Albero (1722-56) was, alongside Antonio Soler, the best of Domenico Scarlatti’s associates and imitators. His undated manuscript Obras, Para Clavicordio ( = harpsichord; added later: o Forte Piano) contains six recercatas, one for each of the keys in the cycle. They are extraordinary semi-free preludes, almost completely notated in normal note values and provided with extensive instructions on tempo changes. But as is always the case in these attempts to direct an interpreter of such works, confusion and uncertainty abound, and the performer’s intelligence and taste are taxed to the maximum. Below I offer two attempts of my own, for nos. 1 and 6.
Soler’s important book, Llave de la Modulación (Key to Modulation, Madrid, 1762), has a section devoted to the composition and performance of preludes which I have translated below. He includes eight engraved examples. His medievo-Scholastical-juridical prolixity is challenging to a degree, and I have smoothed some of it out to avoid unduly annoying the reader.
Soler distinguishes rather arbitrarily between rapid (agitada — as quick as decently possible) and slow (lenta — allowing more time and freedom for exploring keys) modulation, and waffles somewhat between the two where actual preluding is concerned. The reason can be found in an earlier passage, given here:
P. 79-80 “Nowadays excellent and expert masters are not lacking who modulate in their works so successfully and with such finesse, that it is truly a glory of concentration and elegance [suavidad]: it is the latest thing that has been discovered, and exceeds everything else, whose manner of proceeding we will now explain; however, beforehand there are three things to be remarked, the first being, that the definition be understood, since with this we can respond to those who do not wish a composition to exceed its ordinary [regulares] keys, for this can be called composition pour le tiroir [de caxon], since the author who gave the definition [Zarlino] exceeds all (understand: in this art) who have written about music; and I add that if a composition does not modulate, it lacks perfection.
The second is that I will only bring the practice and examples of rapid [agitadas] modulations to light here; and although this illuminates the procedure for slow [lenta] modulation, I will not touch on it here, since that would necessitate another volume the size of this, or slightly smaller; but God willing, I promise to write it, if granted health and life.”
In the course of writing the book Soler must have changed his mind, because as will be seen, he did decide to cover slow modulation, albeit briefly, and calls it the latest and finest thing to be discovered. The contradiction was pointed out by Antonio Roél del Rio in his criticism of the Llave, entitled Reparos Musicos (Madrid, 1764, no. 24). Soler answered in a duelling Satisfacción (Madrid, 1765).
The boundaries between the two categories of modulation remain vague, and in fact, Soler’s own eight preludes are not very remarkable examples of either; rather, they tend to somewhat clumsy displays of keyboard virtuosity. I think he must have been inspired to write about free preludes after seeing Albero’s recercatas, which are superior in every way, and are in fact brilliant examples of tantalizingly slow modulation.
But on the whole, Soler’s text, for all its flaws, together with the precise notation of both composers’ works, contain the clearest information we have on the performance of free preludes.
Regarding movimiento: Soler is again somewhat vague in his use of this word. The English cognate “movement” is clearly inadequate. I distinguish two meanings: where contrasted with “meter”, I take him to mean “overall rhythm”, in keeping with the quasi-free-tempo nature of his preludes. Where connected to the bass line, I translate as “chord progressions”. Each usage appears in brackets in the following translation. There is a kind of parallel here to François Couperin’s mouvement in L’art de toucher le clavecin. The Frenchman uses it to contrast subtleties of (dance) rhythm as against straightforward meter.
Llave, p. 117:
“Having well understood that which has been previously said, we are ready to discuss the Preludes; and although it may seem irregular to end a book with that which should begin it, it is not, because the intent of this book is to teach modulation, putting theory in advance in order to facilitate practice; and since a prelude is composed of two kinds of modulation, the fast and the slow, and since what we have just finished discussing concerns only the one, it follows that we must speak of the other, in order to embrace both types of procedure; and although I had never considered treating slow modulation, I do not want a thing of such taste, importance and novelty as this to be lacking; because it is the most precious music which can be heard, and the most recent which the fertile soil of this science has produced, justly called Physico-Mathematica; and although it pertains solely to the prelude, it will be found useful on the whole to composers, organists and harpsichordists: to the first, because they do the same as the bees do with flowers in order to fill their honeycomb; but the others need to know how to make and execute them: to which end the definition of [p. 118] slow modulation, with the explanation pertaining to the prelude, is as follows.
Modulation gravis, est illa, quae varios modos, modim trahit volentis. This definition says, that slow modulation is that which, passing through various tones (or keys, as we understand them) draws one to that which is desired; from which definition the difference between this [slow modulation], and the rapid becomes clear; and that is, that rapid modulation is obligatory, and obliges; and the slow is obligatory, but does not oblige [i.e., allows more freedom]: from which it follows that slow modulation is the queen of this science, and the most fertile and abundant garden of novelty; because if modulation, speaking of its general definition, is smoothness in transition from one sound to another; in other words, from one key to another; this type of modulation, called the slow, will be much more comprehensible to the ear than the rapid, because of its greater variety of sounds. And from this it follows that a prelude which is being used to determine the key in which a piece is to be played will ultimately have to employ rapid modulation [i.e., because it would otherwise become too long? See the last line of p.120 below]; and while indeterminate [in length and content], it will be able to follow any keys freely and at will; and from what has been said as a point of departure, there can be no doubt that we now see what a prelude is in music: Praeludium est cognitio Physicè consonantiarum, ad rectè operandum. This says that it is the practical knowledge of consonants to produce correct work, for which reason I compare it to the visit of a physician to a sick person; since just as the latter diagnoses the illness and its causes with questions and by taking of the pulse, in order to determine the correct treatment according to the results of his enquiries; so it is that he who arrives at an organ or a harpsichord which he has never played before, goes about checking what parts are healthy or in tune, and which are not; whether the touch requires force or gentleness, &c. and finally in order to play well, one must pass through all the keys found in the work to be performed; and he will do poorly [p. 119] who passing directly to playing or executing his piece, finds some key therein which is out of tune; because arriving at said key, instead of giving pleasure, the contrary will happen, and he will have have to adjust to keys which are in tune, and not discordant.
A prelude is not subject to meter; but it is subject to the overall rhythm [ movimiento ]; and when some doubtful key is encountered, one holds there, and reassures himself by making the modulation found in the work, not with the same notes as found in the work itself, but taking the chord progressions [movimientos] of the bass line, passing through the various keys and modes which accompany [the said modulation]. One will test it with a gentle melody; and upon seeing that the modulation in question does not answer, the dissonance should be hidden immediately by making a suspension after a cadence, or a ligature; and then one can pass to another key. From that which has been said it can be inferred how difficult it is to create a prelude artfully, as well as the novelty which surrounds the process.
One never passes directly from a major to a minor third in the same key, as this would weaken the harmony were a suspension lacking, to be done as follows. For example, if I am in the key of D major, and wish to pass to the minor mode of the same, I will go as follows: I make a cadence from D to A, making a suspension therein, and then I can freely go to the said key of D with a minor third. The reason for this contradiction is obvious from the opposition between pitches, when forming two tonics upon the same note, where the first is ut, re, mi, and the second is re, mi, fa, and this last fa, together with the last mi of the first construction, is the unsingable semitone, the interval so abhorred by the old authorities. It is not my intention to say that such a transition [directly from major to minor] is bad; but rather that, if one works as just sketched, it is better; and the reason (taken from the very definition of harmony) is: “Harmony will be more perfect, (according to Jorge Beneto) as a result of its greater variety; it will be the less perfect as a result of less variety”. Sed [But] the manner of working just recommended is a result of more variety: therefore of better, and more perfect harmony. This “better” derives from the definition of [p. 120] Generic Modulation of Don Pedro Cerone, and that of Jorge Beneto regarding harmony and modulation. The poorer procedure is certain, as is shown by the two keys themselves, since passing immediately from D major to D minor is, strictly speaking, only one key with two different formations on a single tonic; but in the recommended procedure, they can be called two distinct keys, since you have D major, A major, and by reason of the suspension on the latter, you enter the new key with no sharps, which in the first manner is a key with accidentals [i.e., it would be necessary to notate naturals].
When playing or selecting a prelude from those which follow, two things are to be remarked: the first is that, although the notes are under the time signature notated on the staff, it is less necessary to attend to the meter than to the overall rhythm [movimiento], and for this reason, one holds the same note-values for a longer or shorter time, and yet for greater clarity this sign is placed [ tie ], which denotes, or allows one to infer, which note governs the progression [movimiento]; and if one finds notes not covered by the sign, the notes will move according to the notation. Their greater or lesser speed [violencia] is distinguished only by these three words: Arbitri, Largo, Presto: Arbitri goes according to the taste of the performer: Largo is very slow [muy pausado]; and Presto, fast, or their equivalents.
The notes are never struck together, but are heard in their proper order, playing the lowest first, as the foundation of the harmony in question; and the same will be done when small-value notes are encountered before said chord, when the first note of the chord bears the tie sign; but in this case one places the chord according to the order of the said small-value notes.* All will be easily seen and clear in the following examples, keeping in mind that those who want to teach themselves to play them should start with the first, which is the most natural, and taking this as a guideline, they can pass on to the next, since the first four are intended to this end, and the last four are of the length which they should be, sufficient to bring to light the number of modulations contained in a piece [obra]; and any longer would be to annoy those waiting to hear [the obra].”
P. 213 –– A note before the final four preludes, which seems to imply that they should actually be longer in order to test all keys. The cost of engraving four full-length preludes may have been prohibitive. The recercatas of Sebastián Albero (composed between 1748 and 1756 and copied by José Alaguero), very similar in style and purpose to Soler’s preludios, are considerably longer.
“Four other preludes follow here, in order that the proper standard [lo regular] be known, with some slight difference from the length they should be.”
Soler must have written this confusing passage after seeing the plates of the eight preludes which follow, where, as is common in keyboard sources of the era, vertical alignment is off. The less-active left hand is spread out over the bar without regard to its relation to the right. As Soler writes, the fairly clear notation of the right-hand passages reveal the correct placement of the chords.
Albero:
Recercata Sesta - click  to listen (mp3 file)
Recercata Prima - click to listen (mp3 file)
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