The British Clavichord Society Newsletter
John Collins, Worthing
No. 74, Summer 2019
John Sheeles: Suites of Lessons, Book 2 (c. 1730),
edited by Michael Talbot.
Edition HH463.sol. Price £13.50;
available from www.editionhh.co.uk
A review of Sheeles's first book of Suites of Lessons of 1724 was printed in BCS Newsletter 73 (Spring 2019). This second collection was also published by William Smith, an apprentice of John Walsh, and appeared c. 1730. It contains 23 pieces grouped by key into six Suites, in C, F minor, A, F, C minor and D, with three (Nos. 1 and 4), four (Nos. 2, 3 and 5) or five movements (No. 6), predominantly in the same key, exceptions being the second movement in No. 1 and the third in No. 3, both of which are in the relative minor and cadence on their dominant.
Apart from No. 3 all of these Suites contain at least some of the dance movements which were the main constituents of the Restoration suite, and No. 6 is made up entirely of these, comprising a vigorously dotted Allmand, Corant and Saraband, a Minuet in 3/8 in equal quavers and a Jigg with both short-long and long-short dotted rhythms. A Corellian Giga Allegro in 12/8 is the only dance in No. 1; No. 2 opens with an Allmand and Corant and closes with a two-voice Siciliane in 6/8; No. 4 has only a Minuet in 3/8 as its middle movement; and No. 5 has a Corant in 3/8 and Jigg as its two final movements. Only No. 3 is entirely lacking dances, containing an Allegro, an Air in 3/8, an Adagio leading into a closing Vivace in 3/8, its two voices being written entirely in the treble clef until the final two bars of each section. Other movements in the set which carry tempo indications include a loosely fugal Alla Breve in No. 2 and a dotted-rhythm Prelude and two-voice flowing Allegro opening No. 5.
There are some rather more substantial movements here than in the first set, including the Overtures which open Suites 1 and 4; both begin with a binary-form slow movement, that in No. 1 being followed by an imitative 3/8 Vivace which concludes with a three-bar Coda in C time, whereas the rather more majestic slow opening in No. 4 is followed by a fugal movement in C time which is included among pieces in a print of 1779 of 12 Voluntaries and Fugues attributed (undoubtedly incorrectly) to Handel. Suite No. 4 concludes with a Chaconne: To an old Ground with 15 variations following the initial eight-bar statement; comparison with J. C. Smith's Chaconne with 22 variations in the same key from his sixth suite from his second volume of Suites de Pieces pour le Clavecin of 1735 will be profitable.[1}
The printing is clear and well laid-out with careful attention to page turns, very few being needed in mid-movement; would that all publishers were so considerate of the player. The introduction provides a short biography and dedication details, and the editorial method and textual notes which follow the music, particularly the paragraphs on ornamentation, should be read thoroughly. Being more advanced in their writing and technical requirements than the first set, these suites may require more careful study than the latter, but will also prove invaluable material for teaching, recitals and recreation.
Note 1. Modern edition by Jolando Scarpa in Frutti Musicali XXIV for Edition Walhall (EW914).We are grateful to John Collins for permission to reproduce this review.
Suites of Lessons book 1