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Recording

Her Heavenly Harmony: Profane music from the Royal Court

The Queen’s Six
62:19
resonus RES10164
Music by Byrd, Gibbons, Morley, Tallis, Tomkins & Weelkes

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Royal Court in question is that of England and the ‘Her’ is Elizabeth I, although the programme also takes us into the reign of her successor, James VI/I. The Queen’s Six present a varied and pleasant programme of polyphonic madrigals and more homophonic strophic songs, including several items from the iconic Triumphs of Oriana. The six male voices produce a mellow and nicely blended sound, and if the two altos at the upper end of their range occasionally produce a rather unrelentingly opaque tone the lower voices are splendidly rounded. I also have the feeling that the relatively narrow dynamic range might be due to the limitations of the upper voices. Notwithstanding, the articulation in rapid passages is superb and the many fa-la-las are rendered with suitable joie de vivre. In addition to the expected mock-bucolic fare we have the more interesting Thule the Period of Cosmography/The Andalusian Merchant  by Thomas Weelkes and the same composer’s Death has deprived me  as well as Tallis’ considerable hit When shall my sorrowful sighing slake  and Tomkins’ extraordinary Music divine, all given passionate and moving accounts. This is The Queen’s Six’s ‘difficult second album’ – their debut album (“Music of the Realm” RES10146) establishing them as the new boys on the block – and they have passed the test with flying colours.

D. James Ross

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Recording

Comédie et Tragédie: Charpentier, Leclair, Rameau

Orchestral music for the theatre
Tempesta di Mare
73:29
Chandos Chaconne CHAN 0810
Charpentier: Suite from Le Malade Imaginaire
Leclair: Suite from Scylla et Glaucus
Rameau: Suite from Les fêtes de Polymnie

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]op repertoire here in stylish performances (bar the 16’ foot string sound in the Charpentier and some silly percussion elsewhere). The Leclair (from his only surviving – perhaps, indeed, his only – opera) is absolutely scintillating stuff – well up to Rameau’s heady standard in both musical interest and colourful use of the orchestra. J-PR, however always raises the stakes in one way or another. I’d forgotten about the harmony at the start of Les Fêtes… until it shocked me yet again. What a composer! The booklet tells us what we need to know although it slightly irritates that it does not deal with the music in the order in which we hear it. It’s a shame that there are no plans for Volume 3.

David Hansell

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Recording

Miniaturen

Ricardo Magnus harpsichord
ambitus am 96 958
Agrell, J. Chr. Fr. & J. S. Bach, La Barre, De Bury, Buxtehude, F. & L. Couperin, Dandrieu, Fischer, Graupner, Handel, Kirnberger, Kuhnau, Mattheson, Mozart, Purcell, Rameau, Ritter, Le Roux, Scarlatti & Telemann

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n this recording Ricardo Magnus celebrates the miniature with 39 pieces, some lasting barely a minute. Drawing the analogy with miniature paintings, he is keen to showcase what shorter baroque pieces have to offer, providing a broad selection of music by composers from every tradition, ranging from Louis Couperin to Mozart. The elder Couperin is the most heavily featured, with six tracks, including some unmeasured preludes. Many of the other pieces on the recording were also designed as preludes, written in an improvisatory style and setting up an expectation of something more structured to follow, an expectancy which is often frustrated here. On the other hand Magnus and his producers have risen well to the challenge of providing continuity over so many tracks and the result is not at all as fragmented as might be expected. Playing on a Taskin copy by Thomas Schüler, Magnus is respectful of different styles, playing with flexibility and adding appropriate ornamentation. This is a different approach to programme building, but one which works very well in giving listeners a chance to hear some less familiar music in an unusual context.

Noel O’Regan

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Recording

Sperger: Symphonies

l’arte del mondo, Werner Ehrhardt
62:35
deutsche harmonia mundi 88875056172
Symphonies 21 in g, 26 in c, 34 in D

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he three symphonies which receive world premieres on this fabulous recording were written between 1786 and 1789, during which the time the composer – who is perhaps best known nowadays for his virtuoso works for double bass – endured unsettling times professionally; by 1789, he had settled into his final position in the court orchestra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They all follow the same pattern; after a lively opening comes an Andante, a Menuetto and a Finale. That is where an predictability ends, however; indeed, if these three works are typical of the composer’s symphonic output, I am very surprised that they are not featured on concert programmes more regularly; cast very much in the Viennese classical style (like Beethoven and Hummel, he was a pupil of Albrechtsberger), the violins carry the majority of the melodic interest, with colour supplied by the woodwinds. Of course, we live in an age when Haydn struggles for public performances, indeed, even Mozart does! Still, l’arte del mondo and Werner Ehrhardt deserve our thanks for bringing new repertoire to our attention, especially in such beautifully crafted performances.

Brian Clark

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Recording

Vialardo: Missa “Vestiva i colli”

Musica Fiorita, Daniela Dolci
61:38
Pan Classics PC 10344
+music by Banchieri, Cima, Donati, Grancini, Rognoni & de Selma

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he madrigal Vestiva i colli  by Palestrina occasioned a flurry of interest in the years following its appearance, and its music became the subject of parody motets (including some by Palestrina himself), sets of divisions and even a Mass by Baldassare Vialardo. The present CD is a survey of these works, built around the movements of Vialardo’s Mass. The four solo voices and brass and strings of Musica Fiorita produce a lovely rich ensemble sound, and the solo instruments and voices in turn provide engaging accounts of the virtuosic divisions by a variety of composers. Of Baldassare Vialardo little appears to be known – the programme note imparts little apart from the fact that he died after 1620 and even Mr Google is at something of a loss. He was a thoroughly capable composer though, and the Mass displays a thorough acquaintance with forces it is written for as well as an imaginative and inventive style. The CD also usefully dredges up composers about whom a little more is known and precious little of whose music has been recorded. Among these is the violin virtuoso Francesco Rognoni, and the rarely heard but impressively creative Giovanni Cima, Michel’Angelo Grancini and Bartolomeo de Selma. The star of the programme however is Vialardo about whom it would be fascinating to know more, such as where he worked and who influenced him in his composition.

D. James Ross

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Recording

Claudio Monteverdi Messa a quattro voci et salmi of 1650, Vol. 1.

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers
71:29
Coro COR16142

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his the first of two CDs, grouped to avoid repitition of texts: it is not fully presented as a service. There are two groups from the liturgy: Dixit I a8, Confitebor II a2 and Lauda Jerusalem a3, followed by Cavalli’s Magnificat a6 (there was no available Monteverdi one). Then follows another group of psalms – Laetatus sum a5, Nisi Dominus a3 and Laudate pueri a5, followed by the Laetaniae della Beata Virgine a6. The disc ends with Beatus vir a7, for its popularity rather than being placed with other psalms; it would, however, have been better to have just seven singers – it works much better that way, and bringing in an odd tutti bar or two sounds ludicrous. It does, however, match the one-singer-per-part of the opening item. Some of the single-choir pieces could also be sung thus. The performance style, however, works well, and my editions are up-to-date. Harry gets the right shape and tempo, and the performance is fine. I look forward to vol. 2. But when I tot up the numbers of singers, 18 rather than 16 is the normal number: isn’t it the time to replace 16 by 18?


Clifford Bartlett

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Recording

Western Wind: Mass by John Taverner & Court Music for Henry VIII

Taverner Choir & Players, Andrew Parrott
79:20
Avie AV2352
Music by Aston, Cornysh, Henry VIII, Anon + chant

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Taverner Western Wind mass was the first music of the period I had seen and heard while I was in Cambridge (1958-61). For later scores, refer to Early English Church Music 30 & 35. The Mass has a wide range (G2, C2, C3 & F4), with a range from top C to bottom F– so no justification is required for raising to a minor third, as used to be the custom. The ecclesiastical items take the main part, but there are refreshingly short secular pieces. The approach is primarily music rather than religion, often with secular breaks, such as the between the the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus, though the Kyrie & Gloria naturally follow (the former is chant and not linked to the Taverner mass). The choir comprises SATB (5433) with female sopranos and altos, which Andrew Parrott has generally favoured: the balance is excellent. The soloists in the smaller pieces are Emily Van Evera and Charles Daniels.

The Mass ends at No l1 and is followed be a series from “The Music of the Court of Henry VIII” (Musica Britannica, 18) from nos. 12 and 14-16, edited by my main teacher at Magdalene, John Stevens (whom I got to know very well), which accounts for my early enthusiasm. Subsequently, I was more interested in Andrew Parrott in Oxford. Yow and I  (12) is a typical chorus/verse (a format familiar for modern churches using strumming guitars) by Cornysh Jr, though the verses are simple improvisations. Aston’s keyboard Hornpipe  (13) is impressive (from Mus.Brit. lxvi no. 36) but Cornysh’s Fa la sol  (15) is a substantial and elaborate piece (6’ 58”) and is followed by Henry VIII’s Taunder naken, one of many versions throughout Europe.

Taverner returns for Audivi vocem  (17) and Dum transisset sabbatum  (19). The former is for high voices (G2, C1, C2, C2), with the top part hoisted an octave above the chant. The plainsong was sung by trebles, despite the tenor pitch (EECM 30 prints it as octave treble). The latter is for C4, C4, C4, F4: the two upper parts are similar, the third part is a cantus firmus and the lowest is a typical bass. The booklet is full of information without being too complicated. The layout is likely to refresh the mind and the performers are excellent, aided by the learned director, Andrew Parrott.

Clifford Bartlett

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Recording

G. A. Benda: Sinfonias

Prague Sinfonia Orchestra, Christian Benda
47:20
Sony Classics 888751861923
Symphonies 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 10

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is not the first recording I have heard of these Benda sinfonias directed by Christian Benda, and I am pretty certain that my reaction was the same on first acquaintance; with the “perfection” of modern wind instruments, much of the real charm of these works is lost. Lacking the rasp of hunting horns, and the piercing nature of period oboes, not to mention string playing where the bow and the strings are inseparable companions, the sound here is (to my ears at least) anodyne and, I am afraid, unlikely to inspire me to listen to Benda again. All of this I know to be unnecessary, as previous recordings of his music (both vocal and instrumental) have shown him to be a composer of considerable merit. The conductor’s discography reveals where his interests really lie, and if this is what he does with his forebear’s symphonies, I would respectfully suggest he sticks to what he knows best and let others champion the Bendas of yesteryear.

Brian Clark

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Beethoven: Sinfonia “Eroica”, Coriolan Ouverture

Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall
52:14
Alia Vox AVSA9916

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] was shocked when opened the booklet for this CD – after, I should point out, having been blown away by the drama and energy of the opening movement of one of my favourite Beethoven symphonies! – to discover that this is actually a recording from 1994. 22 years later, as I say, it still has the ability to make one sit up and take note, whether it be the brilliance of the woodwind tone, the shimmering tremolo strings with cutting cross-accents driving the music forward like some sort of life-bringing juggernaut that refuses to be ignored; perhaps for the first time, I heard what my university lecturers meant by the shock value of “Eroica”, and Savall does all of this without milking each of the many dramatic moments. Of course he does more than just let Beethoven’s genie out of the bottle, but perhaps I also appreciated for the first time what a conductor does in terms of “interpreting” a symphony and, I confess I loved it – and you’ll hear no complaints from me about the short duration of the CD as a whole; by the end, I was mentally exhausted!

Brian Clark

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Bach: Matthäus-Passion

Hannah Morrison, Sophie Harmsen, Tilman Lichdi (Evangelist & arias), Peter Harvey, Christian Immler (Jesus), Kammerchor Stuttgart, Barockorchester Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius
164:28 (3 CDs in a box)
Carus 82.285 (also 82.286 SACDs in Digibook)

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] do not find this a particularly vivid or colourful performance, though it is very polished. The two cori (16 voices and 14 respectively) and the two orchestras (4.3.2.1.1 strings in each) sound indistinguishable, so that our identification with coro II in O Schmerz, for example is weakened. The soloists are just that – they sing the arias of both cori, but sing in neither coro the rest of the time. The rather indistinct photograph on p.17 of the accompanying booklet shows the cori in a single semi-circle with no visible break, and the two orchestras equally welded together, with the Evangelist and Jesus standing out in front in what is clearly a live performance.

The booklet has been edited sloppily: at the foot of p. 22 there is no reference to a fagotto or organo, nor a liuto in orchestra I as it does in Orchestra II, all of which are clearly audible in orchestra I, where a lute plays continuo with the organ accompanying the Evangelist. Are there two violas da gamba, lutes and fagotti, or is one of each shared between the orchestras, like the solo singers? More importantly, where is the evidence that a lute was used in this (1736) version of the Matthew? This together with the heavy bass line – a 16’ is present in the Evangelist’s accompaniment as well as in arias like 6: Buß und Reu  – produces a rather slow-paced narrative.

In Kuhnau’s time as Cantor, the lute was a regular part of the continuo group (Laurence Dreyfus: Bach’s Continuo Group  (Harvard, 1987), pp171/2), but the Trauerode is the only place where Bach specifies the lute as a continuo instrument. There is the brief obbligato part in Betrachte  in the Johannes-Passion, and in Raphäel Pichon’s recording of the reconstructed Funeral Music for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen  (BWV 244a) (reviewed in EMR November 2014), the lute was entrusted with the obligato gamba part from the parodied Komm süßes Kreuz  from the Matthew Passion, but I am not convinced. Is there evidence for wider use?

Worse, on p.2 where the soloists are listed, the bass arias are given to Peter Harvey while Jesus is sung by Christian Immler; yet on p. 22 when all the musical resources are given, Harvey is listed as Jesus, and p.23 has Immler singing the arias. This is not the case: it is Harvey singing the arias. This kind of mistake should not have slipped through.

Tempi are pretty moderate – this performance runs to three CDs – and there is a good deal of carefully managed rubato within phrases in the arias, so there is plenty of breathing space; sometimes this leads to an actual change of tempo, as in the middle section of 8: Blute nur  for example. Hannah Morrison, the soprano, is quite excellent – a lovely clear voice, with beautiful phrasing especially in 13: Ich will dir mein Herze schenken  – and as always it is a joy to have Peter Harvey, the most musical of all Bach singers, though adding a 16’ and a lute to the continuo line in 57: Komm süßes Kreuz  as well as the gamba and organ makes the ensemble less flexible as well as thickening the translucent sound. The alto, Sophie Harmsen, is less of a HIP specialist with a more marked vibrato than the others, and often sings more dramatically, as in 51: Erbarm es Gott  and 59: Ach Golgotha. The Evangelist is sung by Tilman Lichdi, who sings the tenor arias of both cori as well. He has a beguiling voice, and it all sounds very smooth and well articulated. I missed the jangle of the great F# major chord of a decent-sized organ tuned pretty mean in the middle of the Blitze und Donner  that introduces the fiery furnace of hell as well as the distinctive sesquialtera with the cantus firmus, whose articulation is managed better in the slowly-paced opening chorus than in O Mensch, bewein.

Small ‘character parts’ are excellently sung by members of the cori (but sometimes singing in the wrong choir!), though sounding a little distant. The choral sound is smooth and singerly, but it doesn’t have the slightly rawer edge that you might expect of a choir that is influenced by the sound of the period instruments, as Bernius claims to be after in the booklet. This may partly be due to the rather boomy acoustics of the church where this was recorded last March (clearly a different venue than the more concert-hall set-up where the photo of the live performance was taken.) But then this choir sings music from the 17th to the 21st centuries and is not in that sense a specialist HIP coro. What does come out clearly is the attention given to projecting the words with clarity and intelligence, and this is a hall-mark of this performance.

As far as the new (2012) Carus edition is concerned, there is insufficient detail in the (shortened) version of Andreas Glöckner’s note on Bach’s ‘great passion’ to be clear about the differences from the NBA. My own experience of using the Carus parts for the cantatas is that some of the phrasing seems to be taken directly from the old Bach-Gesellschaft and has not been informed by recent scholarship. When a music publisher sponsors a recording using a new edition, it would be good practice to know what major editorial decisions have been taken and why, as was the case with Hans-Christoph Rademann’s B minor Mass  with the Freiburger Barockorchester, using the new Carus edition, reviewed in August 2015. With reference to the layout, there is a tantalising reference in Glöckner’s note to the putting in order of the ‘swallow’s nest’ organ in 1727, the instrument in the gallery high at the east end of the nave, and he suggests that Bach may have put his ripieno soprano line there, while the two main choirs and orchestras performed side by side in the west gallery.

This is a luxuriant performance, with the text clearly understood and well-presented. The sound is beautifully produced and it is difficult to fault the overall conception. There are some matters that will not pass muster judged on the strictest HIP criteria, including the lute, and I find the whole sound a bit too smooth. But it is a powerful presentation and would woo anyone unsure as to whether they might like period instruments, but likes their Bach caressed reverentially yet with fervour.

David Stancliffe

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