A couple of weeks ago I wrote the first weblog on music between 'art' and tradition, which focused on music from the continent, from the Middle Ages to our time. In this weblog, I return to this subject, but now with music from the British isles, and some from Scandinavia. For some reasons there seems to be a connection between the two in musical matters.
The British ensemble Wilde Roses [1] released a disc under the title "Woven". It comprises a collection of anonymous pieces from the British isles, including early specimens of traditional music. The programme is a mixture of vocal and instrumental items, and includes both secular and sacred pieces. One of the latter is the carol Deo gracias Anglia, whereas The Willow Song is a secular piece. The disc closes with four pieces from The English Dancing Master, which dates from the second half of the 17th century. This indicates that we get here music from very different times, which explains the stylistic differences. As the items are not ordered chronologically, the listener is torn between the Middle Ages and the time that the Renaissance in England came to its close. I find that rather unsatisfying, but others may have a different experience. Other aspects are more problematic. Almost all pieces are arranged, and the result is not always convincing. Little is left, for instance, of the character of The Willow Song. Some pieces are newly written and don't fit that well into the programme. The interpretation is rather inconsistent: on the one hand the performers use historical pronunciation, which is very praiseworthy. On the other hand, they make use of a nyckelharpa, an instrument which belongs in the tradition of Scandinavia, but whose use in England is highly debatable. The programme of this disc is quite interesting, but the way it has been realised and the performances are disappointing.
With the second disc we enter better-known territory. Clare Wilkinson, Veronika Skuplik, Hille Perl and Andreas Arend [2] perform a programme which includes pieces by well-known composers, such as Henry Purcell, John Blow and Christopher Simpson. Again, the items date from different periods, but there the distance in time is less extreme. Most of the pieces date from the period of around 1600 to the early 18th century, which means that both the renaissance and baroque periods are represented. Far less known - at least outside the British isles - are the traditional items. More than the previous disc, this recording moves between 'art' and tradition. However, the programme is rather inconsistent, in that the connection between the two is rather loose or even absent (unlike that on the disc by the ensemble Prisma, which I reviewed in the previous weblog). It is a mystery to me, what may be the connection between the two violin sonatas by Henry Eccles and Godfrey Finger respectively on the one hand and the traditional songs on the other. As in so many recordings of traditional music, many pueces have been arranged. That is inevitable, especially as traditional tunes are monophonic. Moreover, arrangement is one of the features of traditional music. Unfortunately, here the arrangements include elements which are stylistically at odds with the tenor of this programme. Moreover, several pieces of 'art' music are also arranged. It was a pretty bad idea to add instrumental parts to some of the lute songs included here, such as Robert Johnson's Have you seen the white lily grow. Out of this wood, a text from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, is sung here to the Italian tune known as La Monica and in England as The Queen's Alman, but the text does not really fit the tune too well. The performers are fine artists, but this recording leaves me rather unsatisfied. As one may expect, the pieces of 'art' music that are performed as they were intended by the composers, come off best by far.
The third disc connects traditional music from Britain and Scandinavia. The common subject is midsummer, which is celebrated in both parts of Europe. Considering the character of the programme I was hesitating whether I would review this disc. However, the Quadriga Consort [3] calls itself an 'early music band' and therefore music lovers may expect 'early music'. A look at its website shows that this ensemble has a special interest in traditional music and often performs repertoire on the brink of traditional and 'art' music. As they are from Austria it is remarkable that they give much attention to music from the British isles; two of their discs are devoted to English Christmas music, and they also recorded traditional music from Scotland. As far as I can tell, their performances are pretty idiomatic, which is quite an achievement. That said, the present disc can hardly be considered 'early music'. Only in some cases the liner-notes indicate when a piece has come into existence; I assume that the date of 'composition' is often not known. Fact is that a number of pieces are from the 19th or 20th centuries; one Swedish piece is Idas sommarvisa, a setting of words by Astrid Lindgren used for a movie of 1973. Given the nature of the programme, one wonders why early music instruments such as recorders, viola da gamba and basse de violon are used. Most pieces are arranged, and six items are settings of traditional texts by the ensemble's director, Nikolaus Newerkla. This disc is probably mainly of interest to those who have a special liking of traditional music. Pieces of 'art' music are entirely absent. The singing and playing leave nothing to be desired.
With The Poker Club Band [4] and its disc, called "Tulluchgorum", we return safely to the 18th century, which saw the emergence of a lively interest in music that was characteristic of a particular country or region. It was the time of the Enlightenment, and part of its philosophy embraced a wish to increase knowledge and an emphasis on the importance of learning. At the same time, 'naturalness' was greatly appreciated, and this resulted in an idealization of life at the countryside and its music. Some composers showed interest in traditional music, and Joseph Haydn, one of Europe's most famous composers, took up the challenge of writing accompaniments for keyboard, violin and cello to traditional tunes from Scotland. However, some Scottish musicians considered these arrangements too sophisticated and too far away from what Scottish music was about. This inspired the harpist Masako Art to put together a programme of Haydn's arrangements and some original Scottish songs and perform it in the manner of a 'historical crossover'. The members of the ensemble play period instruments, among them a guitar and a harp, and James Graham, a seasoned singer of traditional music, takes care of the songs. In between we hear some instrumental pieces, all inspired by Haydn. Art's idea has resulted in a most interesting and highly entertaining programme, excellently executed by singer and instrumentalists. It will not only appeal to lovers of tradional music, but also to Haydn fans.
[1] Woven
Wilde Roses
Rubicon RCD1061 (© 2020) details
[2] Ballads within a dream
Clare Wilkinson (soprano), Veronika Skuplik (violin), Hille Perl (viola da gamba), Andreas Arend (theorbo)
deutsche harmonia mundi 19075982082 (© 2020) details
[3] Midsummer - Traditional songs and dance tunes from Scandinavia and Britain
Quadriga Consort
deutsche harmonia mundi 19439858972 (© 2021) details
[4] Tullochgorum - Franz Joseph Haydn: Scottish Songs
The Poker Club Band/Masako Art
BIS 2471 [SACD] (© 2019) details
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Friday, July 2, 2021
Between 'art' and tradition (1)
Most 'classical' music performed today in churches and concert halls all over the world, and recorded on disc, belongs among the category of what is called 'art music'. It was written by composers and has come down to us in fixed form, either in manuscript or in printed editions. However, in the course of history, much music - and probably even most - was sung and played by people who did not use any written notes; many of them were probably not even able to read music. Improvisation was the name of the game, and music was handed over from one generation to another orally. It had no fixed form, and in the course of time, both texts and music often changed considerably. In most cases their original forms are not known, unless at some time such music was written down. Obviously, in the case of traditional music, it is hard, if not impossible, to decide which kind of performance is 'authentic'. That should be taken into consideration in the assessment of the discs under review here.
The Capella de Ministrers has released a disc with the title "Arrels" [1], which means "roots". This word seems to be part of the dialect that is spoken in the Spanish province Valencia, as this disc is devoted to this part of Spain. This is probably where this ensemble is rooted, since in the booklet its director, Carles Magraner, states that after thirty years of exploration of 'our' musical heritage, time has come to shed light on the connection between tradition and the earliest specimens of 'art music'. The programme includes several genres that we still know today, such as the fandango and the bolero, as well as the typical Spanish jacara. As one may expect, most pieces are anonymous. The only relatively well-known composer is Juan Bautista Comes (1582-1643). A disc with motets and villancicos from his pen was released by Brilliant Classics in 2016. Here we also hear a sacred piece, and the connection with tradional music is that it is based on the folia, originally a folk dance, which in the course of history was often used as a subject of variations. Unfortunately, Magraner decided to perform traditional melodies with newly-written lyrics. That does not compromise the importance of this production, as its aim is realised anyway. The ensemble delivers engaging performances. Alongside instruments which are common in performances of early music, such as viola da gamba, recorder and harp, the performers also use instruments which are almost exclusively used in traditional music. The two singers feel completely at home in this repertoire and rightly avoid a way of singing which is too 'sophisticated'. Apart from those who are open to this kind of music, lovers of Spanish music should investigate this disc.
It's only a small step to the next disc, because Ex Silentio [2] opens its programme with a song from the Sephardic tradition. That is the music of the Jews, who lived at the Iberian peninsula, until they were evicted from the country (unless they were willing to convert to the Christian faith) at the end of the 15th century. For several centuries Jews, Christians and (islamic) Moors lived together; the latter are the connection to the Near East, whose musical culture is the thread of the programme, as the disc's subtitle indicates. Several pieces represent Ottoman culture, but there are also songs which are stylistically part of Western culture, but have been written at the court of Nicosia. The disc closes with four such songs. Before these we hear No m'agrad, a song by Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, a French troubadour, who is assumed to have spent the last years of his life in Thessaloniki. This song is monophonic, but is performed here to an accompaniment of instruments, which also play interludes. These are strongly influenced by the musical culture of the Near East, and it is questionable whether they do justice to the character of this song. Unfortunately the programme notes are rather concise. The programme includes two so-called peşrevs, but what exactly is a peşrev is not explained. It is a form of Turkish classical music; more about that at Wikipedia. These two pieces are performed in arrangements, and one of them does sound a bit modern to my ears. Despite my critical remarks, I recommend this disc, as it sheds light on the connection between East and West in the realm of the music of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, and does so in a largely convincing manner. The singing and playing leave nothing to be desired.
Traditional music has no fixed form, but sometimes specimens from this kind of repertoire were written down. A manuscript of this kind was the main source for the programme recorded by the ensemble Prisma [3]. It dates from the 17th century and is known as Codex Caioni. It includes pieces from Italy and Germany as well as traditional music of what is today Hungary and Romania. The performers have added traditional songs and dances of later times. The title of this disc refers to an organ treatise by Girolamo Diruta, Il Transilvano, which was published in Venice in 1593 and was dedicated to Prince Sigismund Báthory of Transylvania. This is also what Dávid Budai, who plays bass violin and folk viola, inspired to compose a toccata in Diruta's style. It is one of several pieces from the pen of members of the ensemble. With this disc they aim at showing the connection between 'art music' and traditional music. La Romana by Orazio Tarditi is an example of an Italian piece in the modern concertante style of the early 17th century which found its entry in the Codex. Whether Biagio Marini's well-known Sonata sopra La Monica is also part of the collection is unclear, but its inclusion is inspired by the fact that this popular song, which was known in different countries under different titles, was used in Hungary for a sacred hymn. Improvisation is also an important element in the traditional part of the programme. Dávid Budai's Toccata la Francesca makes use of elements from the ensuing traditional song Bocsásd meg Úristen (Forgive me, O Lord). The programme includes a number of dances. Dance music is not only a substantial part of 'art music', it is also one of the most important aspects of popular culture. Dances of the first category are mostly not intended for dancing, but in popular culture they certainly were. One may think that traditional music is mostly rather simple, especially as its performers may usually have been amateurs, without a formal musical education. Some dances included here prove otherwise, as they are remarkably virtuosic. The selection of pieces makes much sense, and the singing and playing is excellent.
These three discs are quite different in content and in the way the programmes have been put together. However, they have one important thing in common. Over the years I have heard quite some discs with a mixture of traditional and 'art music', and many of them did not convince me, for instance because traditional music was given too sophisticated a performance, or, rather, because 'art music' was 'popularised'. Nothing of that is the case on these discs. Here the character of each individual piece is respected, and it is admirable that the performers are able to adapt to the different nature of the pieces they have selected. For those who have a special interest in traditional music, these three discs are valuable additions to their collection, whereas those who are mainly interested in early music may also be interested to become acquainted with the connections between 'art' and tradition.
[1] Arrels - Entre la tradicio i el patrimoni (Blending tradition and heritage)
Capella de Ministrers/Carles Magraner
Capella de Ministrers CdM 1844 (© 2018) details
[2] Lethe - Forgotten music of the oriental courts of Thessaloniki, Nicosia and Istanbul, from the Middle Ages to the 17th century
Ex Silentio
Carpe Diem CD-16323 (© 2020) details
[3] Il Transilvano - Musical bridges between Italy and Hungary around 1600
Prisma
Ambronay AMY312 (© 2020) details
The Capella de Ministrers has released a disc with the title "Arrels" [1], which means "roots". This word seems to be part of the dialect that is spoken in the Spanish province Valencia, as this disc is devoted to this part of Spain. This is probably where this ensemble is rooted, since in the booklet its director, Carles Magraner, states that after thirty years of exploration of 'our' musical heritage, time has come to shed light on the connection between tradition and the earliest specimens of 'art music'. The programme includes several genres that we still know today, such as the fandango and the bolero, as well as the typical Spanish jacara. As one may expect, most pieces are anonymous. The only relatively well-known composer is Juan Bautista Comes (1582-1643). A disc with motets and villancicos from his pen was released by Brilliant Classics in 2016. Here we also hear a sacred piece, and the connection with tradional music is that it is based on the folia, originally a folk dance, which in the course of history was often used as a subject of variations. Unfortunately, Magraner decided to perform traditional melodies with newly-written lyrics. That does not compromise the importance of this production, as its aim is realised anyway. The ensemble delivers engaging performances. Alongside instruments which are common in performances of early music, such as viola da gamba, recorder and harp, the performers also use instruments which are almost exclusively used in traditional music. The two singers feel completely at home in this repertoire and rightly avoid a way of singing which is too 'sophisticated'. Apart from those who are open to this kind of music, lovers of Spanish music should investigate this disc.
It's only a small step to the next disc, because Ex Silentio [2] opens its programme with a song from the Sephardic tradition. That is the music of the Jews, who lived at the Iberian peninsula, until they were evicted from the country (unless they were willing to convert to the Christian faith) at the end of the 15th century. For several centuries Jews, Christians and (islamic) Moors lived together; the latter are the connection to the Near East, whose musical culture is the thread of the programme, as the disc's subtitle indicates. Several pieces represent Ottoman culture, but there are also songs which are stylistically part of Western culture, but have been written at the court of Nicosia. The disc closes with four such songs. Before these we hear No m'agrad, a song by Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, a French troubadour, who is assumed to have spent the last years of his life in Thessaloniki. This song is monophonic, but is performed here to an accompaniment of instruments, which also play interludes. These are strongly influenced by the musical culture of the Near East, and it is questionable whether they do justice to the character of this song. Unfortunately the programme notes are rather concise. The programme includes two so-called peşrevs, but what exactly is a peşrev is not explained. It is a form of Turkish classical music; more about that at Wikipedia. These two pieces are performed in arrangements, and one of them does sound a bit modern to my ears. Despite my critical remarks, I recommend this disc, as it sheds light on the connection between East and West in the realm of the music of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, and does so in a largely convincing manner. The singing and playing leave nothing to be desired.
Traditional music has no fixed form, but sometimes specimens from this kind of repertoire were written down. A manuscript of this kind was the main source for the programme recorded by the ensemble Prisma [3]. It dates from the 17th century and is known as Codex Caioni. It includes pieces from Italy and Germany as well as traditional music of what is today Hungary and Romania. The performers have added traditional songs and dances of later times. The title of this disc refers to an organ treatise by Girolamo Diruta, Il Transilvano, which was published in Venice in 1593 and was dedicated to Prince Sigismund Báthory of Transylvania. This is also what Dávid Budai, who plays bass violin and folk viola, inspired to compose a toccata in Diruta's style. It is one of several pieces from the pen of members of the ensemble. With this disc they aim at showing the connection between 'art music' and traditional music. La Romana by Orazio Tarditi is an example of an Italian piece in the modern concertante style of the early 17th century which found its entry in the Codex. Whether Biagio Marini's well-known Sonata sopra La Monica is also part of the collection is unclear, but its inclusion is inspired by the fact that this popular song, which was known in different countries under different titles, was used in Hungary for a sacred hymn. Improvisation is also an important element in the traditional part of the programme. Dávid Budai's Toccata la Francesca makes use of elements from the ensuing traditional song Bocsásd meg Úristen (Forgive me, O Lord). The programme includes a number of dances. Dance music is not only a substantial part of 'art music', it is also one of the most important aspects of popular culture. Dances of the first category are mostly not intended for dancing, but in popular culture they certainly were. One may think that traditional music is mostly rather simple, especially as its performers may usually have been amateurs, without a formal musical education. Some dances included here prove otherwise, as they are remarkably virtuosic. The selection of pieces makes much sense, and the singing and playing is excellent.
These three discs are quite different in content and in the way the programmes have been put together. However, they have one important thing in common. Over the years I have heard quite some discs with a mixture of traditional and 'art music', and many of them did not convince me, for instance because traditional music was given too sophisticated a performance, or, rather, because 'art music' was 'popularised'. Nothing of that is the case on these discs. Here the character of each individual piece is respected, and it is admirable that the performers are able to adapt to the different nature of the pieces they have selected. For those who have a special interest in traditional music, these three discs are valuable additions to their collection, whereas those who are mainly interested in early music may also be interested to become acquainted with the connections between 'art' and tradition.
[1] Arrels - Entre la tradicio i el patrimoni (Blending tradition and heritage)
Capella de Ministrers/Carles Magraner
Capella de Ministrers CdM 1844 (© 2018) details
[2] Lethe - Forgotten music of the oriental courts of Thessaloniki, Nicosia and Istanbul, from the Middle Ages to the 17th century
Ex Silentio
Carpe Diem CD-16323 (© 2020) details
[3] Il Transilvano - Musical bridges between Italy and Hungary around 1600
Prisma
Ambronay AMY312 (© 2020) details
Friday, June 18, 2021
Bach and the orchestra
"Bach and the orchestra" - that is probably the wrong title for a weblog with reviews of instrumental music for more than a few instruments. In the baroque era, the orchestra did not exist. Instrumental music was played by a court chapel, like the one in Dresden, or a Collegium Musicum, like the one Bach directed in Leipzig. Such ensembles covered any kind of instrumental music, from sonatas for a few instruments to concertos for one or more solo instruments and suites. Moreover, what today is called 'orchestral music' may well mostly have been played with one instrument per part, which basically nullifies the difference between 'chamber music' and 'orchestral music'. Three of the recordings reviewed here follow this principle; on the remaining two we hear ensembles of a considerably larger size.
The four Overtures or orchestral suites fit into a tradition which had established itself in the last decades of the 17th century, when aristocrats were so impressed by the splendour of Louis XIV's court that they wished to copy what was going on there, and that included aspects of musical life. The instrumental music which was part of the operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully made a great impression and composers went to France to listen and to study. They started to compose in the French style. Telemann, Fasch and Bach were among the composers who adopted the form of the orchestral suite, and turned it into a tool of the 'mixed taste', in which elements of the French, the Italian and the German style were mingled. Rinaldo Alessandrini, in the liner-notes to his recording of the four Overtures by Bach [1], extensively explains what we know or what can be assumed about the history of these works. Much remains in the dark, and there are also aspects of performance practice which leave much open for debate and for different solutions. That concerns, for instance, the number of players to be involved, an aspect I already mentioned above. Alessandrini is one of those who believe that a performance with one instrument per part was the standard. This results in a more prominent role of the winds in the Overtures 1, 3 and 4. Another issue is that of repeats: in many performances the opening section of the ouverture is repeated, but not the second (ABA). Alessandrini does repeat it, and it is followed by a second repeat of the A section (ABABA). He also repeats most dacapos of the dances. He does not say anything conclusive about the question whether this was music for dancing, which may have consequences for the tempi. Notable is that he takes the courante in the Overture No. 1 slower than other performers. The last notes of every phrase of the forlane is emphasized. Curious is the speeding up at the end of the polonaise in the Overture No. 2. Here the ornamentation of the flute part is modest; there is no ornamentation in the tutti. The playing time of the overtures together, when the opening movements are as long as here, is rather uncomfortable: too long for one disc, too short for two. Alessandrini had the nice idea to add one of the four overtures by Johann Bernhard Bach and the only overture by Johann Ludwig Bach. This is a well-deserved tribute to two members of the Bach dynasty, and shows that Bach's overtures fit in a tradition embraced by other members of his family as well. Overall, Alessandrini has managed to come up with an original contribution to a corpus of music that is frequently performed and recorded. The playing is, as one may expect, excellent.
The Brandenburg Concertos are even more popular and are more frequently performed and recorded than the Overtures. It seems that almost any baroque orchestra feels the need to prove its skills by performing and recording them. There can be hardly any doubt about the qualities of the Concerto Copenhagen [2]. Some of its admirers may have longed for its view on these Bach evergreens. I could do without it, as there are already more recordings in the catalogue than one can listen to. Only now and then one has the chance to hear a performance that has something uncommon to offer. That was the case, for instance, with the recording by La Petite Bande (Accent, 2010). The trumpet part in the Concerto No. 2 was played at a natural trumpet without unhistorical holes. For the cello parts, the ensemble's director, Sigiswald Kuijken, turned to the violoncello da spalla. The 16' violone was omitted from the ensemble; instead a 8' violone, also known as basse de violon, was used. Lastly, all six concertos were performed with one instrument per part. The latter is the least uncommon feature of that recording: Concerto Copenhagen does the same. The 16' violone is played in four of the concertos; the 8' instrument is used in the Concertos Nos. 2 and 6. The other two features of Kuijken's recording are absent here. Unfortunately, the instruments are not specified in the booklet (which in itself is a serious omission), but I am sure that Robert Farley does play a trumpet with holes. Overall, I am a little disappointed about these performances. The Concerto No. 1 lacks profile; especially at the start, the parts of the horns are underexposed. The Concertos Nos. 3 and 6 go by without making much impression. I too often missed dynamic accents. One reviewer called these performances 'relaxed'. That is one way to put it. The Concerto No. 4 is one of the better, thanks to the playing of violinist Fredrik From and the two recorder players Kate Hearne and Katy Bircher. The latter plays the transverse flute in the Concerto No. 5; Mortensen plays the harpsichord cadenza very well, but I would have liked more rubato. As one may understand, these are not my Brandenburg Concertos, even though there is certainly much to enjoy. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to choose from.
My previous blog opened with these sentences: "Every year sees the release of new recordings of keyboard music by Johann Sebastian Bach. The question is justified, whether any of them have something to offer that is different from what is already on the market." The same can be said about Bach's 'orchestral works'. They are the core repertoire of many baroque orchestras, and they are frequently played in concerts. There are also numerous recordings of these works on the market. Even so, the Bremer Barockorchester [3] decided to devote its first ever recording to three of Bach's most popular works, although the Concerto BWV 1052 is performed here in a 'reconstruction' for violin, which is less common than the version for harpsichord. The liner-notes claim that this recording documents "an avant-garde spirit of renewal, (...) exploring new paths which are gradually opening in the world of historically informed performance". The 'renewal' mainly concerns the issue of ornamentation. As most readers may know, this is a matter of debate among scholars and performers. There is no difference of opinion about the common practice of adding embellishments in baroque music, but it is questioned whether Bach expected performers to do so in his music. Some argue that Bach has mostly written out the ornamentation himself and that adding more would just distort his works. This issue is not mentioned in the liner-notes. Where this recording is different from what is on the market - unless I have missed something - is that in the Overture in b minor, the players add a lot of embellishments in the tutti. This is not exactly in favour of transparency. What is more, the players add so much ornamentation that the melodic lines are indeed largely distorted, on the verge of being not recognizable. This practice is defended with a reference to the habits of Johann Georg Pisendel. I had not heard about that, but even if that is indeed correct, that in itself is no reason to apply it in Bach's music. In the solo parts of the transverse flute, the melodic line is sometimes almost rewritten, comparable with the bad habit of opera singers to rewrite their part in the dacapos of arias. It is quite odd, then, that there is hardly any ornamentation in the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. I miss any consistency here. The tempi in the Overture also tend to be pretty extreme, in the sense that some are much slower than in most recordings. To give an example: the rondeaux takes 2'05" here, vs just 1'17" in Rinaldo Alessandrini's recording. There is nothing wrong with the playing as such; this is a fine ensemble. However, I find the performance of the Overture very unconvincing, even annoying, also because two movements are introduced by several instruments, such as the lute. The Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 is much better and the violin concerto also receives a good performance. I don't discuss here the question whether the latter can be called a 'reconstruction', as some scholars believe it has never been conceived as a violin concerto in the first place. Since the ensemble comprises six violins and two violas, one will understand that this ensemble does not follow the one-instrument-per-part principle.
Il Gardellino [4] recorded the three main 'orchestral' works in which the transverse flute plays a key role, under the title "Concertos with Flute", which is a bit odd, given that the disc opens with the Overture in b minor. The tutti are performed with one instrument per part. Whereas the Overture and the 5th Brandenburg Concerto belong among the most frequently-performed works by Bach, the so-called Triple Concerto seems to be a little less popular, for whatever reason. It makes much sense to bring the two concertos together in one recording, because of the similarity in scoring but also for the differences in the way the three solo instruments are treated. Whereas the harpsichord is the star in the first movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, the three instruments are more treated on equal footing in the Triple Concerto. Il Gardellino is a fine ensemble that seldom disappoints. This is another fine recording, although I tend to think that the performances are a bit too neat and too harmless. There is no lack of dynamic accents, but I would have liked a stronger differentiation between 'good' and 'bad' notes. Zvi Meniker does play the solo in the first movement of the 5th Brandenburg Concerto very well, and I noted with satisfaction that he uses some rubato to prevent this part being reduced to a shower of notes. The fact that the flute is specifically mentioned in the title does not justify its dominance in the performances: it tends to overshadow the violin, whose parts are a bit underexposed. Those who have a special liking of the transverse flute will certainly like this disc.
The sinfonias which open a number of cantatas constitute a particular genre within the corpus of 'orchestral music'. We don't know for sure why Bach, whose cantatas usually start with an elaborate choral movement, decided to open some with a sinfonia. For most of them he turned to pre-existing material, in particular instrumental works he had written in Cöthen, including the Brandenburg Concertos. Peter Wollny, in his liner-notes to the recording by the Ensemble Cordia [5], suggests that "[by] choosing these models with their implied reminiscence of his time as kapellmeister Bach was able to draw attention to his position as 'Director Musices Lipsiensis', i.e. the municipal kapellmeister of the city of Leipzig". Of course, he also may have considered that the music was too good not to be used again. A number of sinfonias include an obbligato part for organ. These pose considerable problems for modern performers. Obviously, Bach used the large organ in the Thomaskirche for such parts, as he did for the performance of the basso continuo. Today, only a few churches have organs which are not only suitable for Bach's music, but are also placed on a balcony which is large enough for the placement of an instrumental ensemble of the size needed for these sinfonias. Because of that, performers often turn to a small organ of the type also used in the basso continuo; that is also the case here. The results are musically unsatisfying. Such organs lack the palette of colours which large instruments have to offer, and the balance with the orchestra is also rather unsatisfying. Takashi Watanabe does play the obbligato parts well, but he can't really save this recording. The Ensemble Cordia is a fine ensemble, and I certainly have enjoyed their performances, but the interpretation is a bit too straightforward. I would have preferred a more breathing style of playing, and a more differentiated treatment of tempo. This recording has nothing to offer that we haven't heard before.
[1] "Ouvertures for Orchestra" (BWV 1066-1069)
Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini
Naïve OP 30578 (2 CDs) (© 2019) details
[2] Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-1051)
Concerto Copenhagen/Lars Ulrik Mortensen
CPO 555 158-2 (2 SACDs) (© 2018) details
[3] "Bach to the Roots!"
Bremer Barockorchester/Néstor Fabián Cortés Garzón
arcantus arc 20021 (© 2020) details
[4] "Concertos with Flute"
Il Gardellino/Jan De Winne, transverse flute
Accent ACC 24341 (© 2018) details
[5] "Sinfonias from Cantatas"
Takashi Watanabe, organ; Ensemble Cordia/Stefano Veggetti
Brilliant Classics 96218 (© 2021) details
The four Overtures or orchestral suites fit into a tradition which had established itself in the last decades of the 17th century, when aristocrats were so impressed by the splendour of Louis XIV's court that they wished to copy what was going on there, and that included aspects of musical life. The instrumental music which was part of the operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully made a great impression and composers went to France to listen and to study. They started to compose in the French style. Telemann, Fasch and Bach were among the composers who adopted the form of the orchestral suite, and turned it into a tool of the 'mixed taste', in which elements of the French, the Italian and the German style were mingled. Rinaldo Alessandrini, in the liner-notes to his recording of the four Overtures by Bach [1], extensively explains what we know or what can be assumed about the history of these works. Much remains in the dark, and there are also aspects of performance practice which leave much open for debate and for different solutions. That concerns, for instance, the number of players to be involved, an aspect I already mentioned above. Alessandrini is one of those who believe that a performance with one instrument per part was the standard. This results in a more prominent role of the winds in the Overtures 1, 3 and 4. Another issue is that of repeats: in many performances the opening section of the ouverture is repeated, but not the second (ABA). Alessandrini does repeat it, and it is followed by a second repeat of the A section (ABABA). He also repeats most dacapos of the dances. He does not say anything conclusive about the question whether this was music for dancing, which may have consequences for the tempi. Notable is that he takes the courante in the Overture No. 1 slower than other performers. The last notes of every phrase of the forlane is emphasized. Curious is the speeding up at the end of the polonaise in the Overture No. 2. Here the ornamentation of the flute part is modest; there is no ornamentation in the tutti. The playing time of the overtures together, when the opening movements are as long as here, is rather uncomfortable: too long for one disc, too short for two. Alessandrini had the nice idea to add one of the four overtures by Johann Bernhard Bach and the only overture by Johann Ludwig Bach. This is a well-deserved tribute to two members of the Bach dynasty, and shows that Bach's overtures fit in a tradition embraced by other members of his family as well. Overall, Alessandrini has managed to come up with an original contribution to a corpus of music that is frequently performed and recorded. The playing is, as one may expect, excellent.
The Brandenburg Concertos are even more popular and are more frequently performed and recorded than the Overtures. It seems that almost any baroque orchestra feels the need to prove its skills by performing and recording them. There can be hardly any doubt about the qualities of the Concerto Copenhagen [2]. Some of its admirers may have longed for its view on these Bach evergreens. I could do without it, as there are already more recordings in the catalogue than one can listen to. Only now and then one has the chance to hear a performance that has something uncommon to offer. That was the case, for instance, with the recording by La Petite Bande (Accent, 2010). The trumpet part in the Concerto No. 2 was played at a natural trumpet without unhistorical holes. For the cello parts, the ensemble's director, Sigiswald Kuijken, turned to the violoncello da spalla. The 16' violone was omitted from the ensemble; instead a 8' violone, also known as basse de violon, was used. Lastly, all six concertos were performed with one instrument per part. The latter is the least uncommon feature of that recording: Concerto Copenhagen does the same. The 16' violone is played in four of the concertos; the 8' instrument is used in the Concertos Nos. 2 and 6. The other two features of Kuijken's recording are absent here. Unfortunately, the instruments are not specified in the booklet (which in itself is a serious omission), but I am sure that Robert Farley does play a trumpet with holes. Overall, I am a little disappointed about these performances. The Concerto No. 1 lacks profile; especially at the start, the parts of the horns are underexposed. The Concertos Nos. 3 and 6 go by without making much impression. I too often missed dynamic accents. One reviewer called these performances 'relaxed'. That is one way to put it. The Concerto No. 4 is one of the better, thanks to the playing of violinist Fredrik From and the two recorder players Kate Hearne and Katy Bircher. The latter plays the transverse flute in the Concerto No. 5; Mortensen plays the harpsichord cadenza very well, but I would have liked more rubato. As one may understand, these are not my Brandenburg Concertos, even though there is certainly much to enjoy. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to choose from.
My previous blog opened with these sentences: "Every year sees the release of new recordings of keyboard music by Johann Sebastian Bach. The question is justified, whether any of them have something to offer that is different from what is already on the market." The same can be said about Bach's 'orchestral works'. They are the core repertoire of many baroque orchestras, and they are frequently played in concerts. There are also numerous recordings of these works on the market. Even so, the Bremer Barockorchester [3] decided to devote its first ever recording to three of Bach's most popular works, although the Concerto BWV 1052 is performed here in a 'reconstruction' for violin, which is less common than the version for harpsichord. The liner-notes claim that this recording documents "an avant-garde spirit of renewal, (...) exploring new paths which are gradually opening in the world of historically informed performance". The 'renewal' mainly concerns the issue of ornamentation. As most readers may know, this is a matter of debate among scholars and performers. There is no difference of opinion about the common practice of adding embellishments in baroque music, but it is questioned whether Bach expected performers to do so in his music. Some argue that Bach has mostly written out the ornamentation himself and that adding more would just distort his works. This issue is not mentioned in the liner-notes. Where this recording is different from what is on the market - unless I have missed something - is that in the Overture in b minor, the players add a lot of embellishments in the tutti. This is not exactly in favour of transparency. What is more, the players add so much ornamentation that the melodic lines are indeed largely distorted, on the verge of being not recognizable. This practice is defended with a reference to the habits of Johann Georg Pisendel. I had not heard about that, but even if that is indeed correct, that in itself is no reason to apply it in Bach's music. In the solo parts of the transverse flute, the melodic line is sometimes almost rewritten, comparable with the bad habit of opera singers to rewrite their part in the dacapos of arias. It is quite odd, then, that there is hardly any ornamentation in the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. I miss any consistency here. The tempi in the Overture also tend to be pretty extreme, in the sense that some are much slower than in most recordings. To give an example: the rondeaux takes 2'05" here, vs just 1'17" in Rinaldo Alessandrini's recording. There is nothing wrong with the playing as such; this is a fine ensemble. However, I find the performance of the Overture very unconvincing, even annoying, also because two movements are introduced by several instruments, such as the lute. The Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 is much better and the violin concerto also receives a good performance. I don't discuss here the question whether the latter can be called a 'reconstruction', as some scholars believe it has never been conceived as a violin concerto in the first place. Since the ensemble comprises six violins and two violas, one will understand that this ensemble does not follow the one-instrument-per-part principle.
Il Gardellino [4] recorded the three main 'orchestral' works in which the transverse flute plays a key role, under the title "Concertos with Flute", which is a bit odd, given that the disc opens with the Overture in b minor. The tutti are performed with one instrument per part. Whereas the Overture and the 5th Brandenburg Concerto belong among the most frequently-performed works by Bach, the so-called Triple Concerto seems to be a little less popular, for whatever reason. It makes much sense to bring the two concertos together in one recording, because of the similarity in scoring but also for the differences in the way the three solo instruments are treated. Whereas the harpsichord is the star in the first movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, the three instruments are more treated on equal footing in the Triple Concerto. Il Gardellino is a fine ensemble that seldom disappoints. This is another fine recording, although I tend to think that the performances are a bit too neat and too harmless. There is no lack of dynamic accents, but I would have liked a stronger differentiation between 'good' and 'bad' notes. Zvi Meniker does play the solo in the first movement of the 5th Brandenburg Concerto very well, and I noted with satisfaction that he uses some rubato to prevent this part being reduced to a shower of notes. The fact that the flute is specifically mentioned in the title does not justify its dominance in the performances: it tends to overshadow the violin, whose parts are a bit underexposed. Those who have a special liking of the transverse flute will certainly like this disc.
The sinfonias which open a number of cantatas constitute a particular genre within the corpus of 'orchestral music'. We don't know for sure why Bach, whose cantatas usually start with an elaborate choral movement, decided to open some with a sinfonia. For most of them he turned to pre-existing material, in particular instrumental works he had written in Cöthen, including the Brandenburg Concertos. Peter Wollny, in his liner-notes to the recording by the Ensemble Cordia [5], suggests that "[by] choosing these models with their implied reminiscence of his time as kapellmeister Bach was able to draw attention to his position as 'Director Musices Lipsiensis', i.e. the municipal kapellmeister of the city of Leipzig". Of course, he also may have considered that the music was too good not to be used again. A number of sinfonias include an obbligato part for organ. These pose considerable problems for modern performers. Obviously, Bach used the large organ in the Thomaskirche for such parts, as he did for the performance of the basso continuo. Today, only a few churches have organs which are not only suitable for Bach's music, but are also placed on a balcony which is large enough for the placement of an instrumental ensemble of the size needed for these sinfonias. Because of that, performers often turn to a small organ of the type also used in the basso continuo; that is also the case here. The results are musically unsatisfying. Such organs lack the palette of colours which large instruments have to offer, and the balance with the orchestra is also rather unsatisfying. Takashi Watanabe does play the obbligato parts well, but he can't really save this recording. The Ensemble Cordia is a fine ensemble, and I certainly have enjoyed their performances, but the interpretation is a bit too straightforward. I would have preferred a more breathing style of playing, and a more differentiated treatment of tempo. This recording has nothing to offer that we haven't heard before.
[1] "Ouvertures for Orchestra" (BWV 1066-1069)
Concerto Italiano/Rinaldo Alessandrini
Naïve OP 30578 (2 CDs) (© 2019) details
[2] Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-1051)
Concerto Copenhagen/Lars Ulrik Mortensen
CPO 555 158-2 (2 SACDs) (© 2018) details
[3] "Bach to the Roots!"
Bremer Barockorchester/Néstor Fabián Cortés Garzón
arcantus arc 20021 (© 2020) details
[4] "Concertos with Flute"
Il Gardellino/Jan De Winne, transverse flute
Accent ACC 24341 (© 2018) details
[5] "Sinfonias from Cantatas"
Takashi Watanabe, organ; Ensemble Cordia/Stefano Veggetti
Brilliant Classics 96218 (© 2021) details
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Bach and the harpsichord
Every year sees the release of new recordings of keyboard music by Johann Sebastian Bach. The question is justified, whether any of them have something to offer that is different from what is already on the market. In the case of the French Suites, a new recording of which has been released by Brilliant Classics, that question is easy to answer. Wolfgang Rübsam [1] performs them on the lute-harpsichord, and although this instrument may have been used for these suites before, such an approach to these well-known pieces is anything but common. The instrument's sound is clearly different from that of the common harpsichord. One does not need to worry about the 'authenticity' of the use of a lute-harpsichord: it is documented that Bach owned two such instruments. It has a marked influence on Rübsam's interpretation, which I would define as 'poetic'. These suites are written in the French style, and bear the traces of the style brisé on 17th-century French lute music. On the lute-harpsichord these traces come off particularly well, and Rübsam emphasizes them by arpeggiating most of the chords. In addition, he has opted for rather quiet tempi, which explains why he needs two discs, whereas in most other performances one disc suffices. This also created some space for two additional works, the Prelude, fugue and allegro in E flat (BWV 998) and the Suite in e minor (BWV 996). What gave me considerable problems is the lack of synchronization of the two hands. This is part of historical performance practice of baroque keyboard music, but it is especially noticeable here, because on the lute-harpsichord the sound dissolves more quickly than on the common harpsichord. I found it hard to listen to these performances with my headphones, as I usually do with review discs. A little more distance to the instrument does make a difference, and listening through speakers was certainly helpful. Rübsam also makes extensive use of rubato, and that may not be to everyone's liking too. I had to get used to this recording, but after a while I somehow warmed to it, and in the end, I would not want to miss it, especially because of the lovely sound of the lute-harpsichord and the different perspective it offers.
The second disc has more to offer than just works by Bach. Under the title 'Little Books', Francesco Corti [2] has put together a programme of pieces that can be found in the various collections that circulated within the Bach family. These include the Andreas Bach Book, the Möller manuscript and the two Klavierbüchlein, for Wilhelm Friedemann and Anna Magdalena Bach respectively. The first two contain mainly pieces that Bach studied in his youth and some early works from his own pen. The latter two include pieces that were either used for teaching or for edification, and for music making in the Bach household. The result is a picture of a composer who studied music of earlier generations to hone his skills, and who, in his later years, had an open ear for the output of colleagues, be it from Germany (Telemann) or elsewhere (Couperin). In his programming Corti tries to link some pieces together, for instance the fourth French Suite (BWV 815) - preceded by the Prelude BWV 815a - and a piece by Couperin, thus emphasizing French influence in Bach's oeuvre. Corti also plays the fourth Biblical Sonata by Kuhnau, Bach's predecessor in Leipzig. His brother Johann Christoph included these sonatas in the Andreas Bach Book, and they undoubtedly inspired Bach to write the Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo, which Corti also included. The transcription of an orchestral suite by Telemann is also interesting. Unfortunately, we only get some of its movements; the other are only available as digital downloads. Corti is a brilliant harpsichordist who convincingly demonstrates his skills here. However, his choice of tempi is a bit undifferentiated. In the Capriccio, the Aria di Postiglione has the tempo indication allegro poco, but Corti seems to have overlooked the poco. His playing does not breathe enough, and often I wished for some relaxation. In Georg Böhm's Prelude, Fugue and Postlude, he seems to want to imitate the organ. However, it is not an organ piece, but a keyboard work that can be played either on the organ or on a strung keyboard. The sound here is a little too dense and too massive. Telemann's suite comes off best.
The Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo is also part of the programme that Luca Oberti [3] recorded under the title 'An Italian Journey'. One may question its inclusion, because, as I have already noted, this piece is modelled after Kuhnau's Biblical Sonatas. The connection with Italy is rather indirect. Incidentally, Oberti is more convincing than Corti in this work, mainly because of his more appropriate tempi. The other works can certainly be described as 'Italian', such as the two transcriptions of concertos by Vivaldi (BWV 972) and Alessandro Marcello (BWV 974) respectively. In both concertos, Oberti plays the left hand staccato in the slow movements, which is not required in the score and does not sound very nice either. The middle movement of the Concerto BWV 974 is played rather awkwardly, and the lyricism of this beautiful movement does not come off. The other pieces are much better: the Fantasy and Fugue BWV 904, the Aria variata alla maniera italiana and the Italian Concerto. Oberti plays a copy of a Taskin harpsichord, which might not be the most logical choice. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this recording. There are quite some beautiful moments, but also some things that are disappointing or even annoying.
The programme that Tilman Skowroneck [4] put together, looks pretty conventional. It opens with the sixth English Suite, continues with Prelude, fugue and allegro in E flat (BWV 998), and ends with a harpsichord transcription of the Partita in g minor (BWV 1004) for solo violin. It is mainly the latter piece which makes this CD interesting. Such transcriptions are not uncommon, but here we are dealing with a version made by Gustav Leonhardt. During his career he often played transcriptions of pieces that Bach composed for other instruments. In 2017 his former student, Siebe Henstra, published a collection of such transcriptions. The version played here is taken from this edition, with one exception. In the case of the Ciaccona, Skowroneck systematically compared several recordings of recitals. "The version of the Ciaccona presented here is an accumulation of the outcomes of these comparisons". The printed transcriptions only give an impression of the versions that Leonhardt has played over the years. He obviously viewed the transcription practice as a work in progress. It is not surprising that Skowroneck is strongly influenced by Leonhardt, because his development and career are closely linked to this pioneer of historical performance practice. He was one of his students and his father, the harpsichord maker Martin Skowroneck, worked closely with Leonhardt and built harpsichords for him. Tilman Skowroneck himself writes that his views are not identical with those of Leonhardt, but have not fundamentally departed from them. That is obvious in this recording, and there is nothing wrong with that, especially since Leonhardt is no longer with us. Rhythmic precision and subtle agogic are among the characteristics of his playing. The partita is the most interesting piece on this CD and is given an incisive performance. Lovers of Bach's harpsichord works should not hesitate to add this CD to their collection.
I don't see any pressing reasons for this in case of the next disc. It seems that the American harpsichordist Jory Vinikour [5] almost only performs in his own country and because of that he is probably not that well-known elsewhere. His programme is not original: the Italian Concerto, the Overture in the French Style and the Chromatic fantasy and fugue are some of Bach's best-known harpsichord works. The last piece, Prelude and fugue BWV 894, is a little less familiar. It belongs among a category of works in Bach's oeuvre that are not badly represented on CD, but are not really well-known either. A special feature - and this is where Vinikour stands out from the competition - is that the andante from the Sonata BWV 964 is inserted between the prelude and fugue. This sonata is Bach's own transcription of his Sonata in a minor (BWV 2003) for solo violin. However, does that really make sense? This sonata is available in several recordings, and I do not see why this one movement should be isolated from its original context. Be that as it may, Vinikour is a very good harpsichordist who delivers fine performances of the selected pieces. That said, I often longed for a more breathing style of playing.
Finally, I return to Wolfgang Rübsam [6]. He not only recorded the French suites on the lute-harpsichord, but a few years earlier also the Goldberg Variations for Naxos. Given the overwhelming number of recordings of this work available, it is not easy to offer something different. Like in his recording of the French Suites, Rübsam does so here by his choice of instrument, but also by his interpretation. What I noted with regard to his recording of the French Suites also goes for his performance of the Goldberg Variations. There is little differentiation in tempo, and overall his tempi are rather slow. Variation No. 25, taking almost 8 minutes, is probably the slowest I've ever heard. Since Rübsam needs only one disc, you may understand that he is rather economical in his repeats. Personally, I find the tempi problematic, but the bigger problem is the extreme lack of synchronization between the two hands. Every now and then they seem to move completely independently of one another. In case of the French Suites, where this is less extreme, the use of speakers instead of headphones partly solved the problem, but that does not make a substantial difference here. To be honest, I find it unbearable, especially in combination with the slow tempi, the extensive rubato and the many ornaments, as well as the frequent arpeggiation of chords. Whereas, after some time, I was able to get used to the French Suites and even came to appreciate them, I fail to like this interpretation of the Goldberg Variations. One is well advised to listen to some tracks on the internet before deciding to buy this CD.
[1] French Suites (BWV 812-817)
Wolfgang Rüsam, lute-harpsichord
Brilliant Classics 96227 (© 2020) details
[2] "Little Books"
Francesco Corti, harpsichord
Arcana A480 (© 2020) details
[3] "An Italian Journey"
Luca Oberti, harpsichord
Arcana A443 (© 2018) details
[4] Harpsichord works
Tilman Skowroneck, harpsichord
TYXart TXA19133 (© 2020) details
[5] "Harpsichord Works"
Jory Vinikour, harpsichord
Sono Luminus DSL-92239 (© 2020) details
[6] Goldberg Variations (BWV 988)
Wolfgang Rübsam, lute-harpsichord
Naxos 8.573921 (© 2018) details
The second disc has more to offer than just works by Bach. Under the title 'Little Books', Francesco Corti [2] has put together a programme of pieces that can be found in the various collections that circulated within the Bach family. These include the Andreas Bach Book, the Möller manuscript and the two Klavierbüchlein, for Wilhelm Friedemann and Anna Magdalena Bach respectively. The first two contain mainly pieces that Bach studied in his youth and some early works from his own pen. The latter two include pieces that were either used for teaching or for edification, and for music making in the Bach household. The result is a picture of a composer who studied music of earlier generations to hone his skills, and who, in his later years, had an open ear for the output of colleagues, be it from Germany (Telemann) or elsewhere (Couperin). In his programming Corti tries to link some pieces together, for instance the fourth French Suite (BWV 815) - preceded by the Prelude BWV 815a - and a piece by Couperin, thus emphasizing French influence in Bach's oeuvre. Corti also plays the fourth Biblical Sonata by Kuhnau, Bach's predecessor in Leipzig. His brother Johann Christoph included these sonatas in the Andreas Bach Book, and they undoubtedly inspired Bach to write the Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo, which Corti also included. The transcription of an orchestral suite by Telemann is also interesting. Unfortunately, we only get some of its movements; the other are only available as digital downloads. Corti is a brilliant harpsichordist who convincingly demonstrates his skills here. However, his choice of tempi is a bit undifferentiated. In the Capriccio, the Aria di Postiglione has the tempo indication allegro poco, but Corti seems to have overlooked the poco. His playing does not breathe enough, and often I wished for some relaxation. In Georg Böhm's Prelude, Fugue and Postlude, he seems to want to imitate the organ. However, it is not an organ piece, but a keyboard work that can be played either on the organ or on a strung keyboard. The sound here is a little too dense and too massive. Telemann's suite comes off best.
The Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo is also part of the programme that Luca Oberti [3] recorded under the title 'An Italian Journey'. One may question its inclusion, because, as I have already noted, this piece is modelled after Kuhnau's Biblical Sonatas. The connection with Italy is rather indirect. Incidentally, Oberti is more convincing than Corti in this work, mainly because of his more appropriate tempi. The other works can certainly be described as 'Italian', such as the two transcriptions of concertos by Vivaldi (BWV 972) and Alessandro Marcello (BWV 974) respectively. In both concertos, Oberti plays the left hand staccato in the slow movements, which is not required in the score and does not sound very nice either. The middle movement of the Concerto BWV 974 is played rather awkwardly, and the lyricism of this beautiful movement does not come off. The other pieces are much better: the Fantasy and Fugue BWV 904, the Aria variata alla maniera italiana and the Italian Concerto. Oberti plays a copy of a Taskin harpsichord, which might not be the most logical choice. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this recording. There are quite some beautiful moments, but also some things that are disappointing or even annoying.
The programme that Tilman Skowroneck [4] put together, looks pretty conventional. It opens with the sixth English Suite, continues with Prelude, fugue and allegro in E flat (BWV 998), and ends with a harpsichord transcription of the Partita in g minor (BWV 1004) for solo violin. It is mainly the latter piece which makes this CD interesting. Such transcriptions are not uncommon, but here we are dealing with a version made by Gustav Leonhardt. During his career he often played transcriptions of pieces that Bach composed for other instruments. In 2017 his former student, Siebe Henstra, published a collection of such transcriptions. The version played here is taken from this edition, with one exception. In the case of the Ciaccona, Skowroneck systematically compared several recordings of recitals. "The version of the Ciaccona presented here is an accumulation of the outcomes of these comparisons". The printed transcriptions only give an impression of the versions that Leonhardt has played over the years. He obviously viewed the transcription practice as a work in progress. It is not surprising that Skowroneck is strongly influenced by Leonhardt, because his development and career are closely linked to this pioneer of historical performance practice. He was one of his students and his father, the harpsichord maker Martin Skowroneck, worked closely with Leonhardt and built harpsichords for him. Tilman Skowroneck himself writes that his views are not identical with those of Leonhardt, but have not fundamentally departed from them. That is obvious in this recording, and there is nothing wrong with that, especially since Leonhardt is no longer with us. Rhythmic precision and subtle agogic are among the characteristics of his playing. The partita is the most interesting piece on this CD and is given an incisive performance. Lovers of Bach's harpsichord works should not hesitate to add this CD to their collection.
I don't see any pressing reasons for this in case of the next disc. It seems that the American harpsichordist Jory Vinikour [5] almost only performs in his own country and because of that he is probably not that well-known elsewhere. His programme is not original: the Italian Concerto, the Overture in the French Style and the Chromatic fantasy and fugue are some of Bach's best-known harpsichord works. The last piece, Prelude and fugue BWV 894, is a little less familiar. It belongs among a category of works in Bach's oeuvre that are not badly represented on CD, but are not really well-known either. A special feature - and this is where Vinikour stands out from the competition - is that the andante from the Sonata BWV 964 is inserted between the prelude and fugue. This sonata is Bach's own transcription of his Sonata in a minor (BWV 2003) for solo violin. However, does that really make sense? This sonata is available in several recordings, and I do not see why this one movement should be isolated from its original context. Be that as it may, Vinikour is a very good harpsichordist who delivers fine performances of the selected pieces. That said, I often longed for a more breathing style of playing.
Finally, I return to Wolfgang Rübsam [6]. He not only recorded the French suites on the lute-harpsichord, but a few years earlier also the Goldberg Variations for Naxos. Given the overwhelming number of recordings of this work available, it is not easy to offer something different. Like in his recording of the French Suites, Rübsam does so here by his choice of instrument, but also by his interpretation. What I noted with regard to his recording of the French Suites also goes for his performance of the Goldberg Variations. There is little differentiation in tempo, and overall his tempi are rather slow. Variation No. 25, taking almost 8 minutes, is probably the slowest I've ever heard. Since Rübsam needs only one disc, you may understand that he is rather economical in his repeats. Personally, I find the tempi problematic, but the bigger problem is the extreme lack of synchronization between the two hands. Every now and then they seem to move completely independently of one another. In case of the French Suites, where this is less extreme, the use of speakers instead of headphones partly solved the problem, but that does not make a substantial difference here. To be honest, I find it unbearable, especially in combination with the slow tempi, the extensive rubato and the many ornaments, as well as the frequent arpeggiation of chords. Whereas, after some time, I was able to get used to the French Suites and even came to appreciate them, I fail to like this interpretation of the Goldberg Variations. One is well advised to listen to some tracks on the internet before deciding to buy this CD.
[1] French Suites (BWV 812-817)
Wolfgang Rüsam, lute-harpsichord
Brilliant Classics 96227 (© 2020) details
[2] "Little Books"
Francesco Corti, harpsichord
Arcana A480 (© 2020) details
[3] "An Italian Journey"
Luca Oberti, harpsichord
Arcana A443 (© 2018) details
[4] Harpsichord works
Tilman Skowroneck, harpsichord
TYXart TXA19133 (© 2020) details
[5] "Harpsichord Works"
Jory Vinikour, harpsichord
Sono Luminus DSL-92239 (© 2020) details
[6] Goldberg Variations (BWV 988)
Wolfgang Rübsam, lute-harpsichord
Naxos 8.573921 (© 2018) details
Friday, November 13, 2020
Organ portraits
Organ discs frequently focus on a particular historical organ. In many cases, the instrument is more important than the music, and that explains why in some productions the booklet includes much information about the organ and its history, and very little or even nothing at all about the organ. That is the case, for instance, with the last production under review here.
However, let me start with a disc whose booklet does offer information about both the instrument and the music. Christian Brembeck recorded a programme on the organ of St. Michael's Church in Bobenthal im Wasgau (Germany), in the southwestern corner of the Palatinate Forest, near the French border. The instrument was built in 1817 by Wendelin Ubhaus(er), an organ builder from the Anterior Palatinate. As expected, in the course of time it has been subjected to various 'adjustments', some of which were partially reversed during a restoration in 2016/17. In his selection of pieces, Brembeck was not primarily guided by the time the organ was built, but by the character of the instrument, which he describes as 'old-fashioned'. We therefore hear pieces by Scheidt, Johann Krieger, Louis Couperin, Bach and Handel, which stylistically belong to a different era. They sound quite good here, but especially the works from the 17th century would have come off better in a meantone temperament. Overall, I would have preferred music from around 1800, especially since the organ repertoire from that time is hardly known. It is represented here with pieces by Krebs, Leopold Mozart and Beethoven. Almost no organ works of the latter have survived, and that is why Brembeck plays a few little piano pieces here, including a couple of Bagatelles. A CD like this shows that little-known instruments are often wrongly neglected. It would be nice if they were used for recordings of organ literature. There is no reason why only the famous and widely-known instruments should be used for organ recordings. Christian Brembeck is an excellent organist and presents the instrument in a convincing way.
An exciting discovery is the background of the next disc. In 1995, the French organ builder Frédéric Desmottes was in the Spanish village of Cobeta in order to restore its organ, at the request of the priest who was also the prior of the Buenafuente del Sistal convent. He mentioned the remains of another instrument, which had been dismantled in 1970. These remains were such that a reconstruction was possible, and in 1997 a contract was signed to start the restoration work. However, in 2000 the nuns of the convent told that they could not afford the costs of the restoration works. Attempts to sell the organ failed, and in the end, Desmottes decided to purchase the organ himself. When permission was given to export the organ from Spain to France, it was moved to the church of Saint Éloi in Fresnes. The organ, built in 1786 by Joseph de Fuentes y Ferrer, has the characteristics of a typical Catalan organ, and therefore the programme focuses on Spanish organ works by the likes of Cabezón, Bruna, Cabanilles and Arauxo. In addition, a sonata by the Portuguese composer Seixas is included as well as some contemporary pieces by Géraud Chirol. The fact that works are played here that are much older than the organ is hardly a problem, as organ building on the Iberian Peninsula has long been based on tradition. That has been observed in the restoration of the instrument. The pipes are tuned at a'=392 Hz; the temperament is meantone with eight pure thirds. As a result, the repertoire, which is a nice mixture of better-known and less familiar pieces, comes across convincingly here. Étienne Baillot, Anne-Marie Blondel and Jean-Luc Ho give the best possible account of this excellent instrument.
The third disc may not be intended as an organ portrait, but since the instrument is prominently mentioned on the title page as well as the side-panel, the organ seems to be in its centre of interest. It was built in 1737 by Christoph Treutmann the Elder in the collegiate church of St. Georg in Grauhof, near Goslar, southeast of Hanover. It is the largest and most important work from Treutmann's workshop, who worked in Magdeburg. From 1989 to 1992 and in 2009 the instrument was restored and reconstructed. It has 42 registers, divided among three manuals and pedal. Stylistically, it combines elements of North and Central German organ building. The pitch is a'=462 Hz (known in Germany as Chorton) and its temperature is unequal according to Bach/Kellner. It will come as no surprise that the works of Johann Sebastian Bach that Mami Nagata selected, come off best. The older works, especially the Fantasia in a minor by Sweelinck, are less convincing because of the organ's temperament. However, this is also due to the interpretation; I would describe Nagata's presentation as 'solid'; unfortunately it lacks inspiration. I had trouble keeping my concentration, especially in the longer pieces, such as Buxtehude's Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein. I believe that more could have been made of these pieces. As far as the interpretation is concerned, I liked Mendelssohn's sixth organ sonata most of all the music performed here. The organ turns out to be a good instrument for this early romantic work. As the selection of pieces is not exactly very imaginative, organ lovers should consider this disc mainly because of the instrument.
On the last disc, Michael Schönheit introduces the organ in Halle Cathedral. It was built in 1851 by Friedrich Wilhelm Wäldner and is characterized in the text booklet as an example of early romanticism. The then famous organist August Gottfried Ritter expressed his praise for the instrument, the disposition of which was largely designed by him. Schönheit has put together a programme with works by Bach, Mendelssohn and Liszt. Although he is a representative of historical performance practice, we hear a rather romantic interpretation of Bach's works here. That seems quite right to me: an organ like this one does not allow baroque articulation anyway, and the sound is too dense to really reveal the polyphonic fabric. So we're hearing Bach from the perspective of the 19th century. Or, perhaps I should say: from the perspective of Franz Liszt, because two Bach arrangements from his pen are included: the prelude on 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' from Bach's cantata BWV 12, and the Introduction and Fugue 'Das Lamm, das erwürget ist' from Bach's cantata BWV 21. This organ is tailor-made for such pieces. Schönheit also selected Mendelssohn's first two organ sonatas, which do well on this organ, although I prefer the Treutmann organ in Grauhof just mentioned. Here I had liked a less thick and massive sound. However, there is little wrong with Schönheit's performances. Unfortunately, some things have gone wrong during the production process. In the track-list, Liszt is not mentioned as the composer of the Introduction and Fugue. The number of the cantata from which the other Liszt piece is taken, is also omitted. Even more embarrassing is the duplication of Bach's chorale arrangement Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit. It is not only allocated to track 13, but also included as the second half of track 12, following Liszt's Introduction and Fugue. And, as I mentioned above, the booklet omits any information about the music. These are serious blots on a production, which otherwise is an attractive item for those organ lovers whose interest goes beyond the baroque period.
[1] La Pastourelle - The Ubhaus Organ in Bobenthal
Christian Brembeck
Cantate C58053 (© 2017) details
[2] Órgano viajero
Etienne Baillot, Anne-Marie Blondel, Jean-Luc Ho
Son an ero 10 (© 2017) details
[3] The Christoph-Treutmann Organ of 1737 in the former Collegiate Church of St George in Grauhof
Mami Nagata
organumclassics ogm 181013 (© 2018) details
[4] The Wäldner Organ at Halle Cathedral
Michael Schönheit
Querstand VKJK 1910 (© 2019) details
However, let me start with a disc whose booklet does offer information about both the instrument and the music. Christian Brembeck recorded a programme on the organ of St. Michael's Church in Bobenthal im Wasgau (Germany), in the southwestern corner of the Palatinate Forest, near the French border. The instrument was built in 1817 by Wendelin Ubhaus(er), an organ builder from the Anterior Palatinate. As expected, in the course of time it has been subjected to various 'adjustments', some of which were partially reversed during a restoration in 2016/17. In his selection of pieces, Brembeck was not primarily guided by the time the organ was built, but by the character of the instrument, which he describes as 'old-fashioned'. We therefore hear pieces by Scheidt, Johann Krieger, Louis Couperin, Bach and Handel, which stylistically belong to a different era. They sound quite good here, but especially the works from the 17th century would have come off better in a meantone temperament. Overall, I would have preferred music from around 1800, especially since the organ repertoire from that time is hardly known. It is represented here with pieces by Krebs, Leopold Mozart and Beethoven. Almost no organ works of the latter have survived, and that is why Brembeck plays a few little piano pieces here, including a couple of Bagatelles. A CD like this shows that little-known instruments are often wrongly neglected. It would be nice if they were used for recordings of organ literature. There is no reason why only the famous and widely-known instruments should be used for organ recordings. Christian Brembeck is an excellent organist and presents the instrument in a convincing way.
An exciting discovery is the background of the next disc. In 1995, the French organ builder Frédéric Desmottes was in the Spanish village of Cobeta in order to restore its organ, at the request of the priest who was also the prior of the Buenafuente del Sistal convent. He mentioned the remains of another instrument, which had been dismantled in 1970. These remains were such that a reconstruction was possible, and in 1997 a contract was signed to start the restoration work. However, in 2000 the nuns of the convent told that they could not afford the costs of the restoration works. Attempts to sell the organ failed, and in the end, Desmottes decided to purchase the organ himself. When permission was given to export the organ from Spain to France, it was moved to the church of Saint Éloi in Fresnes. The organ, built in 1786 by Joseph de Fuentes y Ferrer, has the characteristics of a typical Catalan organ, and therefore the programme focuses on Spanish organ works by the likes of Cabezón, Bruna, Cabanilles and Arauxo. In addition, a sonata by the Portuguese composer Seixas is included as well as some contemporary pieces by Géraud Chirol. The fact that works are played here that are much older than the organ is hardly a problem, as organ building on the Iberian Peninsula has long been based on tradition. That has been observed in the restoration of the instrument. The pipes are tuned at a'=392 Hz; the temperament is meantone with eight pure thirds. As a result, the repertoire, which is a nice mixture of better-known and less familiar pieces, comes across convincingly here. Étienne Baillot, Anne-Marie Blondel and Jean-Luc Ho give the best possible account of this excellent instrument.
The third disc may not be intended as an organ portrait, but since the instrument is prominently mentioned on the title page as well as the side-panel, the organ seems to be in its centre of interest. It was built in 1737 by Christoph Treutmann the Elder in the collegiate church of St. Georg in Grauhof, near Goslar, southeast of Hanover. It is the largest and most important work from Treutmann's workshop, who worked in Magdeburg. From 1989 to 1992 and in 2009 the instrument was restored and reconstructed. It has 42 registers, divided among three manuals and pedal. Stylistically, it combines elements of North and Central German organ building. The pitch is a'=462 Hz (known in Germany as Chorton) and its temperature is unequal according to Bach/Kellner. It will come as no surprise that the works of Johann Sebastian Bach that Mami Nagata selected, come off best. The older works, especially the Fantasia in a minor by Sweelinck, are less convincing because of the organ's temperament. However, this is also due to the interpretation; I would describe Nagata's presentation as 'solid'; unfortunately it lacks inspiration. I had trouble keeping my concentration, especially in the longer pieces, such as Buxtehude's Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein. I believe that more could have been made of these pieces. As far as the interpretation is concerned, I liked Mendelssohn's sixth organ sonata most of all the music performed here. The organ turns out to be a good instrument for this early romantic work. As the selection of pieces is not exactly very imaginative, organ lovers should consider this disc mainly because of the instrument.
On the last disc, Michael Schönheit introduces the organ in Halle Cathedral. It was built in 1851 by Friedrich Wilhelm Wäldner and is characterized in the text booklet as an example of early romanticism. The then famous organist August Gottfried Ritter expressed his praise for the instrument, the disposition of which was largely designed by him. Schönheit has put together a programme with works by Bach, Mendelssohn and Liszt. Although he is a representative of historical performance practice, we hear a rather romantic interpretation of Bach's works here. That seems quite right to me: an organ like this one does not allow baroque articulation anyway, and the sound is too dense to really reveal the polyphonic fabric. So we're hearing Bach from the perspective of the 19th century. Or, perhaps I should say: from the perspective of Franz Liszt, because two Bach arrangements from his pen are included: the prelude on 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' from Bach's cantata BWV 12, and the Introduction and Fugue 'Das Lamm, das erwürget ist' from Bach's cantata BWV 21. This organ is tailor-made for such pieces. Schönheit also selected Mendelssohn's first two organ sonatas, which do well on this organ, although I prefer the Treutmann organ in Grauhof just mentioned. Here I had liked a less thick and massive sound. However, there is little wrong with Schönheit's performances. Unfortunately, some things have gone wrong during the production process. In the track-list, Liszt is not mentioned as the composer of the Introduction and Fugue. The number of the cantata from which the other Liszt piece is taken, is also omitted. Even more embarrassing is the duplication of Bach's chorale arrangement Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit. It is not only allocated to track 13, but also included as the second half of track 12, following Liszt's Introduction and Fugue. And, as I mentioned above, the booklet omits any information about the music. These are serious blots on a production, which otherwise is an attractive item for those organ lovers whose interest goes beyond the baroque period.
[1] La Pastourelle - The Ubhaus Organ in Bobenthal
Christian Brembeck
Cantate C58053 (© 2017) details
[2] Órgano viajero
Etienne Baillot, Anne-Marie Blondel, Jean-Luc Ho
Son an ero 10 (© 2017) details
[3] The Christoph-Treutmann Organ of 1737 in the former Collegiate Church of St George in Grauhof
Mami Nagata
organumclassics ogm 181013 (© 2018) details
[4] The Wäldner Organ at Halle Cathedral
Michael Schönheit
Querstand VKJK 1910 (© 2019) details
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Purcell: A man of the theatre
Music for the theatre takes an important place in Henry Purcell's oeuvre. Today his only opera, Dido and Aeneas, is regularly performed and recorded. In comparison, his semi-operas are lesser known, although they are certainly not neglected. Songs from these works are well-known and part of solo recitals. They were already popular in Purcell's own time, which explains why they were separately published in the collection Orpheus Britannicus.
Complete performances of the semi-operas in our time are extremely rare. According to New Grove, a semi-opera is "[a] play with four or more separate episodes or masques which include singing, dancing, instrumental music and spectacular scenic effects". The inclusion of the spoken text would result in a performance lasting about four hours. Moreover, a complete performance would only make sense if it would be staged, which is rather complicated. It is also questionable how many in an audience, even if they are all native English speakers, would really comprehend the texts of the original play. Today, most performers confine themselves to the musical items from Purcell's pen. Sometimes they include a spoken synopsis, which explains the story to the audience. That may make some sense in a live performance, but would be rather useless in a commercial recording, also because of the language. No wonder that both recordings reviewed here omit any narritive.
The Fairy Queen is based on a libretto by an anonymous author, which is an adaptation of the play A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. It is divided into five acts, preceded by First Music and Second Music, consisting of two instrumental pieces each, and an overture. This piece includes much diversity in forms and scorings, and it was one of the main concerns of Sébastien d'Hérin to create some sort of coherence. "I have wanted to be able to demonstrate that feeling of diversity and of exuberance which I have experienced myself, as well as the work's importance and stature which, I like to think, must have been so eminently evident at the time." It is inevitable that performers take differente decisions, but one would hope that these are all within the boundaries of what is historically tenable. Unfortunately d'Hérin has crossed that line.
The very first piece, the prelude which opens the First Music, is preceded by a solo of the timpani. That is already a bad omen. It is especially with regard to the instrumental scoring that d'Hérin has taken decisions which are debatable at least, and sometimes simply wrong. Purcell's scoring includes two recorders, two oboes, two trumpets, strings, timpani and basso continuo. For unknown reasons, d'Hérin added a cornett and a harp. His ensemble also includes two cellos, a double bass, a regal and an organ. The use of cellos is very questionable, as these instruments were anything but common in Purcell's time. The double bass was never used in Purcell's music. Why a regal was used, is anybody's guess. The entire ensemble is also rather large, including seven violins and two violas.
The decisions regarding the vocal line-up make much more sense. The choral sections are sung by the soloists, and this may well be in line with the performance practice in Purcell's time. "In this score, there is no actual 'role', strictly-speaking [sic], nor any extended musical narrative. One is called upon to highlight a succession of arias and of dissimilar but demanding playlets; little in the way of the psychology of singing characters exists. My choices have thus focused on what I was able to see and understand from among all these loyal and dedicated artists: their personality, their individuality, their strength and their character." No problems here.
What about the actual performance? The decisions regarding the instrumental line-up may be controversial, but that in itself does not prevent a musically satisfying performance. However, that is not the case, I'm afraid. The inclusion of instruments like the cornett and the regal has pretty disastrous effects. The 'Dance of the Followers of the Night' at the end of Act Two is destroyed by the use of the regal. Moreover, here as elsewhere the strings include exaggerated dynamic accents, which are out of place in English music. In The Plaint (O let me weep), the obbligato violin part is played on the cornett, which is highly unsatisfying, for instance with regard to the balance between the soprano and the instrumental part. The cornett just attracts too much attention at the cost of the vocal part. Too often d'Hérin uses percussion, for instance in the chaconne at the end of Act Five. For some reason not discussed in the liner-notes, this piece - the Dance for the Chinese Man and Woman - is placed at the end of the work, after the chorus 'They shall be as happy', which in Purcell's score closes this work.
The singing does not give much reason for joy. Most singers use too much vibrato; Anders Dahlin is the only exception, and he is by far the best of the singers. Samuel Boden does also reasonably well. The Plaint is one of the highlights of this work, but it is destroyed here, not only due to the inclusion of a cornett, but also to Caroline Mutel's wide vibrato. However, the worst part of this recording is her performance of 'Hark! The echoing air', in which she adds some extravagant ornaments, as we are used to hear in a bad performance of a Handel opera. On a positive note: some of the singers are French, but their English pronunciation is surprisingly good. I hardly need to say here that the pronunciation is not historical; that is still the exception in performances of English music of the Renaissance and baroque periods.
King Arthur was first performed in 1691 at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden, in London in 1691. The libretto was written by John Dryden and is about the battles between King Arthur - about whom many legends have been woven - and the Saxons. This semi-opera exactly shows why a performance of Purcell's music alone can never be entirely satisfying from a dramatic point of view. The title character is a spoken role, and as a result King Arthur is nowhere to be seen or heard in Purcell's music. It is well summed up in the article on King Arthur in Wikipedia: "King Arthur is a "dramatick opera" or semi-opera: the principal characters do not sing, except if they are supernatural, pastoral or, in the case of Comus and the popular Your hay it is mow'd, drunk. Secondary characters sing to them, usually as diegetic entertainment, but in Act 4 and parts of Act 2, as supernatural beckonings."
There is one similarity between the performances of King Arthur by Vox Luminis and The Fairy Queen by Les Nouveaux Caractères. Like in the latter, the choruses in King Arthur are sung by the soloists. Their number is about the same: twelve and thirteen respectively. But that is where the similarity ends. The instrumental ensemble is much smaller: only two violins and one viola, plus recorders, oboes, bassoon, trumpets and percussion. There are no cellos and no double bass; the string bass is here a bass violin, which is much more in line with the performance practice in Purcell's time. There are no instruments which Purcell did not require.
I have heard Vox Luminis twice with this work. The first time was a concertante performance at the 2015 Festival Early Music Utrecht, the second time a scenic performance during the Purcell Day in Utrecht in 2018. At the latter occasion I did not get the impression that the singers are born actors, but undoubtedly these performances in different settings have helped them to find the right approach for a recording of this work. In the scenic live performance an actor recited a text which informed the audience about the story. That has been rightly omitted here. The synopsis in the booklet can be considered a compensation for it, although it could have been a little more extensive.
I very much enjoyed both live performances, and it was not any different this time. Considering the quality of this performance it is almost impossible to mention some highlights, as this recording is full of them. Let me point out some particularly fine moments. Robert Buckland gives an excellent account of the part of the British Warrior (Act I: Come if you dare). 'Hither, this way' (Act 2) is exquisitely sung by Caroline Weynants. Olivier Berten delivers a refined performance of 'How blest are shepherds' (Act 2). Zsuzsi Tóth and Stefanie True are a perfect match in 'Shepherd, shepherd, leave decoying' (Act 2). The former is at her very best in the air 'Fairest isle' (Act 5). Sebastian Myrus does well as the frozen Genius. The staccato in his air could probably have been a little sharper. The only small disappointment is Sophie Junker, who uses a bit too much vibrato in the part of Cupid; she makes a better impression in the part of Honour in Act 5. One of this recording's assets is also the instrumental playing. Here all the exaggerations of Les Nouveaux Caractères have been avoided. There is no excessive use of percussion, and there are neither exaggerated dynamic accents nor extremely fast tempi. The whole piece has a nice and natural flow.
This is an impressive and highly enjoyable recording of one of Purcell's theatrical masterpieces. It would be nice if Vox Luminis would turn its attention to other theatre music by Purcell. What about The Fairy Queen?
Purcell: The Fairy Queen (Z 629)
Caroline Mutel, Virginie Pochon, Hjördis Thébault (soprano), Caitlin Hulcup (mezzo-soprano), Christophe Baska (alto), Samuel Boden, Anders Dahlin, Julien Picard (tenor), Guillaume Andrieux, Kevin Greenlaw (baritone), Ronan Nédélec (bass-baritone), Frédéric Caton (bass), Les Nouveaux Caractères/Sébastien d'Hérin
Recorded September 2016 at the Théâtre Laurent Terzieff - Ensatt, Lyon, France DDD
Texts included
Cover, track-list & booklet
Glossa - GCD 922702 (2 CDs) [2.03'52"]
Purcell: King Arthur (Z 628)
Vox Luminis/Lionel Meunier
Recorded January 2018 at AMUZ, Antwerp, Belgium DDD
Texts included
Cover, track-list & booklet
Alpha - 430 (2 CDs) [1.37'59"]
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
It is an intriguing coincidence that some of the great masterpieces of music history leave many questions which have not been answered yet, and probably never will be Examples are Monteverdi's Vespers, Bach's B minor Mass and Mozart's Requiem. To that list one can add Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. For a long time it was thought to have received its first performance in 1689 at Josias Priest's Boarding School for Young Gentlewomen, but first it was discovered that an earlier performance may have taken place at that school two years before. Right now it is assumed that it may have received its premiere at the court of Charles II, as early as 1684. From that perspective the statement of Robert Matthew-Walker, in the liner-notes to Christopher Monks's recording, that "[there] is also a subtle reference to contemporary events: the first chorus: 'When monarchs unite, how happy their state,' was - in 1689 - surely a direct reference to the accession to the throne of the joint British monarchs William and Mary the previous year", is highly questionable.
He also does not mention the problems with regard to the sources, which are discussed by Ellen Hargis in the booklet to Fabio Bonizzoni's recording. We know next to nothing about the first performances. The earliest musical source of the entire opera dates from about a century later. More interesting is a performance in London in 1704, the second at the public stage; the first public performance was in 1700. In 1704 Purcell's opera was preceded by the masque Mars and Venus by John Eccles and Godfrey Finger. "The conjunction of these two masques also provides information on the vocal ranges in Dido and Aeneas, as the singers in the masque of Mars and Venus are known. In all, Mars and Venus calls for one boy, two men, and five women (...)", Ellen Hargis writes. They can be correlated to Purcell's score, and that results in the Sorceress being scored for a bass rather than a mezzo-soprano or alto, as is the case in many recordings. That is not to say that the latter option is wrong; for the performance at the boarding school that part may have been transposed up an octave. Another difference is the role of the Sailor, mostly performed by a tenor, but apparently intended for a soprano. Bonizzoni follows these indications in his recording. In some recordings attempts are made to reconstruct dances which may have been part of the original performances. The only specimen in Monks's recording is a Guitars' Chaconne in the first act. Bonizzoni plays here a kind of improvisation as well, and if I am not mistaken, it is based on a piece by the Italian Bernardo Storace, which is a little odd.
The liner-notes to Monks' recording are not really up-to-date, and in a way that goes for the performance as well. I haven't heard anything I had not heard before. In no respect this recording offers a new perspective, which is disappointing, considering the large number of recordings in the catalogue. That would be less of a problem if the performance would have been really good, but it is not. Most of the singers use quite a lot of vibrato, and that includes Rachael Lloyd, who takes care of the role of Dido. It severely damages the famous lament, which makes too little emotional impact anyway. The most stylish singer is Roderick Morris as the Sorceress, but he seems vocally overstretched, and does not make much of his role, which is anything but fearsome. As is so often the case in performances of Dido and Aeneas, the Witches make a caricature of their part, producing the conventional nasal sound and singing deliberately out of tune. However, this opera is a tragedy, not a comedy. Bonizzoni understands that, and in his performance the Witches have to be taken seriously. In that respect there is more consistency with the role of the Sorceress, who is really threatening, thanks to Iason Marmaras' excellent interpretation. On the other hand, here the bickering between Dido and Aeneas at the end - "I'll stay / Away, away" - is unsatisfying: the tempo is too slow and as a result the agitated character of this dialogue doesn't come off. In this recording the performance of the part of Dido by Raffaella Milanesi does certainly not lack emotional depth, but stylistically it is disappointing because of her incessant vibrato.
Her diction also leaves a bit to be desired; the text is not always clearly intelligible, which is especially regrettable as we come here to one of the ground-breaking aspects of this recording: the use of historical pronunciation. The starting point was the fact that words which are supposed to rhyme, don't in present-day English. In order to correct that, the performers have adopted a kind of historical pronunciation. As a result "destiny" rhymes to "defie" (Aeneas, act 1) and "wounds" to "hounds" (Belinda, act 2). This is of great importance, but I have the feeling that the performers are a bit half-hearted. I remember to have heard that at that time, for instance, the pronucnation of the "r" was closer to present-day American English than to 'Oxbridge' English. The differences could be much more far-reaching than this recording suggests. It seems there is still some work to do in this department.
The third recording to be reviewed here is a staged performance, released on DVD by Alpha. Vincent Dumestre, director of the renowned ensemble Le Poème Harmonique, is responsible for this performance which took place in 2014 at the Opéra of Rouen. Those who have enjoyed the recording of, for instance, Lully's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, may expect a comparable approach here: historical staging and costumes, baroque acting gestures and a use of historical pronunciation. They will be severely disappointed. As far as I know the stage directors have no experience with baroque opera, and although they deliberately avoided a "consciously modernising transposition", they did not opt for "a pure historical reconstruction". Incorrectly they call both options "extremes" - in my view a basic misunderstanding. If one aims to do as much justice to the intentions of the composer as possible, the adherence to what we know about the performance habits of his time is the most logical option. That said, in comparison to so many stagings of 18th-century operas, there is little here that is outright annoying. That is at least something. As you will understand, historical acting and pronunciation are also ignored here.
I already mentioned the scoring of the various roles. Like in Bonizzoni's recording, the role of the Sorceress is sung here by a baritone (Marc Mauillon). However, he also sings the role of the Sailor, which was originally intended for a soprano. Unfortunately that is not the only unhistorical aspect of this recording. The orchestra is relatively large, including eight violins and three violas. Even more problematic is the participation of instruments Purcell did not include in his scoring, such as recorders, oboes and bassoons. In the ensemble we also find a double bass, although it is known that in Purcell's time this instrument was not used (it is also part of the Armonico Consort; the instruments in Bonizzoni's performance are not listed). There are also guitars, which mostly play in the reconstruction of some dances. It is assumed that there were several dances in the score, but the music has mostly not survived.
The performance does not give much reason for enjoyment. Vivica Genaux is pretty horrible. I find her voice unpleasantly harsh, and she has quite some intonation problems. Moreover, she uses a pretty wide vibrato on virtually every note, and as a result the famous Lament is severely damaged. Henk Neven is alright as Aeneas, but is rather bland in the account of his role, and there is little 'baroque' in his style of singing. Vocally speaking Marc Mauillon is by far the best of the ensemble. Ana Quintans as Belinda does rather well, but I can't really warm to her singing either. The minor roles are not more than mediocre.
All in all, neither of these three recordings does really satisfy me, as neither consistently applies what we know about performing habits at the time. If I had to choose between these three, I would go for Bonizzoni, as he is most consistent in the scoring of the various roles, and makes use of historical pronunciation, Moreover, he also offers Mars and Venus by John Eccles and Godfrey Finger, which preceded Dido and Aeneas in the London performance of 1704. It is here performed after Purcell's opera, but if you want to 'reconstruct' that performance, you can easily do so by programming your CD player accordingly.
Rachael Lloyd (Dido), Elin Manahan Thomas (Belinda), Eloise Irving (Second Woman, First Witch, Spirit), Jenni Harper (Second Witch), soprano; Roderick Morris (Sorceress), alto; Robert Davies (Aeneas), Miles Golding (Sailor), baritone
Armonico Consort/Christopher Monks
Recorded October 2014 at the Church of St Augustine, Kilburn, UK DDD
Texts included
Cover, track-list & booklet
Signum Classics - SIGCD417 [50'45"]
Raffaella Milanesi (Dido), Stefanie True (Belinda), Michela Antenucci (First Witch, Sailor), soprano; Anna Bessi (Second Witch, Spirit), mezzo-soprano; Richard Helm (Aeneas), Iason Marmaras (Sorceress), baritone
Coro Costanzo Porta; La Risonanza/Fabio Bonizzoni
(+ John Eccles (1668-1735) & Gottfried Finger (1685-1717), The Love of Mars and Venus, 1680)
Recorded live 25 February 2016 at Cité de la Musique et de la Danse, Soissons, France DDD
Texts included
Cover, track-list & booklet
Challenge Classics - CC72737 [76'11"]
Ana Quintans (Belinda), Caroline Meng (First Witch), Jenny Daviet (Second Woman), soprano; Vivica Genaux (Dido), Lucile Richardot (Second Witch), mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Tamagna (Spirit), alto; Henk Neven (Aeneas), Marc Mauillon (Sorceress, Sailor), baritone
Choeur Accentus; Le Poème Harmonique/Vincent Dumestre
Recorded May 2014 at the Opéra, Rouen (Haute-Normandie), France DDD
Subtitles in E/F/D/ES
The entire performance is available on YouTube
Alpha - 706 [1.20']
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