Charles Mouton (1617-1710) Complete Works of the First Book in Minor
His father was a member of Paris' petite bourgeoisie. His mother came from a
wealthy family with many musicians. And yet, we know little about his education
and youth.
A lot of the information we do have comes from fellow poets, actors, dancers,
men of letters, courtiers and lutenists who frequented the Parisian salons. Jean
-François Sarasin who not only frequented the leading personages from literature
and the academic world but who also stood in the service of the Count of
Chauvigny and was a protégé of Chancellor Richelieu composed stanzas with the
title "Le mouton Fabuleux": for Mister Mouton, excellent lute player with a
diabolic virtuosity. Mouton's were found again in 1673, at the court of Savoy
with his friend Sarasin.
In Turin, he played lute in several performances. In
fact, Turin was a court, at which French music was trendy and where many
instrumentalists from the court of Versailles went to. Once back in Paris, in
1680, Le Gallois recognized him as "one of the masters who are admired by
everyone".
He then published his first book. He was a renowned soloist and gave
lute lessons in Paris. His work was known all across Europe and, hence, people
came from everywhere to be taught by him. Flattered by the circles close to the
court, he had René Miller as a student - the English and German teacher of the
King of France. Mouton had a devotion to his teacher, "the old" Gautier, and to
the charms of the sound of the new lute. In his concern for the clarity of the
play, he gives us - in those two books - all of the information about the ways,
finger techniques, articulations and movements that are required to create all
of the ornaments and characteristics that create that charm and, in that way,
bring the "touching lute" to life. His style is a mix between the "ancient"
style brisé of his teachers and predecessors and of the new Italian cantabile,
which stands for a very melodious bass line, a very refined harmony, a metric
that is worthy of the great poets and dancers, and especially a refined, very
French melody which is worthy of Michel Lambert and of the art of the "Doubles"
that were trendy at the French court of that time.
Philippe August Le Sage de Richeée had the honor of having been one of his
students. This leads us to Breslau, the place of birth of Sylvius Léopold Weiss,
which the following leading lutenists called their home: Reusner, Le Sage de
Richée, Meusel, Baron Kropfganss, Straube and others.
The works that were written by Weiss based on French works of Gallot and are
characterized by his tendency to use "French-style overtures" - the likes of the
Courante, Gavotte, Paysanne, and Chaconne dances that were so cherished at the
court of Louis XIV - in the majority of his suites
The suite in C major probably is from Weiss' Italian period, as the influence of
Scarlatti is obvious. Through its vivid counterpoints and imitation and its
mirrored largo, the overture is magnificent. The Courante is highly elaborate
with very long phrases in the style of Bach. The Bourrée with its many ornaments
is very popular; the Sarabande in a gallant and refined style which is notable
for the harmonic mastery of Weiss is very profound; the Menuet which is still
popular in its dynamic is very developed and written in a complex writing style;
the Presto is always a playful and inventive but formally controlled firework -
at the time, there clearly was no composer who could potentially have held a
candle to lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss. Despite the critiques of recent
lutenists who found his style a bit repetitive and redundant, the depth of his
music is worthy of the greatest. In fact, the great Weiss still even surprises
those who have a deeper knowledge of his works.
Mauricio Buraglia
