Baldassare Galuppi - Sonata in D minor

Baldassare Galuppi (1706–85), was a Venetian composer of operas, sacred music and chamber music, as well as keyboard music.

A Toccata of Galuppi's
BY ROBERT BROWNING

I
Oh Galuppi, Baldassaro, this is very sad to find!
I can hardly misconceive you; it would prove me deaf and blind;
But although I take your meaning, 'tis with such a heavy mind!

II
Here you come with your old music, and here's all the good it brings.
What, they lived once thus at Venice where the merchants were the kings,
Where Saint Mark's is, where the Doges used to wed the sea with rings?

III
Ay, because the sea's the street there; and 'tis arched by . . . what you call
. . . Shylock's bridge with houses on it, where they kept the carnival:
I was never out of England—it's as if I saw it all.

IV
Did young people take their pleasure when the sea was warm in May?
Balls and masks begun at midnight, burning ever to mid-day,
When they made up fresh adventures for the morrow, do you say?

V
Was a lady such a lady, cheeks so round and lips so red,—
On her neck the small face buoyant, like a bell-flower on its bed,
O'er the breast's superb abundance where a man might base his head?

VI
Well, and it was graceful of them—they'd break talk off and afford
—She, to bite her mask's black velvet—he, to finger on his sword,
While you sat and played Toccatas, stately at the clavichord?

VII
What? Those lesser thirds so plaintive, sixths diminished, sigh on sigh,
Told them something? Those suspensions, those solutions—"Must we die?"
Those commiserating sevenths—"Life might last! we can but try!

VIII
"Were you happy?" —"Yes."—"And are you still as happy?"—"Yes. And you?"
—"Then, more kisses!"—"Did I stop them, when a million seemed so few?"
Hark, the dominant's persistence till it must be answered to!

IX
So, an octave struck the answer. Oh, they praised you, I dare say!
"Brave Galuppi! that was music! good alike at grave and gay!
"I can always leave off talking when I hear a master play!"

X
Then they left you for their pleasure: till in due time, one by one,
Some with lives that came to nothing, some with deeds as well undone,
Death stepped tacitly and took them where they never see the sun.

XI
But when I sit down to reason, think to take my stand nor swerve,
While I triumph o'er a secret wrung from nature's close reserve,
In you come with your cold music till I creep thro' every nerve.

XII
Yes, you, like a ghostly cricket, creaking where a house was burned:
"Dust and ashes, dead and done with, Venice spent what Venice earned.
"The soul, doubtless, is immortal—where a soul can be discerned.

XIII
"Yours for instance: you know physics, something of geology,
"Mathematics are your pastime; souls shall rise in their degree;
"Butterflies may dread extinction,—you'll not die, it cannot be!

XIV
"As for Venice and her people, merely born to bloom and drop,
"Here on earth they bore their fruitage, mirth and folly were the crop:
"What of soul was left, I wonder, when the kissing had to stop?

XV
"Dust and ashes!" So you creak it, and I want the heart to scold.
Dear dead women, with such hair, too—what's become of all the gold
Used to hang and brush their bosoms? I feel chilly and grown old.

(1855)

The following excerpt is taken from:

The present state of music in France and Italy: or, The journal of a tour through those countries, undertaken to collect materials for a general history of music
By Charles Burney, Muf. D.

Thurfday 16. My vifit to Signor Ga-luppi this morning was long, profitable, and entertaining. I was very glad to find upon Teeing him, that time had fpared the perfon as well as genius of this excellent compofer. He is ftill live-ly and alert, and likely to delight the lovers of muiic many years. His cha-racter and converfation are natural, in-telligent, and agreeable. He is in figure little and thin, but has very much the look of a gentleman. Signor Galuppi was a fcholar of the famous Lotti, and very early taken notice of as a good harp-fichord player, and a genius in compo-fition. He was fo obliging as to prefent me to Signora Galuppi ; to (hew me his houfe -, an admirable picture of a deeping child, by P. Veronefe, which has been long in his wife's family; and to carry me into his working-room, with only a little clavichord in it, where, he told me, he dirtied paper. His family has been very large, but all his children, except three or four, are now well married. He has the appearance of a regular family man, and is efleemed at Venice as much for his private character as for his public talents. He feems, however, rather hurt at the encouragement and protection which fome ecclefiaftical dunces, among whom is F , meet with as compofers here. Indeed, except Sacchini, his fe-cond, he (lands fo high among the prefent race of muficians in Venice, that he feems a giant among dwarfs …
He cer-tainly merits all that can be done for him, being one .of the few remaining original geniuffes of the bell: fchocl per-haps that Italy ever faw.