# Georg Muffat



## Taggart

This one ticks all the boxes - like me he was of Scottish descent. He studied (we think) under Lully. He met Corelli and worked in Germany.

George Muffat baptised 1 June 1653 in Mégève France, died: 23 February 1704 in Passau, Germany. As a cosmopolitan composer, he had to provide detailed instructions for his players. The information contained within the _Florilegium Primum_ and _Secundum_ is nearly unique. These performance directions were intended to assist German string players with the idiom of the French dance style, and include detailed rules for the tempo and order of bow strokes in various types of movement, as well as more general strategies for good ensemble playing and musicianship. These texts remain extremely valuable for modern historically-interested musicians.


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## Ingélou

You can definitely hear the Lully-style in the Passacaglia, but he's a bit more vigorous, as befits his Scottish ancestry. 

Here is an example of Muffat's organ music, which is also lovely.


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## Mandryka

I know this is a bit of a long shot, and I'm sorry if anyone takes offence at me trying to use the skills of the forum so blatantly. But I wonder if there is a Latinist out there who could translate something for me.

One of the composers who I like the most is Georg Muffat, especially his collection called Apparatus Musico-Organisticus. The score comes with a preface in Latin which I'd love to read. Maybe it gives some clues as to why he composed the Apparatus, and how he expected it to be played.

Anyway, as far as I know the preface has never been translated into English or French - the two languages I can read.

Hence this request - is there a Latinist out there who wouldn't mind translating it for me?

You can find the text on pages 7 and 8 of the first edition -- a pdf is here

http://imslp.org/wiki/Apparatus_Musico-Organisticus_(Muffat,_Georg)


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## Mandryka

Ingélou said:


> You can definitely hear the Lully-style in the Passacaglia, but he's a bit more vigorous, as befits his Scottish ancestry.
> 
> Here is an example of Muffat's organ music, which is also lovely.


He is often played in a very vigorous way and there are some wonderful recordings, not least Hasselbock on Naxos. Jarosav Tuma is particularly interesting because he seems to make his music sound slightly more contemplative than usual, and I like that. And most recently I found a really revealing recording by Martin Neu of a single toccata which makes it sound almost like a suite. This thread reminded me that I intended to listen to Kelemen's Muffat CD.

Ge Muffat's concerti grossi are a major high point of the genre IMO. And there's a great recording too -- Chiara Banchini and Ensemble 415.

By the way, with Muffat it's important not to confuse Georg and Gottlieb.


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## Tristan

The Passacaglia was the first piece I ever heard by Muffat, but I came to really like all the concerti in the Armonico Tributo set.


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## Taggart

Mandryka said:


> I know this is a bit of a long shot, and I'm sorry if anyone takes offence at me trying to use the skills of the forum so blatantly. But I wonder if there is a Latinist out there who could translate something for me.
> 
> One of the composers who I like the most is Georg Muffat, especially his collection called Apparatus Musico-Organisticus. The score comes with a preface in Latin which I'd love to read. Maybe it gives some clues as to why he composed the Apparatus, and how he expected it to be played.
> 
> Anyway, as far as I know the preface has never been translated into English or French - the two languages I can read.
> 
> Hence this request - is there a Latinist out there who wouldn't mind translating it for me?
> 
> You can find the text on pages 7 and 8 of the first edition -- a pdf is here
> 
> http://imslp.org/wiki/Apparatus_Musico-Organisticus_(Muffat,_Georg)
> 
> View attachment 39543


My latin is a little rusty, but page 7 addressed to _Augustissime Imperator_ is basically a puff addressed to the emperor. Page 8 addressed_ Ad Benevolum Lectorum_ (for the benefit of the reader) starts with his employer, the Archbishop and moves on with a nod to Frescobaldi. The second and third paragraphs describe the tremolo in simple terms.

This from Brilliant Classics paraphrases some of the fourth paragraph



> his music, ..contains Italian melodiousness, French ornamentations and Germany's severe structures and counterpoint.


The postscript is again thanks to his patrons.

Nothing startling, I'm afraid.


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## Mandryka

Thanks for looking. 

I'd still be interested in knowing more about the page 8. What does he say about the tremolo? What does he say about Frescobaldi? (Frescobaldi gave some quite clear directions about how to play his toccatas, is Muffat saying that he wants his played in the same way?)


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## Marcel

Please, I would like to hear from you about this cd than me this much like listening to. Thanks and greetings.


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## clavichorder

Georg's Concerto Grossi sound every bit as nice as Corelli's, but with a more vigorous contrapuntal style, perhaps a little sharper but less luminous in melody, if that makes sense.

Updated: Damn these are good! The man knows just how to use sequences and when to end them, knows just where to go with his patterns. First rate baroque music. I might argue them better than Corelli's and just shy of Handel's, with their own charms.


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## clavichorder

Georg Muffat, I keep coming back to this man's work. The first time in a while that I've really felt compelled to know a composers' output well.


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## clavichorder

Muffat's one surviving mass, which I am enjoying a lot thanks to Naxos.


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## Abdel ove Allhan

This is the Sonata that the Passacaglia comes from. The entire work is exquisite. It is no wonder Handel included works by Muffat in a notebook he took with him wherever he went. The Adagio is meltingly respendent.


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