Paul Siefert (?), Fantasia Quarti Toni ex E La Mi

by admin · July 8, 2023

The 13 fantasias in manuscript Becker II 51, owned by the Leipziger Stadtbibliothek, are left without indication of a composer in the manuscript. Nevertheless, some researchers attribute the fantasias in Becker II 51 to Paul Siefert (1586-1666) based on stylistic similarities between these works and Siefert’s known compositions.

Paul Siefert (1586-1666) was a German organist and composer who lived during the Baroque period. He was born in Altenburg, Germany, on February 13, 1586, and spent most of his life in Thuringia, where he worked as an organist in various churches.

Siefert was known for his prolific output of sacred vocal and instrumental music. His works include cantatas, motets, and chorale settings, many of which were intended for use in church services. He also wrote a significant amount of instrumental music, including keyboard works, sonatas, and suites.

Siefert’s music was highly regarded during his lifetime, and he was recognized as one of the leading composers of his time. His style was characterized by a strong sense of melody, intricate counterpoint, and a deep sense of religious devotion.

The fantasias in Becker II 51 exhibit many of the same characteristics, including the use of fugue-like textures and the presence of elaborate ornamentation. Additionally, the manuscript containing these works is believed to have been written in Siefert’s own hand, which further supports the idea that he may have been the composer of these works. However, the attribution is far from definite. In my scores I only indicate Paul Siefert as possible composer.

The fifth fantasia from manuscript Becker II.2.51 is based on the fourth church mode, centered around “E La Mi”. This fantasia is based on one theme, though it is clearly divided in three sections. In the first section theme is main theme of the fantasia played in long solemn notes and a beautiful flowing counterpoint. In the second section the theme is played elaborated with eigth notes and is developed in dimunition. In the third and last section the theme is back in long notes, with the counter voices moving in eigth notes. It is the most ‘singing’ of the fantasias I’ve played so far. To emphasize this singing character I choose a sample set with a rich reverbaration.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the sampleset, made by Voxus, of the Müller organ in the Sint Bavokerk, Haarlem (http://www.voxusorgans.com/en/product/haarlem).

Score
Anonymus, Fantasia quarti toni ex E La Mi