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C. P. E. Bach: Voyage sentimental

Mathieu Dupouy, 1791 Gräbner pianoforte
66:32
Label-Hérisson LH17

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or this second CD of music by C. P. E. Bach, Mathieu Dupouy has chosen two sonatas, three fantasias, and five rondos from the years 1783-87 (the composer died in 1788). I have always had “a thing” for Bach’s keyboard music; as Dupouy’s rather literary booklet notes seek to explain, there is an undeniable ability to suspend time, to linger on an unusual chord, as if the composer is thinking, “which way next?” Even if he goes the way you expect the majority of the time, it is the frisson of excitement on those occasions when he doesn’t that really brings a piece to life, and Dupouy – with an impressive range of touch – exploits those very moments, lingering almost too long… That ability to draw one into a performance (even a recorded one!) is something quite magical. Although Bach was clearly a virtuoso on the instrument, it is the ever-changing proto-Romantic textures that are most interesting here and I wish his music were more widely appreciated – not just on review sites like this one.

Brian Clark

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Tartini: Sonate, op. 1

Evgeny Sviridov violin, Davit Melkonyan cello, Stanislav Gres harpsichord
65:00
Ricercar RIC391

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s well as three sonatas from Tartini’s op. 1 (nos. 5, 10 and 12), this excellent recording features two of the sonate picciole that survive in manuscript and a Pastorale for scordatura violin, all of which clearly demonstrate the composer’s (and Sviridov’s!) prowess as an exponent of the instrument. Indeed, the disc was part of Sviridov’s prize for winning the International Competition Musica Antiqua at the Bruges Festival in 2017. He (and his colleagues) take all of Tartini’s demands in their stride. I particularly enjoyed the sonatas from the manuscript – either unaccompanied (as Tartini notes that he normally played the,) or sometimes with cello (having supplied a bass line to conform with expectations…), but not just a simple bass line; Melkonyan plays chords and ornaments, so these are true duos. Throughout Sviridov is compelling and exciting.

Brian Clark

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Misterio

Julia Schröder, Lautten Compagney
70:49
deutsche harmonia mundi 8 89853 44082 5
Biber + Piazzola

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]inding suitable bedfellows for Biber’s amazing set of Rosary Sonatas is a real challenge. Julia Schröder and her colleagues have gone about as far as it is possible to go in pairing them with music by the Argentine tango king, Astor Piazzolla. (They also include a funky, violin-free version of the Passacaglia from Biber’s Harmonia Artificiosa no. 5). I confess that my eyebrows did arch when I opened the envelope that brought the disc; after a good few listens, though, this fine quartet had drawn me into their soundworld and, if I’m honest, I didn’t even notice the move from one composer to another on a couple of occasions. For those who like to know such things, Schröder performs sonatas 1-3, 9, 10 and 14. I’m not sure that I would want a second such disc, nor do I think I want a set of all of the Biber which had been given the same treatment, but I cannot deny enjoying (a lot!) what I heard.

Brian Clark

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Sebastiani: Matthäus Passion

Colin Balzer, Christian Immler, Ina Siedlaczek, Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble, Paul O’Dette, Stephen Stubbs
65:38
cpo 555 204-2

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is an important recording of an important work. Sebastiani’s telling of the passion according to St Matthew is punctuated with judiciously chosen Lutheran chorales which would have been known to the congregation in the Königsburg church where it was presumably first performed, though the score stipulates performance by a solo soprano and viol consort. Elsewhere in the work, singers are joined by a pair of violins. The success of any performance rests on the casting of the two principle voice parts – in this case, Colin Balzer’s reading of the Evangelist balances a rhetorical reading of the narrative with just enough colouring of the voice to bring it to life, while Christian Immler’s Christus is very much a real person, turning Sebastiani’s lines into real believable dialogue. The other parts are taken well and the whole is well paced and nicely recorded.

Brian Clark

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A German Christmas

17th-Century Music for the Time of Advent and Christmas
Margaretha Consort, Marit Broekroelofs
78:15
Naxos 8.551398

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his recording follows a pattern familiar from several other recent releases, presenting various settings of the same text within single tracks. Thus, for example, we have the Lord’s Prayer (Vater Unser…) by Hans Leo Hassler, Johann Steigleder and Jacob Praetorius. The performances are given by nine solo singers (SSSAATTBB), a congregation and a group of instrumentalists playing viols, a cornetto, drums and bells, a chamber organ and the church organ. Taking the aforementioned track as an example, the Lord’s Prayer is performed instrumentally, but the first version (Hassler) is noticeably quicker than the second (viol consort) and the third (bass viol playing the melody under organ ornamentation) is at another speed; then comes a mysterious “Part 4” which appears to be an arrangement (of what?) featuring some beautifully executed, incredibly intricate ornamentation on the cornetto. All of this is wonderful and provides a rich, varied and valuable insight into the world of musicians of the time, but ultimately it is artificial since no 17th-century performance could ever have actually been like this. The booklet notes explain this away convincingly enough, but they do not mention the (to me, at least) unnecessary and unnecessarily polyrhythmic percussion parts added at various junctures – they’re just a needless distraction (again, my opinion). In short, this is a nice recording of fine performances in a variety of styles of popular music for the festive period.

Brian Clark

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Handel: Abbandonata – Italian Cantatas

Carolyn Sampson, The King’s Consort, Robert King, director
75:08
Vivat 117

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y last encounter with Carolyn Sampson was at the Saintes Festival, where she gave a fine recital of 20th c English song (interested readers will find a report in the ‘Festival-conference’ section). Here she is on more familiar ground, singing the kind of repertoire with which she is more usually associated. The results are variable, or to borrow a sporting metaphor, something of a game of two halves.

As with the vast majority of Handel’s chamber cantatas, the four works included all date from the composer’s Italian sojourn (1706-10). The best known is Armida abbandonata, which addresses one of the most familiar topics of the genre, the woman (usually) abandoned by her lover, a conceit that allows for the expression of widely varied emotional responses. The affecting opening aria of Armida, for example, is an expression of the sorceress’ grief at the loss of Rinaldo, the emotion not without a sensual element. Not that you would know that in this performance. The excessively slow tempo adopted, coupled with Robert King’s ill-advised use of chamber organ rather than harpsichord gives the aria a pseudo-religious sentimentality closer to the English oratorios than the youthful Handel’s Italianate spirit and passion. And while nothing can detract from the familiar tonal beauty and the musicality of Sampson’s phrasing and ability to float a line, there is now too much vibrato for the voice to sustain such a funereal tempo. Throughout the CD I am disappointed, too, by the lack of ornamentation (especially trills) at cadence points, leaving far too many ‘blunt’ endings, while ornamentation in da capo repeats is not always judicious, as some ill-advised leaps above the stave testify. To return to Emanuela Galli’s beautifully fresh and committed performance of Armida in the outstanding Fabio Bonizzoni’s traversal of the Italian cantatas (Glossa) – that opening aria taken at only two thirds of King’s timing – is to enter the Ruspoli palace in Rome after a visit to the oratorios at Covent Garden some 30 years later.

I’ve concentrated in some detail on Armida and its opening aria in particular since much of what I have written applies equally to the two succeeding cantatas, Tra le fiamme and the least known on the disc, Figlio d’alte speranze, which has a moralizing text on the trope of the shepherd king and the beauties of the simple life. To be fair, no subsequent aria is treated to quite such an extreme tempo as ‘Ah, crudele’, but throughout King’s choice of a richly-textured continuo has to my mind resulted in performances that are too often plodding and wanting in rhythmic lift. Sampson does capture something of the playful spirit of Tre le fiamme, while the aria ‘Sia guida sia stella’ from Figlio is one of the joys of the CD, the simple sentiment conveyed without affectation, the slightly veiled tone utterly exquisite.

Then in Agrippina condotto a morire everything changes. Although listed as one of the chamber cantatas, it is in fact a work that is sui generis. This is not only because it has string orchestral accompaniment, but because the taut, flexible and dramatically potent alternation of recitative, aria and arioso gives an impression of an extended operatic scena more than anything else. The performance is on a different level to anything that precedes it, with Sampson especially effective in Agrippina’s often bloodthirsty outpouring of bile against her son, Nero, yet quietly heroic in the empress’ final acceptance of death. The expanded forces of the King’s Consort seem freshly energised, with playing of a vitality and rhythmic élan seldom evident elsewhere.

So, as made clear earlier, an oddly mixed bag, probably more of a draw to committed Carolyn Sampson fans than the general listener, who will find better all-round performances of most of these cantatas elsewhere.

Brian Robins

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Cappus – Le Dijonnais oublié

(The forgotten Composer from Dijon)
Premier Livre de Pieces de Viole (1730)
97:50 (2 CDs in a wallet)
Astres Records As1

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is no greater musicological frisson than to be able to present something brand new to the world of Barqoue music, from a completely unknown source, or by an unknown composer, expanding both our knowledge and the specific repertoire. This is the intended mission of Jonathan Dunford and his highly capable and expressive entourage of musicians in revealing the works of Jean (Baptiste) Cappus. He was born in Dijon on the 6th October 1689, in the parish of St Medard, which six years later saw the birth of a one Jean-Philippe Rameau. His father, François, was a singing master, said to have been a good organist, and sang at Dijon cathedral; he died in 1716 after a full life. His mother, Anne Hervelin, passed away when Jean was three years old in 1692. Some of the early collections of “ Livres d’Airs” and Airs à boire” from 1690-1700 were most likely by his father; however, due to the context and location, the 1722 cantata, “Le Temple de la gloire”, given in honour of the illustrious house of the Counts of Saulx, at the Jesuit College in Dijon, seems to be the work of the son, following in his father’s footsteps. In 1728 we see the divertissement mis en musique, “Le retour de Zéphire”, published in Dijon and given at the same Jesuit College. In 1729 his divertissement, “Les Plaisirs d’hiver”, was performed before the queen at Versailles. The following year we see the publication of the “Premier livre de Pièces de Viole”, divided into four suites: the two major key suites are performed on CD1 and the two minor key suites on CD2 (D, G, d, a). They each open with a fantasie or prelude, moving through the common dance forms, yet sprinkled with some movements imitative of hurdy-gurdy or musette, and delightful character vignettes, plus topographical references all firmly seated in the Burgundy region. The Duke and Duchess feature, too, this collection being dedicated to Charles Henry Gaspard, Duke de Saulx, Lieutenant Commander of Duchy of Burgundy, Brigadier-General of the king’s army. The musicians on this recording embrace and deliver the requisite French elegance with deeply resonant “tawny” tones on their period gambas. We hear a comparable musical filigree and approach to that of a Ste. Colombe, and adhering especially to that of a Marais. The transition through the movements admirably displays the compositional prowess of Cappus, and perhaps belies sometimes a flowing violinistic agility. These special qualities obviously struck the right noble spheres and ears of music making, as these Suites received a mention in the November Mercure de France 1730. The well-rounded and responsive musicians on these discs have opened up the trail to this neglected composer and his works from Dijon, who deserves to join the bright constellation of the famous, as a most accomplished master in his own right. CD pull-out pamphlet only in French, tant pis! (See an article on Cappus by Jonathan Dunford by clicking HERE). One hopes, too, to hear more of this composer’s noteworthy works, perhaps his 1732 cantata, Sémélé  (also known as “La naissance de Bacchus”), to further attest to the merits of this Dijon based composer, who rubbed shoulders with Rameau, and may have had lessons with Marais.

David Bellinger

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G.P.Telemann: Concerti da Camera, Vol.1

Camerata Köln
68:03
cpo 555 131-2
TWV43: a3, h3, g2, G12, g4, d3, G11

[dropcap]T[dropcap]his is a genuine Smorgasbord of delights from this section of Telemann’s oeuvre, filled with subtle tonal, and timbral blends and shades, superbly nuanced throughout the various movements with these specifically paired instruments. To the seasoned Telemannophile, these are indeed old friends, found previously on various recordings down the years. Yet here, we have a wonderful gathering of works, which would easily grace any baroque programme; played here by musicians with an intimate understanding of this richly contoured music; not a single accent is out of place in this bright treasury of works. From the opening lilting “Adagio” to the animated final “Allegro assai”, we are taken through a ravishing interplay of well-balanced instrumental colours by a consummate master of this genre, displaying an elegant concision and euphonic pleasure, never musically prolix or overstated. The musicians respond accordingly, with an unforced beauty that simply lets the music speak and breathe for itself; from the slightly spectral “Adagio” of TWV43:h3, to the stately bounce at the opening of TWV43:d3 (here in full Telemann markings, sometimes ascribed to Handel by dint of similarities to the opening of the G minor Oboe Concerto HWV 287, overlooking the Darmstadt source in the former’s name). Some of these qualities are already familiar to us from the range of wonderfully crafted and vibrant works within the famous collection, Musique de Table of 1733. The beguiling magic of every single movement is perfectly caught by this sensitive and responsive band of musicians, without any breakneck tempi, or over-egging of the already rich puddings! An exceptionally fine recording to adorn any inveterate Baroquophile’s shelves. Another listening treasure and pleasure on board the CPO flagship!

David Bellinger

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The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, volume 6

Pieter-Jan Belder harpsichords
Brilliant Classics 95458
2 CDs: 48’46, 74’13.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is the penultimate disc in Pieter-Jan Belder’s admirable project recording the entire contents of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (FVB), the most voluminous source of early English keyboard music from the Tudor and Jacobean period. The manuscript’s uncertain origins and provenance have been discussed many times, most authoritatively of late by David Smith in his article “Francis Tregian the Younger as music copyist: a legend?” in Musical Times 143 (Summer 2002): 7-16. About half of this double album is given over to music by John Bull and, besides the other composers named in the disc’s subtitle, there are works by John Blitheman, Thomas Oldfield, Robert Parsons, Martin Peerson, Jehan Oystermayre, John Marchant and “Galeazzo”, possibly Galeazzo Sabatini, plus a number of anonymous works.

The attributed works on the shorter first disc are all by Bull. The previous discs in this series have tended either to be collections of works by various composers, or to be focused on one or two individuals. Both such approaches can be relished, and with this disc, we have the best of both worlds: an initial focus on Bull – which continues onto the earlier part of the second disc – followed by a miscellany of composers known and unknown to complete the contents. Belder plays modern harpsichords by Titus Crijnen and Adlam Burnett both after Ruckers (2014/1624 and 1980/1638 respectively) and a muselar of 2016 by Gerhard Boogaard after an original of 1650 by Couchet.

And so to the music itself and Belder’s interpretations. There are many anonymous works in FVB. Some such pieces are impressive, and others are not. It would be good to know the identities of all those who composed these anonymous works, but particularly those who composed the impressive ones. This is broadly illustrated on the first disc of this double album. It runs for only 48 minutes, and with one possible exception the central dozen pieces are all by Bull. They are bookended by three anonymous works at the beginning of the disc, with ten more to conclude it, and they fall into the two categories noted above: the first three works – Galiarda, Alman and Praeludium – are impressive pieces (which is of course why they were selected to begin the album) – sufficiently to make this listener want to know who composed them, particularly the fine, technically demanding and audibly Bullish Galiarda. The concluding ten obviously have to be included on what is a complete recording, but are like the fillers on old-style rock or pop LPs, which used to consist of one or two strong items plus several other less interesting tracks for padding. A few of them are at least inoffensive, and the final track, Martin sayd to his man, inexplicably picked up an attribution to Byrd during his tercentenary in 1923, in a pamphlet compiled by Gerald Cooper, who should have known better. The works by Bull vary between dances and pieces of a more ecclesiastical bent. The former all come across as very sprightly, especially the Regina Galliard, while both the Trumpet and Spanish Pavans have some pleasantly plangent moments, besides the characteristic touches – respectively military and elegant – implied by their titles. The ecclesiastical pieces sound well on the harpsichord. In Belder’s performances there is clarity and a comprehensible narrative, whereas many performances on the organ sound relentless and constipated, more of a harangue than a narrative (not difficult with Bull, to be fair) but Bull’s figurations around the cantus firmi are better suited to the harpsichord, and although an organ can sustain the cantus firmus, in practice the sustained notes can have the effect of clotting the texture. This is also true of two venerable pieces on the second disc which Belder releases from the oppression of the organ.

But first, there are eight more pieces by Bull to consider, which begin this second disc. Herein is some more variety, with jigs, fantasias on plainsong and the hexachord, and galliards. It is the hexachord fantasia Ut re mi fa sol la which most challenges Belder’s capabilities. The figuration is relentless but Belder creates his narrative by responding sensitively to Bull’s implied changes of tempo, and by knowing either when to go at the figuration like a [pun alert] bull at a gate, or when to back off, like a good improviser in a blues guitar solo, with the result that he sustains interest over the near eleven minutes of what can, in the wrong hands, be a dry or exhibitionist exercise. Speaking of which, not even Belder make much of what the listing for the sleeve and booklet call the “Misere in three parts”; significantly Belder either forgot to write about this Miserere, or his thoughts were fortuitously omitted. In any event, it is difficult to make much of a positive case for it.

The final group of pieces to be considered are those that close the second disc and which are not by Bull. A few are by composers with established reputations, such as Gibbons, Robert Johnson and Peerson who flourished in the Jacobean period, and Parsons and Blitheman whose music was originally Marian and only subsequently Elizabethan. Another clutch of composers are unknown or obscure apart from their appearances in FVB: Oystermayre, Oldfield and Sabatini; Warrack and Marchant. Allowed to give a particularly good account of themselves are Tisdall and Inglott, two known but hardly familiar names. They certainly provide the two most striking pieces from this closing group. Tisdall’s Pavana Chromatica Mrs Katherin Tregians Pavan is dignified and full of fine and unexpected harmonies; it is well structured and altogether impressive. William Inglott was the organist of Norwich then Hereford then again Norwich Cathedrals, having been a chorister at Norwich under his father Edmund. A career as a practising musician does not guarantee quality as a composer, but Inglott’s Galliard Ground is another of the outstanding pieces on this album. I participated with Michael Walsh in reconstructing his Short Service for publication (by The Early Music Company, which publishes EMR) and performance (two morning canticles can be heard on Norwich Cathedral Choir’s outstanding CD Elizabethan Church Music Priory PRCD5044), and it is a fine example of its type. Of the “name” composers, Gibbons is represented by The woods so wild which is perhaps not out of his top drawer. Belder responds to the hectic, almost aggressive, figuration especially in the quite Bullish section numbered 5 (his version is all but a minute shorter than John Toll’s on the eponymous CD, Linn CKD 125, significant in a work lasting only 4-5 minutes) amongst some more reflective moments. It depicts a different landscape from the set of variations by Byrd, albeit the older composer’s deceptively bucolic opening leads to sterner stuff. While Johnson’s two almans are delightful, Peerson’s merely comes and goes, but his The Primerose is one of the classics of the virginalist genre. Of the unknowns. Marchant’s Allemanda is the most striking, appropriately for a man who taught James I’s eldest daughter “to play upon the virginalles”, though the single anonymous piece from this section, an Alman, deserves an honourable mention. Much more than an honourable mention is required by the two most venerable pieces on this album: Parsons’ In nomine, the most popular consort work of its day, arranged for keyboard by Byrd, his successor in the Chapel Royal, and who, like Tallis, seems to have quoted Parsons’ piece in an In nomine; and Blitheman’s “In nomine”, originally the third of a sequence of six settings titled Gloria tibi trinitas (the alternative designation for the In nomine) by Blitheman in the Mulliner Book. For reasons given above, these two pieces come over very well on the harpsichord thanks to Belder, with clarity and momentum, but it also helps that, in their own spheres, they are two of the finest examples of the In nomine in the entire Tudor instrumental repertory. Meanwhile one wonders whether Byrd “heard” his arrangement as being for the virginals, or for the organ, or for either, and if the last, whether he harboured a preference.

This is another fine contribution to a well-executed project. Purchasers of the preceding albums will be amply rewarded with this release, and unless one has reservations about consuming generous helpings of Bull, it is worth the attention of anyone with an interest in the English virginalists, as it contains uniformly fine performances of many interesting and intriguing pieces, beside a few masterpieces.

Richard Turbet

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Benevolo: Missa Si Deus pro nobis, Magnificat

Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet
60:31
Alpha Classics Alpha 400

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is a welcome first recording of this Benevoli Mass, one of the glories of the Roman colossal baroque. Written for four four-voiced choirs, Niquet doubles up each choir with another one, in a manner typical of Roman performance practice in the 17th century. Taking advantage of balconies in the recording venue, the groups are split up at a considerable distance and each has its own conductor to relay Niquet’s beat (there is a video of part of the recording on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6mHJNKOSXs). This again reproduces Roman practice. Less typical of that practice, however, is the strong presence of wind instruments. By the 1660s when this Mass was probably written, cornetts and sackbuts were very rare in Rome; singers predominated, supported by violoni or bass violins and organs, with a few violins. Niquet here uses a choir of cornett and sackbuts as well as one of dulzians, so that the sound world is both wind-heavy and old-fashioned, too early 17th-century Venetian perhaps, to be true to Benevoli. The recording engineers have done sterling work and the effect of being placed as a listener at the centre of all of these groups is very effective, but the winds overpower the singers at times and, particularly, muddy the texts. That said, the orchestration is successful and there are quieter moments and good contrast between textures, though some singing with organ only would have been welcome in the Mass – in the Christe, for example. The long full tutti sections at the end of each movement are enormously powerful and performed with a strong sense of momentum and inevitability. The other works on the CD provide lots of contrast, from the motet Regna Terrae for twelve sopranos, to some excellent instrument-only playing in Palestrina’s Beata es, virgo Maria and in a Frescobaldi canzona. Monteverdi’s Cantate Domino, sung as an Introit, is anomalous and serves only to emphasise the Venetian quality of the sound throughout. Even more anomalous is the plainchant, performed quickly and rhythmically in a medieval manner with drones, rather than the slow festive unornamented way we know was sung in the 17th century. Benevoli’s sixteen-voice Magnificat is included as a communion motet, which is strange, but is a welcome addition nonetheless. Something of an odd mix then, from the purist’s point of view, but an exciting result which certainly gives us a vivid appreciation of Benevoli’s individual voice. The group uses transcriptions made by the late Jean Lionnet, a crucial figure both in researching Roman baroque music and in encouraging its performance by French groups. It is hard to believe that it is twenty years since his untimely passing.

Noel O’Regan

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