Susanne van Soldt Manuscript
Encyclopedia
The Susanne van Soldt Manuscript is a keyboard anthology
dated 1599 consisting of 33 pieces copied by or for a young Flemish or Dutch girl living in London
. Its importance lies mostly in the fact that it is the only known source of early Dutch keyboard music prior to Sweelinck
.
by the Spanish in 1576, and Susanne was born there and baptized at the Dutch Church at Austin Friars
on 20 May 1586. Sometime after 1605 Hans and his family left London for Amsterdam
, where he appears as a shareholder of the Dutch East India Company
in 1609. No trace of Susanne has been found, but a sister or cousin of hers, baptized in London in 1588, was living in Amsterdam in the early 17th century.
It is unfortunate that the above summary of a flawed research article by Alan Curtis is perpetually retold as fact. The van Solt/Soldt family has been well recorded but in more than 12 variants of the name. The family did start and record a family chronicle, starting with Paulus van Solt born 1514, which was recopied in the 1800s and recorded in the "Familie Soldt" article by Jurrian van Tolt in the 1935 De Navorsher Dutch genealogical periodical. A more detailed article involving Susanne van Soldt's family is published in the 2007 De Nederlandisch Leeuw Dutch genealogical periodical by Emile van der Spek. Susanne van Soldt was the daughter of Johannes Paulusz van Solt/Soldt de Oude (born 23 November 1550 in Antwerp)and Elizabeth Rombouts. Alan Curtis could have been easily confused due to the fact there were at least 3 Johannes or variants Hans, Jan, and John in London during this period of time. In 1604 Susanne marries Pieter Loos (Peeter Loos of Loose)in Amsterdam. In late August of 1615 Susanne dies shortly after complications in the birth of her third child. She was buried at the Zuidekerk in Amsterdam. Her uncle was a well known Dutch artist Jacques/Jacob van Solt/Soldt known for his Italian landscpes. Susanne's nephew is Paulus van Solt/Soldt (recorded also as Paolo van Soldi) the famous Dutch mariner who kept a diary which is noted in many history books on the naval explorations of Asia
and Australia
. Susanne's father Hans de oude and brother Hans de jonge were also known to associate with famous artist, and to deal in Artwork. The family and its connections in the art world are detailed in the 2002 book "Art at auction in 17th century Amsterdam" by John Michael Montias. The written van Soldt family history copies are kept at the Central Bureau voor Genealogie and at the Groen Hart Archives.
bound in a small volume measuring about 28.5 by 21 cm. Two hands
can be distinguished, principally that of a Flemish or Dutch copyist, whilst some pieces, together with a table of notations and various fingering
indications are in a later English hand, possibly that of Susanne's music teacher.
Although it would appear that the manuscript was compiled for Susanne, the pieces it contains were current on the continent at a far earlier date, perhaps between 1570 and 1580. It has been conjectured therefore that the manuscript was written in Flanders or the Netherlands and brought over to London by Susanne's parents in the late 1570s, where Susanne's music-master later added pieces 30 to 33, the notation table on folio 2 and fingering indications in the first two bars
of the first piece.
When Hans van Soldt and his family left London, the manuscript presumably remained in England, although there is no trace of it until 1826 when it was sold among the effects of the music collector Thomas Jones of Nottingham Place, London, who had died the year previous. The British Library
acquired the manuscript in 1873 where it is now catalogued under the reference Additional 29485.
of circa 1570. With the exception of pieces 30, 31 and 33 (pieces written in a later English hand), there is no trace of influence from contemporary English music. The four-part psalms are the earliest known keyboard settings from the Dutch psalter
and are of high quality.
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
dated 1599 consisting of 33 pieces copied by or for a young Flemish or Dutch girl living in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Its importance lies mostly in the fact that it is the only known source of early Dutch keyboard music prior to Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. He was among the first major keyboard composers of Europe, and his work as a teacher helped establish the north German organ...
.
The Author
Susanne van Soldt was the daughter of Hans van Soldt (born circa 1555), a wealthy Protestant merchant from Antwerp. Hans probably took refuge in London after the sack of AntwerpSack of Antwerp
The sack of Antwerp or the Spanish Fury at Antwerp was an episode of the Eighty Years' War.On 4 November 1576, Spanish tercios began the sack of Antwerp, leading to three days of horror among the population of the city, which was the cultural, economic and financial center of the Netherlands. The...
by the Spanish in 1576, and Susanne was born there and baptized at the Dutch Church at Austin Friars
Dutch Church, Austin Friars
The Dutch Church is a familiar landmark within Broad Street Ward, in the City of London. The original church was a monastic foundation and the Dutch connection goes back to 1550 when King Edward VI gave Protestant refugees from the Netherlands permission to establish their own parish...
on 20 May 1586. Sometime after 1605 Hans and his family left London for Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, where he appears as a shareholder of the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
in 1609. No trace of Susanne has been found, but a sister or cousin of hers, baptized in London in 1588, was living in Amsterdam in the early 17th century.
It is unfortunate that the above summary of a flawed research article by Alan Curtis is perpetually retold as fact. The van Solt/Soldt family has been well recorded but in more than 12 variants of the name. The family did start and record a family chronicle, starting with Paulus van Solt born 1514, which was recopied in the 1800s and recorded in the "Familie Soldt" article by Jurrian van Tolt in the 1935 De Navorsher Dutch genealogical periodical. A more detailed article involving Susanne van Soldt's family is published in the 2007 De Nederlandisch Leeuw Dutch genealogical periodical by Emile van der Spek. Susanne van Soldt was the daughter of Johannes Paulusz van Solt/Soldt de Oude (born 23 November 1550 in Antwerp)and Elizabeth Rombouts. Alan Curtis could have been easily confused due to the fact there were at least 3 Johannes or variants Hans, Jan, and John in London during this period of time. In 1604 Susanne marries Pieter Loos (Peeter Loos of Loose)in Amsterdam. In late August of 1615 Susanne dies shortly after complications in the birth of her third child. She was buried at the Zuidekerk in Amsterdam. Her uncle was a well known Dutch artist Jacques/Jacob van Solt/Soldt known for his Italian landscpes. Susanne's nephew is Paulus van Solt/Soldt (recorded also as Paolo van Soldi) the famous Dutch mariner who kept a diary which is noted in many history books on the naval explorations of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Susanne's father Hans de oude and brother Hans de jonge were also known to associate with famous artist, and to deal in Artwork. The family and its connections in the art world are detailed in the 2002 book "Art at auction in 17th century Amsterdam" by John Michael Montias. The written van Soldt family history copies are kept at the Central Bureau voor Genealogie and at the Groen Hart Archives.
The Manuscript
The compilation consists of 27 folios bearing a late 16th century Flemish watermarkWatermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
bound in a small volume measuring about 28.5 by 21 cm. Two hands
Hand (handwriting)
A Hand, in calligraphy and palaeography refers to one of several historical varieties of formal, impersonal, generic and exemplary writing styles...
can be distinguished, principally that of a Flemish or Dutch copyist, whilst some pieces, together with a table of notations and various fingering
Fingering
In music, fingering is the choice of which fingers and hand positions to use when playing certain musical instruments. Fingering typically changes throughout a piece; the challenge of choosing good fingering for a piece is to make the hand movements as comfortable as possible without changing hand...
indications are in a later English hand, possibly that of Susanne's music teacher.
Although it would appear that the manuscript was compiled for Susanne, the pieces it contains were current on the continent at a far earlier date, perhaps between 1570 and 1580. It has been conjectured therefore that the manuscript was written in Flanders or the Netherlands and brought over to London by Susanne's parents in the late 1570s, where Susanne's music-master later added pieces 30 to 33, the notation table on folio 2 and fingering indications in the first two bars
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
of the first piece.
When Hans van Soldt and his family left London, the manuscript presumably remained in England, although there is no trace of it until 1826 when it was sold among the effects of the music collector Thomas Jones of Nottingham Place, London, who had died the year previous. The British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
acquired the manuscript in 1873 where it is now catalogued under the reference Additional 29485.
Contents
While most of the pieces, including the psalm settings, are anonymous, many of the Franco-Flemish dance tunes can be found in other collections of the period, notably the Dublin Virginal ManuscriptDublin Virginal Manuscript
The Dublin Virginal Manuscript is an important anthology of keyboard music kept in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, where it has been since the 17th century under the present shelf-list TCD Ms D.3.29.-History:...
of circa 1570. With the exception of pieces 30, 31 and 33 (pieces written in a later English hand), there is no trace of influence from contemporary English music. The four-part psalms are the earliest known keyboard settings from the Dutch psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
and are of high quality.
- Brande Champanje
- Almande de symmerman
- Almande de La nonette
- De frans galliard
- Galliarde quÿ passe
- Myn siele Wylt den Herre met Lof sanch Prijsen … 103 sallem
- Als een Hert gejacht … den 42 sallem
- Myn God Voet mij als myn Herder ghepressen … 23 sallem
- Wt de diepte o Heere … 130 sallem
- Susanna Vung Jour (Orlande de LassusOrlande de LassusOrlande de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance...
) - Pavana Bassano
- Galliarde Bassani
- Almande Brun Smeedelyn
- Almande prynce
- Almande de amour
- Almande
- Brabanschen ronden dans opte Brand
- Ontfarmt V over mij arme Sondaer … den 51 sallem / Ich bydde V Helpt mij o God … den 69 sallem
- Pavane dan Vers
- Tobyas om stervengheneghen
- Almande trycottee
- De quadre pavanne
- De quadre galliard
- Heer zich Wil U Wt's Herten gront … den 9 sallem
- Ghij Volcheren des aertrijcx al … den 100 sallem
- Bewaert mij Heer Weest doch myn toeverlaet … den 16 sallem
- Des boosdoenders Wille seer quaet ... den 36 sallem / Staet op Heer toont V onverzacht … den 68 sallem
- Godt die der goden Heer is sprechen sal … den 50 sallem
- Ghij Herder Israels Wylt Hooren … den 80 sallem
- Preludium (John BullJohn Bull (composer)John Bull was an English composer, musician, and organ builder. He was a renowned keyboard performer of the virginalist school and most of his compositions were written for this medium.-Life:...
) - [untitled]
- Allemande Loreyne
- Pavane Prymera (William ByrdWilliam ByrdWilliam Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
?)
See also
- The Mulliner BookThe Mulliner BookThe Mulliner Book is a historically important musical commonplace book compiled, probably between about 1545 and 1570, by Thomas Mulliner, about whom practically nothing is known, except that he figures in 1563 as modulator organorum of Corpus Christi College, Oxford...
- The Dublin Virginal Manuscript
- My Ladye Nevells BookeMy Ladye Nevells BookeMy Ladye Nevells Booke is a music manuscript containing keyboard pieces by the English composer William Byrd, and, together with the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, one of the most important collections of keyboard music of the renaissance.-Description:My Ladye Nevells Booke consists of 42 pieces for...
- Clement Matchett's Virginal BookClement Matchett's Virginal BookClement Matchett's Virginal Book is a musical manuscript from the late renaissance compiled by a young Norfolk man in 1612. Although a small anthology, it is notable not only for the quality of its music but also for the precise fingering indications that reveal the contemporary treatment of...
- Fitzwilliam Virginal BookFitzwilliam Virginal BookThe Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
- Parthenia
- Priscilla Bunbury's Virginal BookPriscilla Bunbury's Virginal BookPriscilla Bunbury's Virginal Book is a musical commonplace book compiled in the late 1630's by two young women from an affluent Cheshire family. It is important more for its fingering indications than for the quality of the music it contains.-The Manuscript:...
- Elizabeth Roger's Virginal BookElizabeth Roger's Virginal BookElizabeth Rogers Virginal Book is a musical commonplace book compiled in the mid-seventeenth century by a person or persons so far unidentified...
- Anne Cromwell's Virginal BookAnne Cromwell's Virginal BookAnne Cromwell's Virginal Book is a manuscript keyboard compilation dated 1638. Whilst the importance of the music it contains is not high, it reveals the sort of keyboard music that was being played in the home at this time.-The Manuscript:...