 as noted in Example 8.

While these chords are notated in sustained notes, as


written in Example 8, they are to be played with a
batterie as illustrated in Example 9.

Example 7. Batterie

53Milliot, Le Violoncelle, p. 697.


54Johann Sebastian Bach, Six Suites for
Unaccompanied Cello (Kassel: Barenreiter, 1962), p. 12.
22

..e,
57 '' . ----NM
ONI.r11..r
urL-7..._
Iii - -MIrMI
AMMI-im= =MI Mh. i
i. t --
M.
rill II
.alM NIP.

--- ---=M 01..../


---
4
f:f2
OOP'rImo
im am-+Ime =MIMI MN
MI
0
a i. i.
um.I I 111111tIaIIMIM1111
.- a: .
a:mammon'
-.m.o.= iiM iMP:orNNIMI
IMIIMI NMI UM
OM
'.....Mal MIS
1 2
1

MD UM
Mrricarraca=
_.
e

!'ElWIIM
%'
Example

'lJ .. J
.raesN1._
/MJ1
8.

ti :VW
--_
_
,Ws if

_
J.

NIMIr
S. Bach Suite #2, final bars of Prelude

MIMIPII.11 1111,./INENJ.f
=No f

Example 9. J. S. Bach Suite #2, final bars of Prelude


with embellishment
NI MEOW'
_
.
J
a.r11MMANINIIIIII.11.411111MINN_..f =
J./.J
.__
Cgir N
111

u
n

N III

pas

11

N
ti

iii
411
min

"PI
i N
N m
1111
voseaur
24
Chapter XIII of the Méthode deals with the use of the
thumb. In general, Corrette advocates the use of the
thumb in fourth position "to imitate the violin." In this
position, placing the thumb on G on the C string, one can
play cello "like the violin,i55 using the fingering G -1 -2-
3 for the diatonic scale. As mentioned earlier, it is in
his Chapter XIV, "Concerning Another Position," that
Corrette explains the modern approach to fingering. Here
he advises using 0 -1 -3 -4 on the C string to finger the
diatonic notes versus the "violin" influenced choice of 0-
1 -2 -4.56

Corrette's Chapter XV is designed to assist


performers of the viola da gamba to make the transition to
the cello. In the cello's favor, Corrette points out the
simplicity of the cello's fingerboard as a decided
advantage over the viols' more complex configuration.57
The final chapter of the Méthode, Chapter XVI, deals
with concert situations. Corrette states that
. .when the cello accompanies a cantata it is
.

necessary to follow the voice in the recitative.


This demands much sensitivity because the cellist
must correctly strike the bow note which supports
the chord: otherwise the recitative is poorly
accompanied. Those who know the composition have

55Corrette, p. 41.
56Corrette, p. 42.
57Corrette, pp. 43-45.
25

much more advantage in accompanying the recitative


even though they might realize a mediocre
execution. . One can accompany the recitative
. .

passably without knowing the composition, by


following the words and the notes of the
singer. 56

Other directions remind us that "the cello is also


obligated to follow the voice in the more strictly
measured airs when the singer does not sing in rhythm. "59
A similar situation occurs as "the cello observes the same
things when it accompanies a sonata for a high instrument
which is not sure of the rhythm, because the bass follows
the upper line more often than the upper line follows the
bass." But, "the cello holds the reins at a concert,
making itself heard better than all the other instruments
by its harmonious sounds.ió0 When accompanying
instruments
in a solo concerto or in a violin sonata, if the
upper line rushes the rhythm, the cellist, being a
good musician, must play with force and beat out
the pulse for a measure or two by holding firmly
to the same tempo which began the piece. That
will return the upper line to correct rhythm and
keep it from going any faster.61

58Graves, pp. 69-70.


59Corrette, p. 70.
60Corrette, p. 70.
61Graves, pp. 70-71.
CHAPTER 3

AN EXAMINATION OF CONTEMPORARY METHODS

Before exploring other methods for cello that appeared


soon after Corrette's Méthode, let us survey the French
school of cello playing in the eighteenth century. We
have already found that Corrette hailed Johann Baptiste
Stück (called Batistin) as the first to introduce the
cello as a solo instrument to France.62 Although this is
not in dispute, it is Jean Barrière and Martin Berteau who

emerged as the founders of the French school of cello


playing.63 The cello commonly in use in France was the
"basse de violon" tuned in G. It was introduced to France
October 15, 1581 in Baltazarini's Ballet Comique de la
Royne.64 However, it was the "basse de viole" (viola da
gamba) as practiced by the French masters De Caix, Marais,
and Forqueray that was the fashionable seventeenth -century

62Corrette, p. A.
63Gertrude Jean Shaw, "The Violoncello Sonata
Literature in France during the Eighteenth Century"
(Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Catholic Univ., 1963), p.
36.
64Van der Straeten, p. 258.

26
27

bass instrument in France.65 But preference was to shift


toward the cello in the eighteenth century.
Jean Barrière wrote works of high sophistication for
the cello in the early eighteenth century. His sonatas
are described as "remarkable for the time in which they
were published, proving an artist of great talent. "66
Hailed as "the most famous cellist of the eighteenth
century" is Martin Berteau.67 Born in Valencienne in the
early eighteenth century, Berteau began is training as a
gambist but was converted to the cello after being charmed
by the cello's sonority at a concert of Franciscello.68
He soon abandoned the gamba for the cello. He was first
heard in Paris at the Concert Spirituel in 173969 playing
a concerto of his own composition.70 Berteau's
contemporary Caffiaux describes him as a man "with an
extraordinary talent; he did not have the desire of making
a fortune; this is proper to a man of talent. "71

65Van der Straeten, p. 258.

66Nogue, p. 100.
67Nogue, p. 102.
68Nogue, p. 103.

69Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski, The Violoncello


and Its History (New York: De Capo, 1968), p. 87.
70Nogue, p. 103.
71Nogue, pp. 103-104.
28

Berteau had an immoderate taste for wine, requiring


his patrons to provide him a bottle to be kept under his
seat so he could sip between selections.72 In spite of
Berteau's immoderate taste for wine, he was an excellent
teacher. Testimony to this are his many fine students who
attained fame in their own right. These students include
Cupis, Rey, Jannson, Tillíere, and Duport l'Aine.73

Now we shall consider violoncello methods contemporary


with Corrette's. Charles Graves, in his study of Corrette
and his contemporaries, explores no less than seven other
methods by Lanzetti, Crome, Cupis, Baumgartner, Tillíere,
Azäis, and Gunn.74 Methods by Crome, Lanzetti, Cupis,
Tillíere, Baumgartner, Laborde, Kauer, and Gunn are
explored in a similar study by Carolann Martin.75 Of
these various studies, it is the works of Corrette's
fellow countrymen Jean - Bonaventure Tillíere and Jean
Baptiste Cupis, both written prior to 1800, that merit
comparison.

72Nogue, p. 105.
73Shaw, p. 73.
74Graves, p.
75Carolann Martin, "A Comparative Survey of
Pedagogical Works for the Violoncello from Corrette to
Duport" (Unpublished Master's thesis, Ohio State Univ., 1964).
29

ME,T
NO U VZLL l: ET
0 R2WSOIDTIDT.II:'
,
ePortr ,á°p'r'ruli-e áJort,ea' (.lu- 2)/nlo/u<"('ll( Oìt (.i;lt /mile
(le 1ezcc/o7'(t!c7', (Le p aeer c'et- n.rh//-um.;ftlt éh le
r(' C

,
[L

titt' .1rr/ret-,' de.


771 (17 t r i-i `2
Zr
ch,á.11r (1/(:[Q m(lU? 'MT IL tOUC/2e; du- tact; CIC lC''/td[tC' cltGrrl(Inc/?e, (.lcllrltt/' rl(t/t.1
to zcc, te tr, ctoi-ea, 'Tie' et znineuró (-lit, irrer et A , parw:rer ,-avec un
no.ornlyre- de L ;cort.l Ram a.nced, _Ar-rett.r.r eE- Cc;r6eru.cets
PAR
M: CUPIS LE JEUNE 0
£rf?ftre(fì' c- ó10 celle-
Prix-.
cl.r.,erku. zz

A.
.

PAP.IS
7 :t.4
ez
f
Chez eC/entc , trczr, -1dr,lru7' e5167/-eJand tcj.(r<<'r.pe de,
c1adalne la- lauplz>zc; (lü cSioule- a, ra C149°
et- ar,(,, e."Ietra,',recr .orrlinazred de c7iu.ruuccr .
'Or .

'Z°vulou,r'e, c.4 c.Ro-u,e.rL ce ..Ocail.er9ue .

A.P.D.R.
1` rim \lll`f--J A J
v nvee par Geiarv/in .

Illustration 7. Title page from Méthode Nouvelle


et Raisonnée by Cupis
30

Méthode Nouvelle et Raisonnée pour Apprendre à Jouer


du Violoncelle by Cupis was published in Paris in 1768.76
(See Appendix D for translation.) Cupis was born in 1741.
At the age of 11 he initiated his studies with the
celebrated Berteau.77 By the age of 20 his technique was
so refined that he was considered one of the most skilled
cellists in Paris. He entered the orchestra of the Paris
Opera, playing in the "petit choeur" until 1771.78 In
addition to his Méthode, he wrote two cello concertos and
a set of variations. He also perpetuated the art of the
cello through his many fine pupils, including Jean
Baptiste Breval.79.
In his Méthode, Cupis provides his students with
fingerings for two -octave scales, both major and minor,
through 4 sharps and 4 flats. His choice of fingerings
closely corresponds to modern techniques, as evidenced in
Example 10. Here Cupis advocates the use of an extension

Example 10. Fingerings by Cupis

76Jean- Baptiste Cupis, Méthode Nouvelle et


Raisonnée pour Apprendre à Jouer du Violoncelle (Paris:
Auteur, 1771) .

77Nogue, p. 109.
78Nogue, p. 109.
79Nogue, p. 109.
31
to play cl, dl, el, fingered 1 -2 -4, and likewise for dl,
el, f #l, fingered 1 -2 -4. Example 11 offers fingering
solutions in performing a series of cadences from cl to
c2. Cupis concludes his study with 35 detailed studies
for two cellos.

Example 11. Use of extension

Jean - Bonaventure Tillíere first earned notoriety when


he was appointed to the service of the Prince of Conti in
1760.80 As mentioned earlier, Tillíere, like Cupis, was a
student of Berteau. In 1777, Siever of Paris published
Six Sonatas for Cello and Bass81 by Tillíere. The Méthode
of Tillíere takes a detailed look at essential cello
techniques. It details scales in thirds and sixths as
well as exploring a higher tessitura than either Corrette
or Cupis. It was published under the title Méthode pour
le Violoncelle and was published by Bailleaux in 1774.82

(See Appendix E for translation of title page.) Two


subsequent editions appeared, the final under a new
banner: Méthode de Violoncelle Revue et Augmentée.83

80Nogue, p. 106.
81Nogue, p. 106.
82Graves, p. 261.
83Martin, p. 146.
32

Testimony to the success of this Méthode is the claim by


Joseph Muntzberger, a contemporary of Tillíere and well -
known cellist, that he learned to play cello solely by
studying Tillíere without the aid of a teacher.84
In these three methods (the Corrette of 1741, Cupis of
1768, and Tillíere of 1774) the art of cello teaching
evolved to a well- defined art. They deal with the manner
of holding the instrument, left -hand position, cello range
and fingering, double stopping, right -hand position, and a
variety of bowings. The French propensity for composing
such technical treatises is demonstrated by the fact that
there exist almost to thirty such treatises on cello
playing in the French language.85 Riley observes that
"paradoxically, the French, who apparently were slow to
accept the violin family, were the first to develop
independent tutors for the viola, violoncello, and the
string bass. "86 The country that was among the first
nations to profit from the lessons of the early Italian
cellists87 had a firmly established national school of
cello playing by the start of the nineteenth century.88

84Nogue, p. 99.
85Nogue, p. 99.

"Riley, p. 115.

87Nogue, p. 95.
88Van der Straeten, p. 524.
CHAPTER 4

LES DELICES DE LA SOLITUDE

Michel Corrette first published his Op. XX, Les


Délices de la Solitude, about 1739. It was reissued in
1766. The first edition bore the following title page
(see also Illustration 8):

LES DELICES/ DE LA SOLITUDE, / Sonates,/ Pour le


Violoncelle, Viole, Basson/ Avec la Basse Continue
chiffree./ composees/ PAR MR. CORRETTE/ Oeuvre XX.
Prix 6 fr. 10s./ d'Orleans quartier St. Honore au
Cheval d'Or. . .

The manuscript to Les Délices de la Solitude is in the


collection of the Bibliothéque Nationale in Paris. Six
sonatas comprise the set.

Sonata #1
Sonata #1 in F Major follows a Fast/Slow /Fast movement
scheme. The opening movement is a fugue. It begins with
the following subject (Example 12) stated by the cello.

t t -d> _li." -4P-


f
f
Example 12. Sonata Op. XX, #1, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -4

33
34

Illustration 8. Frontispiece from Les Délices de la Solitude


35

The second movement, in binary form,is entitled "Aria:


Affettuoso." This movement is an essay in lyricism. The
final Allegro, also binary, is based on a short two -
measure motive (Example 13).

Example 13. Sonata Op. XX, #1, 3rd Mvt., mm 1 -2

Sonata #2
Sonata #2 in d minor displays a marked Italian
influence. A striking kinship to the work of Vivaldi can
be heard in the sequential theme that opens this movement
(Example 14) .

Lr a.fr
QM..r -r-- !t -./ -.t'r.111PW
-- ---_- ------------_-_------:___-
-1r Ir7'J77
1wlf'T 1hal
-,.._s+sa

----
1111.1At =1.7.111111.
,

1
10

¡
11=111r11.t

Example 14.
--_r !_-.t7/
Sonata Op. XX, #2,
-i± r7
M W l7.7
1st Mvt., mm
!!__

1 -10
36

Sylvette Milliot calls Corrette "most decidedly


Italian,i89 noting that he used Italian titles for all
movements, not excluding the dances. It is true that

Corrette's music has a decidedly Italian flavor, yet in


his work the Italian and French styles live side by side.
Of the Italian style, Milliot notes that the Italian
themes "ring in your memory . .
.90 and their crystalline

quality transmit the Italian aesthetic. "91


The second movement of Sonata #2 is a pair of Airs.
Aria I is bipartite. There is a da Capo to Aria I

providing an overall format of A -B -A. The finale is


marked "Allegro Staccato." Its opening four -measure theme
receives a contrapuntal treatment (Example 15).

Sonata #3
Sonata #3 in C Major opens with an "Allegro:
Allemanda." The first movement is binary with a detailed
and developmental second section. The second movement is
a "Sarabanda," again in the traditional bipartite scheme.
The last movement "Fuga da Capella: Allegro" is another
essay in the contrapuntal technique of the fugue.
Sylvette Milliot observes that Corrette's choice of fugue

89Milliot, Le Violoncelle, p. 83.

90Milliot, Le Violoncelle, p. 83.


91Milliot, Le Violoncelle, p. 83.
37

..I
1

t 6 7

Example 15. Sonata Op. XX, #2, 3rd Mvt., mm 1 -4

subjects is very linear, but with an Italian vigor.92


This linear design, infused with Italian "vigor" can be
seen in the opening statement of the fugue subject to the
finale of Sonata #3 in C major (Example 16) . The use of
such structured polyphony is rare in French sonatas for
the cello.

Sonata #4
Sonata #4 in Bb Major opens with a lyric "Adagio." It
is the only sonata in this collection that follows a four -

movement scheme of Slow- Fast -Slow -Fast. Gertrude Shaw

92Milliot, Le Violoncelle, p. 110.


38

Example 16. Sonata Op. XX, #3, 3rd Mvt., mm 1 -6.

dubs the opening movement "a good example of a homophonic


Adagio, enhanced by rich altered chords, seventh chords,
and suspensions. "93 These qualities are evident in the
opening statement of the principal theme (Example 17).
The second movement is marked "corrente," again showing
Corrette's Italian bias. A two -part dance form, the
opening measures illustrate the quick harmonic rhythm
characteristic of these sonatas (Example 18).
The third movement, "Aria affetuoso," is a charming two -
part song form. The finale, labeled "Bruit de Chasse," or
"noises of the hunt," conjures vivid programmatic images.

93Shaw, p. 83.
39

Violoncelle
ou Basson 9- 1,1' rr s - r

6 CO
J [4
CO
Co CO
Basse
Continue
41-1F

6
o J
7 7 2 6 6

9'

0 8
6
'
7
5 Ie
4 5
a

Example 17. Sonatas Op. XX, #4, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -8

OW,
- IA- -r-
.11.-
INV-I----
f.t1 MOM V --------
-1 --- Xa. - ANOMP.MMIIMO

IIIIM!1 iW.11:=1
I..I18.11M XIII-MOi...
Ylf 111111o...

Example 18. Sonata Op. XX, #4, 2nd Mvt., mm 1 -8


40

Sonata #5
In Sonata #5 in G Major the specter of "la musica

transalpina" again is in evidence. The opening short


"Preludio" is decidedly in the style of Vivaldi. Witness
the Italian love for velocity (the movement is marked
"presto ") and the repeated tremolando figures (Example
19) .

Example 19. Sonata Op. XX,. #5, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -4

The opening prelude serves as an introduction (in essence


it is nothing more than an embellished tonic pedal) for
the ensuing "Allemanda: Allegro." The "Allemanda" is
followed by a "Sarabanda," and the sonata concludes with a
"Presto."
This leads to the final offering of Les Délices de la
Solitude, the Sonata #6 in D Major. The highly stylized
opening figure is reminiscent of similar baroque era works
that conjure an imagery of the call of a bird (Example
20) .
41

.;)

Example 20. Sonata Op. XX, #6, 1st Mvt., mm 1 -2

Sonata #6
The opening movement of Sonata #6 in D Major is marked
"Allegro moderato." This sonata, without a doubt,
exhibits the most sophisticated compositional style of
Corrette's set. The opening movement contains a complex
sequence in triplet sixteenth notes that require a precise
left -hand and bow technique for its execution (Example
21) .

IM W_-
!!.-ONIMP-"-11111111111
Q:I. 6111111.11=r MINI IMMIMINII
J1À/ i 41
aMIMM EMI MI= MI/
1.11 MIN _r /r /7 >rr-wmara.of
/r 1!3\ MMa
SMIMIIIIMMNIMIAM;..11.

Example 21. Sonata Op. XX, #6, 1st Mvt., mm 9 -12


42

The second movement, "Aria: Affettuoso," is very


"French." It requires the use of delicate ornamentation.
The meter is marked simply as 3 (Corrette identifies this
as a French trait in the Méthode94), and the form is that
of a rondeau. The movement patterns itself A- A- B- A -C -A.
The closing movement "Giga: Allegro" is a fast -paced
Italian gigue.

94Corrette, p. 4.
CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Corrette's works for cello provide a valuable insight


into the art of cello playing in France during the
eighteenth century. The Méthode chronicles the state of
cello technique "as had been the practice for some twenty -
five or thirty years" by the date of its issue in 1741.
In its opening pages, Corrette paid homage to the leading
cello virtuosos in France. His recommendation throughout
his works to compare performance practices with
illustrations from specific works by his contemporaries
provides a most valuable yardstick.
Corrette's Six Sonatas, Op. 20, demonstrate that the
cello and its technique had been firmly established in
France at the time of their publication. Attesting to the
cello's popularity (and the popularity of Op. 20) is the
fact that Opus 20 was reissued in 1766. While the
influence of the viola da gamba is evident in Corrette's
work, the dominant compositional style is idiomatic to the
cello. Corrette had a strong bias in favor of the cello
over the gamba, which he termed "nasal," possessing the
timbre of "cymbals."
43
44

The works for cello of Michel Corrette laid the


foundation for the French school of cello playing. The
virtuosos of the eighteenth century utilized the basic
cello pedagogy, as prescribed by Corrette, to good
advantage. Attesting to this fact is the long list of
French virtuosos and pedagogues who appear at the turn of
the nineteenth century. By the advent of the 1800's, the
French School of cello playing was technically on a par
with any in all of Europe.
The works for cello of Michel Corrette surely merit
examination by twentieth -century musicians for their
wealth of historical information and for their pedagogical
and musical value.
APPENDIX A
A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE TO
CORRETTE'S 1741 METHODE

45
46

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL METHOD


For learning, in a short while,
the Violoncello
to perfection

CONTENTS
The principles of music with some exercises for one and
two violoncellos.
The division of the string in order to place, if one
wishes in the beginning, some lines across the fingerboard
of the violoncello.
Moreover, a small method particularly for those who play
the viol and who wish to play the violoncello.
Composed
by Michel Corrette
Opus XXIV
Price 6 pounds in silver
in Paris

Available from:
The Author -- Rue St. Honore, across from the Auditorium
next to the Villa Constantinople,
Mr. Boivin -- Rue St. Honore at the Regle d'Or.
S. Le Clerc -- Rue du Roule at the Croix d'Or.

At Lyon from Mr. deBrotonne -- Rue Merciere


with the privilege of the King 1741
APPENDIX B
A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE TO CORRETTE'S
LES DELICES DE LA SOLITUDE

47
48

The Delights of Solitude


Sonata
for the Violoncello, Viola da gamba, Bassoon
with figured bass
composed by
MR. CORRETTE
Opus XX
Price 6 fr. 10 s.

the Orleans District St. Honore at Cheval d'Or...


APPENDIX C
THE SONATA FOR TWO CELLOS FROM THE 1741 METHODE

49
52

...cam
Ms

;
.-
t/1 ---- .11.111.=1111" 111111111=
111111111111111W

_me
_MM.
1111111111111111111lr
.11111=1Mr
.,
11111=.1111ft =MN Mgr
=1=1111.1111111111
=III' 1111W/"..11111111Mr

,Vf11IAr/'t
.-arM.lr
r1.t
-r11Jt =I_
>A
mm....:7r11111111111111111M=ei1t
r MOO MN is
=111=11
- 0.r11111.^r NMI imp
w11.aMMumermow1wr

M.MOP MN= 111111r1111111111r^


MOM= samA.mosomm
"1lIl `''us IN NI
MI
WWI

M4/111.11, !M sisar 1/18M11/0W

`
,v+ymmoullimo1r
- 1111111111. w WINNOW. 11111E~ MINN
WM III dlUr NINA 1SIDAr7MININIOrI=PS1.wMM1111
11811111111111M1t->sW1
'-
.,-..-.INIE NWME.. BUM ffr ir IbilarifilsdiUM MIA 111.111.111 ON air JOIMP !AM. fr. 11111111/111111wAM
111111111111110
11107ru .11

. ;:r
"ft. UM --
,r t
,
-IV
4 -
Z1H:
PO - 111

-
.../1I4 JAIi?IILL .,z11/'JU
. -
MOM
1111MMr 11111111111111MOM
=.;11011111111r
. 11.111111a11r i1./1111111111111111lNr a1
2111!rl1Tisa//-amiiirmis
1!VPra/1tt
=WW1 11111Or

s
11aL/11loom...11111Alln...111i1111111er
IOW W11111.1111. .i.r is J11-
....2.0_111111111111111
L,14/1111
IMINIIIIIIIIII....71rlIIMIIPIr a511.ilialllr=111=I1
=
1..J.111r

WM all
:

AIw
Ld1s.1111111=1111111
......MENEW
/1111111111
.. 1
4111
dllIUI.r1
i C - +
7JIIcIL:BDMIIBQ 11111.C1611/1V MS L1iz7If APR= /111041111r OEM
uIIIIIIII11llio n.M1=.>i/1/111I11MMIIIIIIIIIIIUn.111J11111//11I!.T aAZZI1f..
fO1111m- 1111\111111111141111La111111= 'MI Off1.1 /1=111.711.1.11111111

.t
1/1
A a A .

Qls.Tr
ss AIIa..-1=M1 M.
aztir -=a
,7111M
242 .r
MMSIM 9
4
:r....1I.'
3 2
,111111111=111

I 11.1111111141111r
r 1111!4=4/1/114.7.1=11ikir 11i111111111111

t
1111111Z711111111111=11
Ps,
APPENDIX D
A TRANSLATION OF TITLE PAGE OF THE METHODE
BY CUPIS

54
55

METHOD
New and Reasoned
To learn to play the violoncello, in which is treated the
way to tune it, to place the instrument, and to hold the
bow; the position of the hand on the fingerboard, the
touch, the extent of the neck, the fingering in all the
major and minor scales, down -bow and up -bow with a number
of Exercises, Romances, Ariettes, and Minuets with
variations, etc.
by
Mr. Cupis, the younger

Professor of Cello and Student of the Celebrated Berteau


price 7 It 4 s

Paris
Chez Le Menu, Author, Publisher & Merchant of Music
Madame la Dauphine, rue du Roule at the Clef d'Or
at your music store
At Lyon, At Toulouse, At Rouen, and at Dunkerque
with the privilege of the King
APPENDIX E
A TRANSLATION OF THE TITLE PAGE
TO THE METHODE OF TILLIERE

56
57

Method for the Cello


dedicated to
Mr. Rigaut, Navy Physician
composed by
Mr. Tillíere
student of the celebrated Berteau
Price 7.4
In Paris from Mr. Bailleux, Master of Chamber Music for

the King
Rue St. Honore at the Regle d'Or
In Toulouse, from Mr. Brunet
And in the Libraries of the Realm and Foreign Countries
with the privilege of the King
APPENDIX F
DOCTORAL LECTURE RECITAL PROGRAM

58
59

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

( t---Y-Th
SCHOOL of MUSIC

WAYNE SMITH, BAROQUE CELLO

A DOCTORAL LECTURE RECITAL

basse continue

Margaret Gilmore, violoncello

Kim Hayashi, harpsichord

Monday, August 22, 1988 8:00 P.M. Room 146

PROGRAM

THE VIOLONCELLO WORKS OF MICHEL CORRETTE

I. Michel Corrette: His Life


60

II. The Theoretical and Practical Method

Sonata for Two Cellos (from the Method)

Adagio
Allegro
Sarabanda: Largo
Tempo di Minuetto

III. A Comparison with other Contemporary Methods

A. Cupis: Méthode Nouvelle et Raisonnée


pour Apprendre a Jouer du
Violoncelle
B. Tillfere: Methode pour le Violoncelle

IV. Les Délices de la Solitude Op. XX,


Six Sonatas for Cello and Harpsichord

INTERMISSION

"Les Délices de la Solitude"

Sonata IV in Bb Major
Adagio
Corrente
Aria: Affettuoso
Bruit de Chasse: Allegro

Sonata VI in D Major
Allegro moderato
Aria: Affettuoso
Giga: Allegro

This recital is being given in partial fulfillment


of the requirements of the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree.

Equal Employment Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer


SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anthony, James R. French Baroque Music from Beuajoyeulx


to Rameau. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978.
Biographie Universelle des Musiciens et Bibliographie
Générale de la Musique. Vol. 2. Edited by F. J.
Fétis. Paris: Firmindidot Frères, 1875.
Bukofzer, Manfred F. Music in the Baroque Era from
Monteverdi to Bach. New York: W. W. Norton, 1947.
Chessin, Alexis de. La Grande Ecole du Violon du XVIIIme
Siécle. Avignon: Maison Aubavel Père, 1952.
Corrette, Michel. Les Délices de la Solitude, Oeuvre XX.
Paris, 1738.
Corrette, Michel. Les Délices de la Solitude, Oeuvre XX.
edited by Gwilym Beechey. 2 vols. London: Editions
Schott, 1986.
Corrette, Michel. Méthode Théorique et Pratique pour
apprendre en peu de temps le Violoncelle dans sa
perfection. Paris: l'Auteur, 1741. reprint, Geneva:
Minkoff, 1972.
Cupis, Jean Baptiste. Méthode Nouvelle et Raisonnée pour
Apprendre à jouer du Violoncelle. Paris: l'Auteur,
1771. reprint, Bologna: Univ. Press, n.d.
Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Edited by
Friedreich Blume. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1949-
1967.

Donnington, Robert. A Performer's Guide to Baroque Music.


London: Faber & Faber, 1973.
Ecorcheville, J. Catalogue du Fonds de Musique Ancienne
de la Bibliothèque Nationale. 8 vols. Paris: 1910-
14.

61
62

Fuller, David. "Michel Corrette." The New Grove


Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Volume 4. London:
Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1980.
Graves, Charles Douglas. "The Theoretical and Practical
Method for Cello by Michel Corrette: Translation,
Commentary, and Comparison with Seven Other Eighteenth
Century Cello Methods." 2 vols. Unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, Michigan State Univ., 1972.
Kinney, Gordon James. "The Musical Literature for
Unaccompanied Violoncello." Unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, Florida State Univ., 1962
La Laurencie, Lionel de. L'Ecole Française de Violon de
Lully a Viotti. 3 vols. Paris: Delagrave, 1922 -24.
Le Blanc, Hubert. Défense de la basse de viole contre les
entreprises (sic) du violon et les pretensions du
violoncel (sic). Amsterdam: Pierre Mortier, 1740.
Martin, Carolann Frances. "A Comparative Survey of
Pedagogical Works for the Violoncello from Corrette to
Duport." Unpublished Masters Thesis, Ohio State
Univ., 1964.
Milliot, Sylvette. "Jean Baptiste Stück." Recherches sur
la Musique Française classique. vol. IX. Paris:
Picard, 1969.
Milliot, Sylvette. Le Violoncelle en France au XVIIIe
Siècle. Paris: Champion - Slatkine, 1985.
Newmann, William S. The Sonata in the Baroque Era. New
York: W. W. Norton, 1983.

Nogue, Eugene. Le Violoncelle son Histoire ses Virtuoses.


Paris, 1913.
Riley, Maurice Winton. "The Teaching of Bowed Instruments
from 1511 to 1756." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation,
Univ. of Mich., 1954.
Seagrave, Barbara Ann Garvey. "The French Style of Violin
Bowing and Phrasing from Lully to Jacques Aubert."
Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Stanford Univ., 1958.
Shaw, Gertrude Jean. "The Violoncello Sonata Literature
in France during the Eighteenth Century." Unpublished
Ph.D. dissertation, Catholic Univ., 1963.
63

Tilllere, Joseph Bonaventure. Méthode pour le


Violoncelle. Paris, 1780.
Van der Straeten, Edmund. History of the Violoncello, The
Viola de Gamba, Their Precursors and Collateral
Instruments. London: William Reeves, 1971.
Wasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von. The Violoncello and its
History. translated by I.S.E. Stigaud. New York: Da
Capo Press, 1968.

You might also like