The Susanne Van Soldt Virginal Book

Guy Penson

Tempus transit gelidum - Fas et nefas ambulant - Katerine collaudemus - Celum non animum - Sic mea fata - Dulce solum - Veritas veritatum - Veris dulcis in tempore - Clauso chronos - Nota perdita - Estampie gen ferait droit - Danxa aurea di Phebo - Dananza Gedeonis

Dated 1599, the manuscript by Susanne van Soldt is a fascinating anthology of music for the virginal at the end of the Renaissance. Born in the Low Countries but having also lived in London, the owner of this manuscript was therefore able to play the latest music of her time; the manuscript includes not only versions of such famous pieces as the Lassus song Suzanne un jour but also a fair number of Psalms in Dutch. Guy Penson performs this anthology on a characteristically Dutch instrument, a ‘mother and child' virginal: this virginal contains a complete smaller virginal within its resonance chest that can ‘come forth from its mother's womb' and can be played either separately or coupled to the keyboard of the mother instrument.