An the foreword to the Tiirkischer Eulen-S piegel, the author, Daniel Speer in two places refers to connections
between the content of his autobiographical novel, Ungariseher oder Dacianischer Simplicissimus, and the musical
novel, Musitalisch Tirkischer Eulen-S piegel, (a) “...Auss Dem Weltbekandten Ungarischen Kriegs-Roman
extrahiert...” (i.e, extracted from the world-famous Hungarian war-novel...) and (b) “...Lompin ge-
nannt, im Kriegs-Roman sehr wohl bekannt.” (i.e. named Lompyn, well known in the war-novel). Aside
from these two quotations, there are no other similarities between the two novels, even though the chief
character is the same in both, although in the musical novel he is not called Simplex but Lompin, who starts
out as a simple son of the people and with his talent, adroitness and cunning fights his way up to the highest
circles. His aristocratic master, a certain Herr Cergely, does not have an important role, and the author does
not even provide him with a melody. He serves rather as a means by which Lompin can get into contact
with the Turkish Sultan, Besides Lompin, the Turkish Sultan is the most important character, a mysterious
faraway emperor of Turkish ruled Hungary, on whom everything and everybody depends. He is quite
inaccessible, but still, Lompin speaks to him in the same manner he uses with his companions, and it is his
“natural” informal friendship with the Sultan that frees his master from captivity.
As far as its form is concerned, the musical novel is a quodlibet in which orchestral sections (always
dances) alternate with solo songs (accompanied by a continuo), all sections ending with an orchestral tutti.
In addition to the cantata character of the whole work, it is also worth paying attention to the varying kinds
of dances with ritornels located in various places.
‘The work is divided into 12 chapters, with the main movements being flanked by dances, ballets (24 sec-
tions numbered in all). Out of these, four movements are included in this recording, Nos. r., 3., 5. and 19.,
together with the dances belonging to them, amounting to some one third of the whole musical novel.
After a short orchestral intrade, the first movement introduces Lompin, the leading character, in third
person singular. It promises to tell gay stories about a fellow who, although he is a learned man, is always
thinking about foolish things. Lompin becomes a servant and is both loved and hated for his deeds, He
is capable of eating and drinking an extraordinary amount of bacon, meat, coffee, wine, game, fish, and
poultry, but his favourite dish is beef broth. He does not care for money or possessions, and searches
only for truth, but in the interest of justice does not recoil from scheming.
The second movement (Nr. 3. according to its numbering) is introduced by a Cossack and a Polish ballet.
The latter recurs several times during the movement, sometimes in its original couple form, and sometimes
as a solo dance. In the foreword, Speer makes special mention of the national dances featured in the worl:
“Der giinstige Music-Freund wolle nicht gedencken, ob wire denen Balleten nur pro Forma die National-
Unterschrifft beygeleget worden. Nein: Der Author hat selbsten bey allen diese Vélcker Frdlichkeiten auf-
gewartet, und solcher lustigen Ballet, welche sie gar zierlich tantzen, bey 200, zusammen geschrieben,
welche auch in folgenden ausslassenden Joco-seriis in Druck kommen werden.”
Thus Speer, intentionally compiled the dances he saw and heard. Their character, however, was not so
much linked with the folk music of the people concerned but much rather with the popular national dances
of the country. According to the texts of the arias following the dances in the second movement, Lompin
arrives singing and leaping in the camp of the Turkish Sultan, to liberate his master from captivity and to
save him from the gallows. Lompin tells the Sultan a strange tale, whereby he originated from one father
and two mothers, He solves the riddle only after the Sultan has released Herr Cergely as a reward for the tale.
The third movement (originally No. 5.), after a Wallach and a Russian Ballet, relates Lompin’s further
adventures with the Turks, the Sultan and the Grand Vizier. He feigns madness and abuses the Grand
Vizier.
The fourth movement (originally No. 19.) is flanked by Hungarian ballets and contains Lompin’s moraliz-
ep
Originally Speer wrote the musical novel for one tenor voice with continuo accompaniment, for two
violins and two violas. In this recording, however, the lengthy text is sung by three vocalists with different
registers. For variety’s sake, the orchestra is supplemented with further contemporary string and wind
instruments, according to the practice of the 17th century.
Dr. Zoltan Faivy
Paniel Speer (2 July, 1636, Breslau, Wroclaw—s October, 1707, Géppingen), the composer and librettist
of the Tirkischer Eulen-S piegel, was hardly known under his family name in the 17th century. He used several |
pseudonyms, such as Dacianischer Simplicissimus or Res Plena Dei, etc., for his musical and literary works. |
German literary history for a long time counted him among the epigons of Grimmelshausen, the author
of the great simpliciades. Recent research, however, has established Speer as one of the most significant,
individual masters of the Baroque era, He was primarily a musician who travelled a great deal in Hungary,
at that time under Turkish occupation. He received his musical training in northern Hungary, mainly in Kis-
szeben and perhaps also in Lécse. In his autobiographical novel, Ungarischer oder Dacianischer Simplicissimus
(Freiburg in Breisgau; 1683) he wrote that he was born in Silesia. He lost his parents at an early age and
found his way into the court of a Polish nobleman, At the age of 19, he set out on his wanderings, and _
together with his fellow-students, had many adventures in the Szepesség. He stayed in Bartfa, Lécse, Kis- |
szeben, Eperjes and Kassa, and described the customs of these localities in great detail. Although he studied
to trumpet, he entered Count Rakéczi’s Eperjes army as a drummer in the military band, to fight against the
Turks. Later he was captured by the Turks, after staying in Janos Homonnay’s camp. He escaped however,
and settled in Transylvania. First he entered the service of a young aristocrat not mentioned by name
(but who could have been the Cergely = Gergely of the musical novel, Térkischer Eulen-S piegel, whom Speer
always accompanied in his travels, about whom however no biographical data have come down to us).
Then he served the Moldavian voivode, and later resided in the court of Akos Baresai, a pro-Turkish
candidate as Prince of Transylvania, Speer was part of Barcsay’s retinue which travelled to Constantinople.
Barcsay had to return unexpectedly to Transylvania where he was assasinated in the spring of 1661. Speer
(= Simplex), however, fell ill in Constantinople and was forced to stay there. After his recovery it was
impossible for him to re-join his master.
This is as far the autobiographical novel, Ungarischer oder Dacianischer Simplicissimus, followed Speet’s life.
From his autobiography we know that by 1665 he was musician in a cloister in Stuttgart. During these
years the Protestant musicians expelled from Hungary also went there for refuge. From 1667 onwards,
Speer was a teacher in Géppingen “zu Versehung und Lehrung der Musik” (ie. providing and teaching
music). He lived there until his death, although with several interruptions: in 1669 he went to Grossbottwar
(Heilbronn), between 1670 and ’73 to Leonberg, from 1690 to ’93 he stayed in Waiblingen, and inbetween,
from 1688 to "90 in Hohenneuffen, where he published an anti-French political leaflet for which he was
arrested and sentenced to prison. It was in the year of his arrest, 1688, that his musical novel, Turkischer
Euxlen-S piegel was published, and this recording is the first to issue several excerpts from the work.
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