Servaes de Koninck
Encyclopedia
Servaes de Koninck, or Servaes de Konink, Servaas de Koninck or Servaas de Konink (c. 1654 – c. 1701) was a baroque composer
from the Netherlands
, of motet
s, Dutch
song
s, chamber
and incidental music
, French
airs and Italian
cantata
s.
or Ghent
(Flanders
). From 1663 to 1665, he was a boy chorister at St. James Church in Ghent
. In 1675, he became a student at the University of Leuven
. Around 1680, he lived in Brussels
.
, where he had been preceded by another composer from the Southern Netherlands
, Carolus Hacquart
. He dwelled in circles connected to the Amsterdam Theatre and he probably worked later on as an independent musician in Amsterdam. He was a music teacher at Lucie Quarter’s French girls’ school.
Between 1696 and 1699, he issued seven opus number
s, published by Estienne Roger
in Amsterdam: two volumes of sonata
s for one and two flute
s with and without basso continuo, the tragedy
Athalie by Jean Racine
of which De Koninck set the choir
s to music (1697), two volumes of trio
s, the Hollandsche Minne- en Drinkliederen (also from 1697) and a volume of motet
s (1699). The short period of time in which Roger published the opus numbers, suggests that a number of compositions might have been completed previously and had only been waiting for a publisher. Apart from this collection, a number of compositions are kept in manuscript
and print. De Koninck died in Amsterdam
in 1701.
. In addition to De Koninck, the circle comprised:
Songs by Anders and De Koninck appeared in the Verscheide Nieuwe Zangen (Several New Songs), issued by Cornelis Sweerts in 1697, while Ferdinand le Grand had already set texts to music by the same Sweerts in the Tweede deel der Mengelzangen (The Second Part of Mixed Songs) in 1695. In 1705 Alewijn and Sweerts were the poets in the Boertige en ernstige minnezangen, set to music by Petersen, Anders and De Koninck.
In his introduction to the art of singing and playing, Sweerts listed almost all composers (Hendrik Anders, David Petersen, Johannes Schenck
, Carl Rosier and Servaes de Koninck) who played a part in the temporary blossoming of music on Dutch texts in the late 17th century:
, the Zangspel, in which machinery, instrumental music and theatre songs had an important share. The texts of these songs came from Sweerts, Abraham Alewijn and Dirck Buysero. In 1688, De Koninck’s pastoral
De Vryadje van Cloris en Roosje (The Flirtation of Cloris and Rosette), of which the libretto
is attributed to Buysero, became a resounding success. The short farce
became a piece of repertoire. It soon became a tradition to offer it as a supplement after the annual performance of Vondel
’s Gijsbrecht van Aemstel
. This tradition continued into the 20th century, but without De Koninck’s music, as his score disappeared in 1772 in the fire that destroyed the theatre; new theatre music was composed by Bartholomeus Ruloffs.
It is noteworthy to remark that nothing from this musical comedy was printed, while other theatre pieces with music by De Koninck, or selected songs were published. It is not excluded that part of the music is included in the series De Hollantsche Schouburgh, of which De Koninck was the first editor for Estienne Roger; a series of which were issued in seven volumes between 1697 and 1716 in Amsterdam.
The French manner refers to Jean-Baptiste Lully
, a French composer of Italian birth, who stood for a sophisticated and reserved style, an idiom that De Koninck controlled in minute detail. The Italian style is more expressive and also more extroverted, but is not that prominently present in this volume. This hybrid style, however, illustrates undoubtedly the international, eclectic musical environment in Amsterdam at the end of the 17th century.
In this volume, De Koninck also experiments with larger and more elaborate occupations which – not surprisingly – are reminiscent of the theatre; seven songs in his collection are combined to make a dialogue of Coridon and Climene, which ends with a duet in the Italian manner.
to Maria, Mortales Sperate, especially in the two small da capo aria
s for tenor
and alto
and in the increased share of instruments in continuous dialogue with the singers. The Latin
motets recall the composer’s Catholic
background.
De Koninck’s sonata
s demonstrate the influence of Corelli
, while his violin
compositions are influenced by Petersen and Schenck. In his incidental music
for Athalie, Lully nor Charpentier
ever seem far away. Like Couperin
and Clérambault
, De Koninck saw himself as an advocate of the so-called goûts réünis.
A number of other compact discs include music by De Koninck:
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
from the Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
, of motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
and incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
airs and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s.
Youth and education in the Southern Low Countries
De Koninck was born at either DendermondeDendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
or Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
). From 1663 to 1665, he was a boy chorister at St. James Church in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. In 1675, he became a student at the University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
. Around 1680, he lived in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
Career in the Republic
About 1685, he took up residence in Amsterdam in the Dutch RepublicDutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, where he had been preceded by another composer from the Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
, Carolus Hacquart
Carolus Hacquart
Carolus Hacquart was a composer, born c. 1640 in Bruges, in present-day Belgium.-Life:Hacquart received his education, comprising Latin and composition as well as viola da gamba, lute and organ, most probably in his native town...
. He dwelled in circles connected to the Amsterdam Theatre and he probably worked later on as an independent musician in Amsterdam. He was a music teacher at Lucie Quarter’s French girls’ school.
Between 1696 and 1699, he issued seven opus number
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
s, published by Estienne Roger
Estienne Roger
Estienne Roger was a francophone printer and publisher working in the Netherlands.-Life:...
in Amsterdam: two volumes of sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s for one and two flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s with and without basso continuo, the tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
Athalie by Jean Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
of which De Koninck set the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s to music (1697), two volumes of trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
s, the Hollandsche Minne- en Drinkliederen (also from 1697) and a volume of motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s (1699). The short period of time in which Roger published the opus numbers, suggests that a number of compositions might have been completed previously and had only been waiting for a publisher. Apart from this collection, a number of compositions are kept in manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
and print. De Koninck died in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1701.
The circle around Cornelis Sweerts
De Koninck was one of a group of four Amsterdam composers of foreign origin who, in the period around 1700, contributed to the temporary flowering of Dutch vocal music and whose names are linked to the bookseller Cornelis Sweerts and the poet Abraham AlewijnAbraham Alewijn
Abraham Alewijn was a jurist and in his time a well-respected poet, who distinguished himself above his contemporary poets, as evidenced from his Zede- en Harpzangen, which had its third printing in quarto in 1713. But he made himself especially valuable as a writer of comedies...
. In addition to De Koninck, the circle comprised:
- David PetersenDavid Petersen (composer)David Petersen was a violinist and composer of north German origin active in the Netherlands ....
(ca. 1651-after 1709) from LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World... - Nicholas Ferdinand le Grand (ca. 1655-1710), from FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or the Southern NetherlandsSouthern NetherlandsSouthern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France... - Hendrik Anders (1657–1714) from OberweißbachOberweißbachOberweißbach is a town in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Thuringian Forest, southwest of Saalfeld. On 1 December 2008, it incorporated the former municipality Lichtenhain/Bergbahn....
, ThuringiaThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
Songs by Anders and De Koninck appeared in the Verscheide Nieuwe Zangen (Several New Songs), issued by Cornelis Sweerts in 1697, while Ferdinand le Grand had already set texts to music by the same Sweerts in the Tweede deel der Mengelzangen (The Second Part of Mixed Songs) in 1695. In 1705 Alewijn and Sweerts were the poets in the Boertige en ernstige minnezangen, set to music by Petersen, Anders and De Koninck.
In his introduction to the art of singing and playing, Sweerts listed almost all composers (Hendrik Anders, David Petersen, Johannes Schenck
Johannes Schenck
Johannes Schenck was a Dutch musician and composer.Schenck was born in Amsterdam in 1660 where he was baptised on 3 June into the Reformed Church...
, Carl Rosier and Servaes de Koninck) who played a part in the temporary blossoming of music on Dutch texts in the late 17th century:
| Cornelis Sweerts on the Dutch composers of his time: | Approximate English translation: |
|---|---|
|
|
Lyrical theatre
De Koninck, as well as Anders and Petersen, were active in a genre of the lyrical theatre pretty near to operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, the Zangspel, in which machinery, instrumental music and theatre songs had an important share. The texts of these songs came from Sweerts, Abraham Alewijn and Dirck Buysero. In 1688, De Koninck’s pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
De Vryadje van Cloris en Roosje (The Flirtation of Cloris and Rosette), of which the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
is attributed to Buysero, became a resounding success. The short farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
became a piece of repertoire. It soon became a tradition to offer it as a supplement after the annual performance of Vondel
Joost van den Vondel
Joost van den Vondel was a Dutch writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still most frequently performed, and his epic Joannes de Boetgezant , on the life of John the Baptist, has...
’s Gijsbrecht van Aemstel
Gijsbrecht van Aemstel (play)
Gijsbrecht van Aemstel was a 17th century history play by Joost van den Vondel, written to inaugurate Amsterdam's first city theatre. The first production was planned to take place on 26 December 1637, but was postponed until 3 January 1638...
. This tradition continued into the 20th century, but without De Koninck’s music, as his score disappeared in 1772 in the fire that destroyed the theatre; new theatre music was composed by Bartholomeus Ruloffs.
It is noteworthy to remark that nothing from this musical comedy was printed, while other theatre pieces with music by De Koninck, or selected songs were published. It is not excluded that part of the music is included in the series De Hollantsche Schouburgh, of which De Koninck was the first editor for Estienne Roger; a series of which were issued in seven volumes between 1697 and 1716 in Amsterdam.
Love and Drinking Songs
A special edition within the series of seven, published by De Koninck at Estienne Roger’s editing house, was the volume with Hollandse Minne- en Drinkliederen (Dutch Love and Drinking Songs), of which the poet is not known by name and which are meant for a middle class public. In order to sell them better, it had emphatically been stated they were composed in the French and Italian manner; These indications on the style fit into Roger’s publishing policy, as he wanted to give an international hallmark to his fund.The French manner refers to Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
, a French composer of Italian birth, who stood for a sophisticated and reserved style, an idiom that De Koninck controlled in minute detail. The Italian style is more expressive and also more extroverted, but is not that prominently present in this volume. This hybrid style, however, illustrates undoubtedly the international, eclectic musical environment in Amsterdam at the end of the 17th century.
In this volume, De Koninck also experiments with larger and more elaborate occupations which – not surprisingly – are reminiscent of the theatre; seven songs in his collection are combined to make a dialogue of Coridon and Climene, which ends with a duet in the Italian manner.
Other volumes
Another volume by De Koninck, issued by Roger, and which deserves special attention, is his opus 7, Sacrarum armoniarum (1699), in which the impact of the recent Italian musical developments is best reflected in the motetMotet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
to Maria, Mortales Sperate, especially in the two small da capo aria
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a musical form, which was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio...
s for tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
and in the increased share of instruments in continuous dialogue with the singers. The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motets recall the composer’s Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background.
De Koninck’s sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s demonstrate the influence of Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
, while his violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
compositions are influenced by Petersen and Schenck. In his incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for Athalie, Lully nor Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
ever seem far away. Like Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
and Clérambault
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault was a French musician, best known as an organist and composer. He was born and died in Paris.-Biography:...
, De Koninck saw himself as an advocate of the so-called goûts réünis.
Discography
Pieces by Servaes de Koninck are rarely recorded on compact disc. As of 2009, the only compact disc solely devoted to his music is:- Servaas de Koninck. Ah! I wish I were a little dog! Love and Drinking Songs of the Netherlands, by Dopo Emilio, Emergo Classics EC 3961-2, 1993.
A number of other compact discs include music by De Koninck:
- Saints & Sinners, by Cappella Figuralis, led by Jos van VeldhovenJos van VeldhovenJos van Veldhoven is a Dutch choral conductor. He studied musicology at the Rijksuniversiteit of Utrecht, and choral and orchestral conducting at the Royal Conservatory, the Hague. He has been artistic director of De Nederlandse Bachvereniging since 1983...
, Channel ClassicsChannel Classics RecordsChannel Classics Records is a record label from the Netherlands, specializing in classical music. The managing director and producer is C. Jared Sacks, who grew up in Boston. Sacks was schooled as a professional horn player at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam...
, 1998 (De Koninck’s motet Venite ad me (De Elevatione)) - Four Dutch Composers of the Golden Age, Ensemble Bouzignac UtrechtUtrecht (city)Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, led by Erik Van NevelErik Van NevelErik Van Nevel is a Belgian conductor. He is the nephew of Paul Van Nevel.He pursued instrumental and vocal studies at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven and at the Koninklijk Conservatorium and the Koninklijk Conservatorium ....
, Vanguard Classics, 1995 (De Koninck’s motet Mortales sperate) - Musica Neerlandica, Apollo Ensemble & Max van EgmondMax van EgmondMax van Egmond is a Dutch bass and baritone singer. He has focused on oratorio and Lied and is known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Professional career :...
, 1995 (De Koninck’s Dutch drinking song In het glaasjen, In the little glass)
External links
Audio File:- Ik kan uw schoon gezicht niet langer (I can’t any longer see your beautiful face, mp3) by Servaes de Koninck, sung by Liesbeth Houdijk, soprano, on Essentialvermeer.com