Summary

The six Sonatas for Violoncello Solo Opus 4 by Jacob Herman Klein are unique in music history. The vast number of fingerings (about 1200, often combined with string indications to avoid any misunderstandings) and dynamical markings that are engraved in the cello part is unsurpassed for any instrument of the violin family in the baroque era. Never before have baroque fingerings been used so clearly in concert pieces as in this collection.
After studying and using the fingerings found in the facsimile of these sonatas, I believe that there are no baroque cellists who presently use authentic fingerings. These fingerings require such large extensions of the left hand that I feel a warning should be given. They can cause severe injuries to the left hand and arm when used without awareness or proper training!
Often the fingerings can be adjusted in such a way that large extensions between other fingers than the index and the middle finger (the common "large extension") can be avoided. Do by all means continue to play non-authentically, but well-informed!

Jacob Herman Klein shows more musical and technical ability than his designation Amatore della Musica would lead us to believe. The virtuosity of these sonatas reminds us of those of Pietro Locatelli, Klein's more famous contemporary and fellow Amsterdammer.

These sonatas provide proof that a position change under a slur, causing a glissando or portamento, was sometimes preferred in Baroque music to a fingering that could have prevented one from happening. The frequent use of a unison between an open and a stopped string or a pressed thumb with an underlying, stopped string is also remarkable. Apart from affecting the volume, this affects the sound colour in a way that may produce either a gentle or a coarse transition between strings.

These Sonatas have been recorded by Frank Wakelkamp on baroque cello and Rien Voskuilen on harpsichord. Onno Scholtze was the balance/sound engineer and Jean van Vugt the producer/editor.

Underneath you can find a concise article about Jacob Herman Klein and his Sonatas for Violoncello Solo and Basso Continuo Opus 4.

 

Introduction

When I agreed, in February 1996, to prepare a concert featuring the Amsterdam music publisher G.F. Witvogel, I did not have any idea where the project would lead me. Viola de Hoog, my former baroque cello teacher, handed me a copy of A. Dunning's book about the Witvogel catalogue, which mentioned various composers and compositions. Because the cello repertoire in this catalogue was unknown to me, I conducted an investigation and found a few sonatas by Lanzetti and Triemer that were available in facsimile reprint. Also, some sonatas by someone named Kleyn were mentioned in the catalogue, so I ordered them from a library.
Two weeks before the concert my order arrived as a microfilm. From that day on, these sonatas and their composer have been on my mind (and in my fingers) because from the very start it was clear to me that there was something very special about them. Apart from their musical richness and virtuosity (two weeks of practice proved to be far too little, so I was unable to play them in the concert), the abundance of fingerings, string indications and dynamic markings caught my eye. These peculiarities raised a longing in me that I can compare only with my longing, as a developing musician, to know and to be able to play the Cello Suites by Bach. The longing to know and to be able to play the Sonatas by Jacob Herman Klein has resulted in musicological and cellistic research that I present to you in the form of this article with an accompanying CD and a facsimile of the Sonatas. The latest news can be found on the internet: http://JHKlein.Wakelkamp.com.

The CD can be used as both an audio CD and as a CD-ROM. In the latter case you can read this article as if it were on a website. You can also find some useful links to the facsimile score, as well as editorial notes and accompanying sound files, so that you can experience from all possible angles the music you want to explore.

While working on this multimedia CD project I received enthusiastic cooperation from various sources. My association with institutions like the Gemeentearchief Amsterdam, the Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden (SLUB) - they put their manuscript Mus. 2751-R-1 at my disposal -, the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris and the Oxford University Library of Music has been both delightful and constructive.
I want to express my personal thanks to Rien Voskuilen for his contribution as a continuo virtuoso and musicological critic of this article, to Jean van Vugt for his patience and professionality as a producer/editor and for his useful tips, to Onno Scholtze for his sound virtuosity, to Vaughan Schlepp and J.Marc Reichow for their help with the translation of the article into English and German. I thank my wife, Rajyo Defize, for her understanding of music and her encouragement.
 

Frank Wakelkamp

Amsterdam, October 14^th 2000.

P.S.: In this article I have spelled the name Klein in the different ways in which it appears in the documents mentioned. This practice might hinder easy reading of this article but will provide insight into the freedom of spelling that was normal at the time. For those people who have become interested in this music and its composer, this will also facilitate the search for the right sources. I have chosen the final spelling according to the only extant source by Klein himself: his signature on his marriage licence (March 7^th 1710).

Jacobus Hermannus Klein was born in Amsterdam on October 14^th 1688 and was baptized two days later in the Roman Catholic church De Ster at the Spinhuissteeg. Neither of his parents could be traced in the registers of the Gemeentearchief van Amsterdam so one might assume that they came from another town.

In March 1710, when he was 22 years old, he married Susanna Spiringh (Suzanna Spieringh). The name appearing on the marriage certificate is Jacob Klein de Jonge. Suzanna was born in Amsterdam on May 5^th 1688 to Willem Spiringh and Isabella de Hondekoeter. Jacob lived at the prinse gragt (the present Prinsengracht), Suzanna at the warmoestraat (the present Warmoesstraat) when applying for their marriage licence (March 7^th 1710).

Marriage licence, March 7^th 1710.

One year after their marriage, on June 10^th 1711, Suzanna gave birth to a daughter, Geertruij, who died before her parents, at the age of 30 (March 7^th 1742). Jacob and Suzanna may have had more children who died at birth although this cannot be confirmed. When children died in 18^th century Amsterdam, churches would register them under the father’s name, for example, child of Jacob Kleyn, but without the name of the mother. During Klein's marital period there were seven other Jacob Kleyns living in Amsterdam. Records show that five children born to fathers of this name died at birth.

On March 8^th 1748, Jacob Herman Kleijn was buried in the Oude Kerk, his wife on October 16^th 1750.

This is all that can be found in the Gemeentearchief Amsterdam about Klein's life - even his profession is unknown. The only other source is what he left in print.

During the course of his life Jacob Kleyn le Jeune published various works. Three opus numbers were printed by Jeanne Roger in Amsterdam. Opus 1 consists of three books. The first two books have not been preserved, but contain, according to Walther's Musikalisches Lexicon (1732) 12 Sonatas for Oboe and Figured Bass. A copy of the third book with six Sonatas for Basse de Violon and Basso Continuo (Roger No. 425, dating from 1716-1721) can be found at the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris. The sonatas are numbered XIII to XVIII, the numbering continuing from the Oboe Sonatas.

Title page of Opus 1/3 (ca. 1716-21) by J.H. Klein

These sonatas are noteworthy because they feature a transposed basse de violon part. The instrument is required to be tuned b-e-A-D, whereas the normal tuning is g-c-F-B-flat: two whole tones lower! Considering the huge difference in string tension between the requested and the normal tuning of the basse de violon, a violoncello might be more suitable for these pieces since the normal tuning of this instrument is only one tone lower than the requested tuning. In French baroque music, however, the basse de violon was more popular than the cello, so Jeanne Roger (having French roots) may have decided to alter the name of the instrument as a marketing strategy.

Page 51 from Opus 1/3 (ca. 1716-21) by J.H. Klein

This edition provides a good example of the development of cello technique at the time. The pieces do not go beyond the fifth position (b-flat' played with the fourth finger). Octave leaps and chords broken in numerous ways are favoured, but musical ideas do not abound in these Sonatas Opus 1 book 3. Some motives are repeated as many as four times without any development. All in all, these sonatas seem to be more like comprehensive, virtuoso study material than truly mature compositions. Klein appears to have been an accomplished cellist but not a mature composer at the time.

Klein's Opus 1 books 1-3 are included in the Leclerc catalogues (Rue du Roule à la Croix d'Or and Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris) from 1740 till the end of 1767. This is a later edition by Charles-Nicolas Leclerc based on the original editions (1716-1721) by Jeanne Roger in Amsterdam.

Opus 2 contains six Duetti (Suites) for two cellos. An incomplete copy (the second cello part is incomplete) is in the Haags Gemeentemuseum (The Hague, Netherlands), a complete copy is in Wiesentheid (Germany). A modern edition is available, edited by G. Darmstadt. A recording on CD of Opus 2 has been released at Cavalli's.

The contents of Opus 3 are unknown to me, but they were supposedly published by Roger as well. There is no extant copy of this work.

Label on the cover of Opus 4 by J.H. Klein

Opus 4, six Sonatas for Violoncello Solo and Basso Continuo, was published in 1746 by Gerhard Fredrik Witvogel and dedicated to Joachim Rendorp.The marked difference in musical quality and the quantum leap in cello technique compared to that found in the preceding opus numbers, can only be explained by the coming of Pietro Locatelli to Amsterdam in 1729. The virtuosity and musicality of this violinist was so compelling that his influence on Jacob Klein, who was seven years his senior, was reflected directly in Klein's own playing and compositional style.

Title page of Opus 4 (1746) by J.H. Klein

The score of the Cello Sonatas Opus 4 was engraved very precisely into copper plates. Minor mistakes can be pointed out, for example when a wedge-slur motive (see example below) is written with the wedge but without the slur

J.H. Klein Opus 4 S. 35: Sonata 6 movement 3 (Allegro) bar 1.

or when fingerings are placed over the wrong note. Wrong notes can be identified by comparing notes, fingerings and underlying harmonies. These mistakes are rare and are mentioned in the editorial notes. It is remarkable that every single dynamic marking (Forte. ; Piano. ; P.P.) is spelled out completely and followed by a dot. The edition is extraordinarily meticulous and very legible.

Estienne (1665-1722) and Jeanne Roger (1692-1722)

Estienne Roger was a refugee from France, who published music in Amsterdam starting in ca. 1696. With a total of 500 works his fund was the most important in the Netherlands. His publications included the music of composers like Corelli, Locatelli, Lully, Alessandro Scarlatti, Torelli and Vivaldi.
Daughter Jeanne Roger started publishing in 1717 but died only a few months after her father. Her estate was acquired by her brother-in-law,

Michel-Charles Le Cène (? - 1743)

In the catalogue of Le Cène, Klein is referred to as Jacques Klein le Jeune. After the death of Le Cène the heirs sold the publishing company Roger-Le Cène to G.J. de la Coste. Within a few years this company went bankrupt, perhaps due to heavy competition. This probably caused Klein to turn to another publisher for his Opus 4 (1746).

Gerhard Fredrik Witvogel (Varel ca. 1696 - Aachen 1746)

Witvogel, from Germany, was an organist at the Lutheran Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. He started his own music publishing company in 1731. His catalogue consisted of no less than 93 works when he died. Among works of the great composers like Händel, Hasse, Quantz and Scarlatti one can find works by Dutch composers like De Fesch, Groneman, Klein and Nozeman. About one third of his editions were engraved without the composer's consent, a practice common at the time. The Sonatas Opus 4 by J. H. Klein (Nr. 82) belong to the authentic (authorised) editions.

After Witvogel's death in 1746, his estate was bought by Johannes (Jean) Covens. When Covens also took over the collection of Roger-Le Cène in 1749 from De la Coste, the largest catalogue in the Netherlands was created.

Pieter (Amsterdam 1703 - 1761) and Joachim (Amsterdam 1728 - 1792) Rendorp

The members of the Rendorp family, coming from Lüneburg (Germany) by the beginning of the 17^th century, were admitted to the City Counsel of Amsterdam no earlier than in 1640 because of their Lutheran origin. They ran the brewery De Haan at the Gelderse Kade, at the South corner of the Rechtboomsloot and belonged to the city's nobles.

In 1742, Pieter Rendorp, Vrijheer van Marquette, owned a mansion (Huis Marquette, south of Heemskerk), 11 servants, a coach with 4 horses and had an income between 26 and 28.000 guilders. Pieter was one of the mayors of Amsterdam in 1746, 1750, 1751, 1754, 1755, 1757, 1758 and 1760.
Son Joachim, a lawyer in state law and a diplomat, distinguished himself by intelligence, good judgement and artistic sensitivity. He was one of the Mayors of Amsterdam in 1781, 1786, 1789, 1790 and 1792.

According to Klein's dedication to Joachim Rendorp, he owed a lot to the Rendorp family, although there are no documents of any Rendorp family member which describe the relationship of Klein to the family. Klein taught the young Joachim at the Clavier (harpsichord). It is likely that they played the Sonatas Opus 4 together.

Pietro Locatelli (Bergame 1695 - Amsterdam 1764)

Johann Gottfried Walther Musicalisches Lexicon Oder Musicalische Bibliothek, Leipzig 1732, pg. 367

Violinist and Italian composer Pietro Locatelli lived in Rome for ten years, where he was a pupil of Corelli. In 1721, his 12 Concerti grossi a 4 e a 5, con 12 fughe were published in Amsterdam. In 1725 he presented some of his concerts in Venice, where they were well received. After sojourns in Berlin and Kassel (Hessen), Locatelli finally settled in Amsterdam (Prinsengracht 506), where he founded a school for string players. He entrusted the premières of these works to his pupils.

From 1732, he wrote numerous sonatas, concertos, caprices and more, mostly for the violin but also for the transverse (or end-blown) flute. Influenced at first by Corelli’s style as regards form, Locatelli’s later works expanded on these forms considerably. On the basis of his violin technique, he can be considered a predecessor of Paganini and he is recognised as one of the Italian composer-violinists who created a 'golden age' of string playing and composition for stringed instruments.

Klein was undoubtedly in close contact with Locatelli. His compositional style and his cello technique developed so markedly after Locatelli's arrival in Amsterdam in 1729 that it can be concluded that he worked with Locatelli in his orchestra and at his school.

Editorial notes

Sonata I 1-37-3 = Sonata I movement 1 bar 37 beat 3
vc = violoncello; bc = basso continuo
e-fi3-si2 = e small octave - fingering 3 - string indication 2 (d-string)

Title page facsimile	VI SONATE A VIOLONCELLO SOLO e BASSO CONTINUO COMPOSTE DA GIACOMO HERMAN KLEYN Amatore della Musica E DEDICATE All Molto Illustre SIGNORE il SIGNOR GIOUACHINO RENDORP OPERA QUARTA ----- Stampate a Spese di GERHARDO FEDERICO WITVOGEL Organista della Chiesa nuova Luterana A AMSTERDAM [later added: Chez Jean Covens Fils] No. 82
Dedication facsimile (translation)	Nobiliss[imo] D[omi]no IOACHIMO RENDORPIO, Amplissimae Dignitatis et Summis Honoribus Conspicui Viri D[omi]ni PETRI RENDORPII Filio, S[alutem] P[lurimam] D[ico] JACOBUS HERMANNUS KLEYN Ingratissimus mortalium haberer merito, Nobilliss[ime] RENDORPI, si unquam oblivis- cerer benevolentiae, qua me jam dudum Amplissim[a] Domus Tua fuit amplexa: Nec vi- deor mihi, posse effugere ingrati animi vitium, nisi publicum aliquod Monumen- tum exstet, quo etiam alii sciant, quantum Tibi, quantum Ampliss[imo] D[omi]no PARENTI Tuo, quantumque Universae Tuae Domui debeam. Patere igitur, quum aliud ad manum non sit majus aut dignius, ut Nobilissimo Nomini Tuo inscribam, et dedicem, Can- tus hos Sex, ad Violoncellum, quod vocant, unica voce cantandos, quod debeo non  tantum ob singularem beneficentiam, qua Tu et Domus Tua me obstrinxistis, sed  etiam ob commune Musices Studium, in quo tantum profecisti, ut ipse per Te,  digitis artificiosissime in Organo, quod vulgo Clavier audit, eosdem Cantus egregie  valeas exsequi. Spero fore Nobiliss[ime] RENDORPI, ut simul ex hoc meo qualicunque  labore aliquam percepturus sis voluptatem, quam novisti Musices amatores in artis eximiae exercitatione percipere ingentem, quotiescunque animum in gra- vioribus studiis fessum hac arte recreare constituisti; simul intelligas meam vo- luntatem, in agnoscedo, quid debeam Tibi, et Ampliss[imae] Domui Tuae, non vulgarem;  etiamsi probe sciam, quam exigae sint meae ad tantum debitum solven- dum facultates. Vale, Nobiliss[ime] RENDORPI, et perge me Tuis annumerare. Amstelaedami l'On a placé pour les Amateurs, au dessus de quelques notes les  numeros 1.2.3.4. pour designer le premier, second, troisieme, et qua- trieme Doigt, et pour le Pouce un 0, afin d'indiquer le mouvement  de la main, et dessous le susdits numeros    et  me Corde. Translation [from Latin]: To the most noble Lord Joachim Rendorp, of the most ample dignity and a power that catches the eye by the highest honor,  to the Son of Lord Pieter Rendorp,  I bring numerous salutes. Jacob Herman Kleyn The most ungrateful of mortals, as I may justifiably be called, if I would ever forget the benevolence of the most noble Rendorp, who has been my support for a very long time in your very ample house. And I would not be able to look myself in the eye, not be able to evade the hardness of my ungrateful spirit, unless some public monument existed, through which also others would know how much I owe you, your most generous father and your entire house. Therefore, please be open, because I have nothing at hand that could be greater or worthier, than that I write in your most noble name, and dedicate to you, these Six Pieces for the Violoncello, that sing out as if in a single voice, what I owe, not specially because of the extraordinary benevolence, which you and your house have bestowed on me, but also because of our joint study of music, in which you have progressed so much, that you yourself, with most agile fingers on the instrument that is generally called Keyboard, could perform these pieces magnificently. I hope, most noble Rendorp, that you will as well experience some pleasure from this work of mine, a pleasure you know that amateur musicians can experience very well by practising the fine arts, whenever your spirit is wearied by more severe studies, and be able find repose in this art; as well to take note of my willingness to acknowledge what I would owe you and your most generous house if I did not make this known; even when I know well how limited my abilities are at repaying such a great debt. Farewell, most noble Rendorp, and may you always call me your faithful servant. At Amsterdam  [from French] For the Amateurs, the numbers 1. 2. 3. 4. have been placed above some notes to indicate the first, second, third and fourth Finger, and for the Thumb a 0, in order to indicate the movement of the hand, and under the mentioned numbers    and  th String.
Sonata I	1-19-2 bc figure (six-five chord) should be on the second beat. 1-25-1 bc probably G Major from the start of the bar. 3-29-1 bc (six-three chord) should be on the second beat. 3-70-2 bc six-three chord sounds better than four-two chord. 3-71-1 bc should be 5 instead of 6. 3-102 bc 6 and 7 should be reversed. 3-116-2 four-two chord is better than six-three chord.
Sonata II	1-15-4 bc six-three chord with raised 6 is very unusual; four-two chord with raised 4 would be more logical here. 1-22-4 bc better: six-four chord followed by five-three chord. 1-37-2 vc e-fi3-si2 should be si3. 2-5-2 vc e-fi4-si2 should be si3. 2-11 fourth eighth note bc four-two chord is better than six-three chord. 2-23-2 bc 6 5 would be better (cf. movement 1 bar 22; occurs quite frequently). 2-41-3 until 2-42-1 bc figuring is correct, but d-c#-B in the bass should be f#-e-d in order to avoid octave parallels with vc part.
Sonata III	1-57-1 bc enharmonical notation: six-five chord with raised 6 is more correct. 3-51-1 vc c#-fi2 should be fi3. 3-98-1 bc six-three chord on the first beat is consequent, but not so nice. A five-three chord sounds better.
Sonata IV	1-14-2 bc seventh chord should be on the first beat. 1-86-3 bc seventh chord should be on the first beat. 1-98-3 bc 6 should be 5 1-109-3 bc should be six-four chord instead of six-five chord. 1-116-1 bc could be six-four chord. 2-12-3 vc # means double sharp here, because there is already a sharp at the key signature: f# becomes f##. 2-12-3 bc raised 6 is also f##. 2-24-1 vc idem: f# becomes f##. 2-24-1 bc idem: raised 3 is f##. 2-28 vc idem: f# becomes f##; with natural not f but f# (cf. e# in this bar). 2-28 bc idem: raised 4 is f##. 3-69-1 vc idem: f# becomes f##. 3-69-1 bc idem: raised 3 is f##. 3-76-1 bc idem: raised 3 is f##. 3-76-4 bc idem: f# becomes f##.
Sonata V	1-109-1 bc x (raised third) is missing. 2-3-3 bc 6 is incorrect (should stay 7). 2-6-3 bc six-five chord should be on the second beat already. 2-25-1 second a': should be a half note instead of a dotted quarter note 3-80 bc figuring is incorrect, should be: 5 - 5 Minor - 5 Major. 3-123-1 vc f should be a.
Sonata VI	1-101-2 vc a flat should be a (see figured bass). 2-23v bc six-three chord over upbeat-eighth-notes (fourth leaps) is possible, but most contemporaries would have written five-three chords. 3-31-10 vc d-fi1 should be 3-31-3 B flat-fi1. 3-56-4 bc 5 of this chord should be a. 3-56-7 vc appogiatura a' flat should be a'. 3-57-1 vc appogiatura f' should be f#'. 3-61-10 vc d-fi4 should be 3-61-11 b flat-fi4.

Literature

Amsterdam, Prinsengracht 506: In questa casa / trascorse la vita operosa e morì / il grande compositore e violinista / Pietro Antonio Locatelli / La città natale / Nel bicentenario della morte / Bergamo 3.IX.1695 - Amsterdam 30.III.1764
Jean-Baptiste Bréval: Traité du Violoncelle Opus 42, Paris without year (ca. 1804).
Charles (Karel) Burney: Dagboek van zijne, onlangs gedaane, musicale Reizen door Frankrijk, Italië an Duitschland. Als tot een verlustigend, laatste Geschenk aan Nederlands waare Musiekvrienden, vertaald en opgeluisterd door Jacob Wilhelm Lustig, Groningen 1786, pg. 240 & 246.
Michel Corrette: Méthode, théorique et pratique. Pour Apprendre en peu de tems le Violoncelle dans sa perfection. Paris 1741.
François Cupis (le jeune): Méthode nouvelle et raisonnée pour apprendre à jouer du Violoncelle, Paris without year (ca. 1768)
Anik Devriès: Édition et commerce de la musique gravée à Paris dans la première moitié du XVIII^e siècle: les Boivin, les Leclerc.. Genève 1976.
Albert Dunning: De Muziekuitgever Gerhard Fredrik Witvogel en zijn fonds. Een bijdrage tot de geschiedenis van de Nederlandse muziekuitgeverij in de achttiende eeuw; Utrecht, Oosthoek, 1966 (Muziekhistorische Monografieën, Vol. II: Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis).
Jean Louis Duport: Essai sur le doigté du Violoncelle et sur la conduite de l'archet, dédié aux Professeurs de Violoncelle, Paris without year (ca. 1806-1819)
F.J. Fétis (Brussels Conservatorium): Biographie universelle des musiciens - Tôme cinquième, Paris 1870. Over J. Klein: "KLEIN (Jacques), musicien hollandais, appelé, dans le catalogue de Le Cène, Jacques Klein le Jeune, a fait graver à Amsterdam, vers 1750, trois livres de sonates pour le violoncelle, et douze sonates pour hautbois et basse continue, op. 1 et 2." As appears from comparing with other sources, this information is quite inaccurate.
Antoine Forqueray: Pieces de Viole avec la Basse Continue (...) Livre Ier, Paris 1747.
Gemeentearchief Amsterdam: birth, marital and death certificates.
Caix d'Hervelois: Troisième Œuvre contenant Quatre Suites de Pieces pour la Viole, avec la Basse chifrée en partition, Paris 1731.
Caix d'Hervelois: Ve Livre de Pieces de Viole contenant Trois Suites et deux Sonates (...), Paris 1748.
Jacobus Kok: Vaderlandsch Woordenboek - vier-en-twintigste deel (...), Johannes Allart, Amsterdam 1791. pg. 158ff.
Fr. Lesure: Bibliographie des éditions musicales publiées par Estienne Roger et Michel-Charles Le Cène (Amsterdam 1696-1743), Paris, Société française de musicologie, 1968.
Marin Marais: Gambaworks book IV and V.
Karl Marx: Die Entwicklung des Violoncells und seiner Spieltechnik bis J.L. Duport (1520-1820), Regensburg 1963.
Red. Molhuysen & Kossmann: Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek - deel 10; Sijthoff, Leiden 1937. pg. 799v.
Jean-Marie Raoul: Méthode de Violoncelle, Paris ca. 1797
Bernhard Romberg: Méthode pour le Violoncelle, Berlin 1840.
Joseph Bonaventure Tillière: Méthode pour le violoncelle, Paris without year (1764)
Johann Gottfried Walther: Musicalisches Lexicon Oder Musicalische Bibliothek, Leipzig 1732.