Göttweig Suite 7
Alternative readings of the text of the complete Gottweig edition
Suite 7
Jan. 30, 2017
This suite, like Suite 3, features close harmonic and melodic connections between some of the movements, to the point where they seem to be very nearly variations of one another.
Compare the bass lines of the A section Allemande and Courante, for example. The Courante rhythms are different from the Allemande, but the melodic outline and the succession of chords is nearly the same. The Bouree and Saraband do not share bass line features with the first two movements, but in the Guigz the bass line of the closing section of both the Allemande and Saraband returns.
As in Suite 8, the key signature of the manuscript appears to place the b’s and #’s as if they really were in alto clef, so a step lower than in many of the other works in this manuscript.
The variatios in this work I find especially attractive.
Allemande
Bar 1 vda I think the final note of the bar should be a c’’ as it is in bar 12 and in bar 2 of the Courante.
Bar 7, vda, beat 4 here, and in parallel passages in this closing theme in the allemande and variatio, Courante and variatio, and the same closing theme in the guigz, only in the version is the guigz is the e made flat in the manuscript.
Variatio:
The edition accurately represents what is in the manuscript. However, I think the copyist was a hasty person, and so got ahead of himself in bar 20, starting the final bar two bars too soon. Having started it, he made a jumble of what was left of the movement.
If at bar 20 the player were to play an f’, then play the rest of bar 20 exactly as it is in bar 18, then when she gets to bar 22, she could play there what was bar 9. This makes more musical sense to me than what is actually in the manuscript.
Courante
Variatio
Bar 34 vda. is omitted from the manuscript. I suggest making a sequence of bar 33, up a step to form bar 32, so: f g a f d f. To me this makes the line build better than was is suggested in the edition.
Boure
Bar 20, there is no end repeat in the manuscript.
Sarabande
bar 14 vda in the manuscript the final note is a sounding g’.
Variatio
bar 27 vda the second note is to be played with the open top string, according to the manuscript.
bar 28 vda the 5th note is an f’ according to the manucript.
Guigz (once again, the z character is an abbreviation symbol)
What is curious and surprising to me in this movement, is that all groups of 3 equal 8th notes are slurred, in both the vda and the basso parts. What is more, they are slurred by 3’s, the edition to the contrary.
Ciaconna
The player may like to add the double stops in bars 5 -7 to all repetitions of that passage.