Abstract
Jacob van Eyck (c1589/90-1657) was one of the most remarkable figures in Dutch musical life during the Golden Age. The blind nobleman was city carillonneur of Utrecht and gained international renown as the greatest bell expert of his time. In addition, he played the 'handfluyt', the instrument known today as
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the soprano or descant recorder. About 150 solo pieces for this instrument have survived in the two volumes of Der Fluyten Lust-hof, which were published during Van Eyck's lifetime by Paulus Matthijsz in Amsterdam. This repertoire forms the main subject of the study. The dissertation opens with a bird's eye view of the recorder in the Dutch Republic during the Golden Age. It was an instrument for all social classes, for the young and the old, for both sexes, and for all levels. This makes it plausible that the recorder was one of the most beloved instruments of that era. Seven chapters, including a biography, are devoted to Jacob van Eyck and his recorder music. The repertoire consists predominantly of sets of variations on popular tunes and psalm melodies. Their significance is examined from a variety of perspectives. The model of the homo ludens (Johan Huizinga) fits like a glove. The dichotomy improvisation versus composition appears to be problematic. The relationship between Van Eyck's carillon and recorder practices, a mystery for centuries, can be revealed on the basis of Van Eyck's psalm variations, which didn't belong with his established recorder repertoire. He simply took his carillon practice as a starting point. As a result, several pieces from Der Fluyten Lust-hof can be identified as carillon music. Special attention is paid to transmission and authenticity. In many cases, Van Eyck's blindness has led to blurring of his intentions. In the second part of the dissertation, the attention is shifted to 'the others', Dutch composers in the shadow of Jacob van Eyck who wrote solo works for recorder as well: Paulus Matthijsz, Jacob van Noordt, Johan Dicx, Pieter de Vois, and Anonymi. Their music appeared in the collections Der Goden Fluit-hemel and 't Uitnemend Kabinet, also published by Matthijsz. These works offer the opportunity to bring Van Eyck's music into perspective. He was a child of his time, not an isolated figure. The third, and last, part explores several aspects of the area of performance practice: the instrument, time (tempo and rhythm), ornaments and delivery. A number of myths could be invalidated. This makes the dissertation an indispensable tool for performers who want to do justice to Van Eyck's compositional intentions.
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