Servais - Souvenir de Spa, Op. 2 (Urtext Edition, Piano Version)

François Servais (1807–66) first wrote Souvenir de Spa under the title Fantaisie pour Violoncelle and dedicated it to the Duchess of Looz. In publication, the title became Souvenir de Spa, with the dedication expanded to “composée et dédiée à Madame la Duchesse de Looz Corsvarem [sic].” The Looz-Corswarem family belonged to the Belgian nobility and, as reigning Princes of Rheina-Wolbeck, also to the German nobility.

Like many of Servais’s fantasies, Souvenir de Spa is cast as a theme and variations. The theme appears to be Servais’s own, though it bears thematic and rhythmic similarities to the opening movement of Beethoven’s Septet, Op. 20. The work begins with an A-minor introduction, followed by a cadenza and accompanied recitative. The A-major theme is followed by four variations, including a slow, lyrical, chromatic third variation and a brilliant final variation whose rhythm closely resembles the finale of Servais’s Grande Fantaisie on Rossini’s Barber of Seville.

Souvenir de Spa was popular enough to be quoted in works by Johann Strauss Sr. and Sydney Smith. The main sources for the present edition were Servais’s autograph manuscripts of the piano version and the string quintet version, held by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek under the shelfmarks Mus.Schott.Ha 7957-2 for the piano version and Mus.Schott.Ha 7956-2 for the quintet version. We also consulted the Schott first editions, published in Mainz by B. Schott’s Söhne in 1844 (plate 7739), as well as the Richault edition. The Richault edition was not used as a primary source. Any deviations from the sources are marked editorially or discussed in the footnotes.

We also consulted the wind parts of the orchestral version and an early manuscript version of the cello solo part housed at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels under the shelfmark MS 45.119 (4). The Brussels manuscript differs too substantially from the autograph and first-edition sources to serve as a primary source for the present edition, but it remains valuable because it shows how the work may have circulated and been heard by early audiences. The sources were graciously provided by the Servais Society.

ASTA Level: 6