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Variations by Jacob Van Eyck

Van Eyck was a blind Dutch recorder player and Carrillonneur (which means that he played a set of church bells using a keyboard). He became an expert on bells, and was noted for his ability to hear the partial tones of a bell's sound.

He played the carillon of St John's Church, Utrecht, and he played the recorder for passers by in the churchyard. In 1649 he was given an increase of salary to "now and again in the evening entertain the people promenading in the churchyard with the sound of his little flute [ie. recorder]".

These are popular tunes of his time. His variations are in the form of divisions, where all or most of the original notes of the melody are preserved, with many extra notes added between them. Divisions were a popular form of variation in the second half of the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth centuries.

Here are some of his variations. I'm the recorder player.

Blydschap van myn vliedt [RealAudio: 155 KB]

Bockxvjoete [RealAudio: 177 KB]

Boffons [RealAudio: 209 KB]

Courante Of Harte Dief je Waerom Zoo Stil [RealAudio: 278 KB]

Lossy [RealAudio: 257 KB]

Excuse Moy [RealAudio: 376 KB]

Download RealPlayer (look for the free version)

Home page of recorder sound files compiled by Nicholas Lander

Site with more information about Jacob Van Eyck

Some tunes I've written

Robert's home page

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