Taffel Consort (1621)

Description

Thomas Simpson (1582 – c.1630) was one of several English musicians who found northern Germany a more promising working environment than his own country; of the others the most notable was perhaps William Brade. The earliest reference to Simpson’s professional activity is found in the court records of the Elector Palatine at Heidelberg in 1608; the title page of his Opusculum of two years later describes him as a “Violist”, which does not necessarily mean a viol player. But at some stage he moved further north, for from about 1615 to 1621 he worked at Bückeburg (near Hannover) at the court of Count Ernst of Holstein-Schaumburg, who was an important patron of music; in the years leading up to 1621 this maecenas figure also had in his orchestra William Brade, who joined in 1617 together with his talented pupil Nicolaus Bleyer, as well as another talented Englishman, Maurice Webster, who apparently played the lute. Two of the German musicians who feature in Taffel-Consort also worked at Bückeburg, the gifted Johann Grabbe, who had the distinction of having studied with Giovanni Gabrieli at Venice, and the less famous Johann Krosch.

As we shall see, Simpson’s collection turns out to be a fascinating mixture of musical elements from England, Germany, Italy and even France. The contribution played by English musicians to the musical life of Germany during this period has caught the attention of several scholars, notably Werner Braun, whose monograph on the subject is the main source of information.

[row]
[column size=”col-4″]

1. Thomas Simpson Paduan
2. Johann Grabbe Intrada
3. Peter Philips Aria
4. Anon Courant
5. John Dowland Paduan
6. Thomas Simpson Ballet
7. Christian Töpffer Volta
8. John Dowland Aria: Mistresse Nichols Almand
9. Nicolaus Bleyer Paduan
10. John Downland [Courant]
11. Thomas Simpson Volta
12. Nicolas Bleyer Courant
13. Maurice Webster Mascarada
14. Johanne Grabbe Paduan
15. Johanne Krosch Courant
16. Alfonso Ferrabosco II Aria
17. Anon Capricio

[/column]
[column size=”col-4″]

18. Christian Töpffer Paduan
19. John Downland Aria
20. Thomas Simpson Almond
21. Alexander Chesham Courant
22. Nicolas Bleyer Ballet
23. Anon Volte [du Tambour]
24. Robert Johnson [Satyrs Dance]
25. Johann Krosch Courant
26. Johann Krosch Courant
27. Christian Englemann Courant
28. Edward Johnson Paduan
29. Thomas Simpson Ricercar [on “Bonny Sweet Robin”]
30. Anon Ballet
31. Anon Mascarada
32. Anon Mascarada
33. Maurice Webster Paduan
34. Maurice Webster Galliarde

[/column]
[column size=”col-4″]

35. Nicolaus Bleyer Volta
36. Joseph Sherly Courant
37. Thomas Simpson Male Content
38. Johann Grabbe Canzon
39. John Dowland Volta
40. Christian Töpffer Almande
41. Christian Töpffer Ballet
42. Maurice Webster Courant
43. Nicolaus Bleyer Courant
44. Anon Ballet
45. Thomas Simpson Canzon
46. Anon Ballet
47. Christian Engelmann Ballet
48. Christian Töpffer Ballet
49. Nicolaus Bleyer Mascarada
50. Robert Bateman Aria

[/column]
[/row]