Release Date: 12 January 1999
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 636943443422
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: SOLER, A.
Description
Antonio Soler(1729-1783) Sonatas forHarpsichord Vol. 5Owing mainly to the tireless efforts of the late Father Samuel Rubio andother editors in making many of his works available in print during the pastforty years, Antonio Soler is now justly regarded as the most importantcomposer active in Spain during the second half of the eighteenth century. Hewas born at Olot, in the province of Gerona in north-eastern Spain in 1729 andbaptised on 3rd December. At the age of six he entered the famous choir schoolat the Monastery of Montserrat where he studied organ and composition. Beforethat he probably received some tuition from his father, who was a regimentalbandsman. In 1744 he was appointed organist at the cathedral in Seo de Urgeland was later ordained as subdeacon there.At that time the Bishop of Urgel asked him if he knew of a boy who couldplay the organ and who wished to take holy orders at the Escorial. Solervolunteered himself, saying that he very much wanted to take the vows andretreat from the world, and so on 25th September 1752 he became a monk andentered that famous monastery near Madrid, built by Philip II. He also becamemaster of the Chapel there, probably in 1757 following the death of hispredecessor, Gabriel de Moratilla. Soler remained there until his death in1783.During the years 1752 to 1757 Soler is reputed to have studiedcomposition with Domenico Scarlatti and many of Soler's sonatas show hisinfluence to a marked degree both in form and musical language. Despite hisprobable debt to Scarlatti, however, Soler's own personality is very much inevidence in these works. Many of these sonatas, like Scarlatti's, are singlemovements in binary form, that is, in two sections, each of which is repeated,although Soler also composed a large number of multi-?¡movement sonatas. It isquite possible that he was one of the copyists of some of the manuscriptvolumes of Scarlatti's sonatas, now housed in Venice and Parma.Fortunately for posterity Soler's wish for a quiet life did not work outquite as he intended. Apart from his monastic duties he was expected to trainthe choir, provide choral music for services, and provide the Royal family withsecular and instrumental music during their frequent visits to the Escorial.The Spanish court regularly spent the autumn there. Soler's achievement is alsoastonishing when considering that much of his day would have been taken up withprayer and the routine of the community. Periods of illness often prevented himfrom working. We learn from the anonymous obituary of Soler, written by afellow monk on the day he died, that he survived on only four hours sleep mostnights, often retiring at midnight or one o'clock in the morning before risingat four or five o'clock to say Mass. Mention is also made of his religiousdevotion, compassionate nature, scholarly interests and excessive candour.Soler died at the Escorial on 20th December, 1783, from a gradually worseningfever which he had caught the previous month. Soler's huge
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Zenz:Cathariou:Iacovidou
Zahir Ensemble
Yun-Yi Qin
