Category: Recording

Stefano Molardi (Silbermann organs, Freiberg Cathedral (1714) & Marienkirche in Rötha (1722))
220:10 (3 CDs)
Brilliant Classics 95089

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ohann Kuhnau was the revered predecessor of Bach at Leipzig, and Bach reissued his Clavier-übung there shortly before he began to publish his own collection. A remarkable polymath, Kuhnau studies and wrote on Hebrew and Greek as well as more modern texts, and is probably best known now for his motets like Tristis est anima mea, which Bach incorporated into one of his composite Passions, and the cantatas like Gott, sei mir gnädig for four part voices and five-part strings or Uns ist ein Kind geoboren (formerly attributed to Bach as BVW 142).

But his keyboard works are many and diverse and among them the most distinctive are the six Sonate Bibliche, published in 1700 and achieving considerable commercial success. Kuhnau did not specify which type of keyboard might be suitable for which sonata, but here they are all played on the Gottfried Silbermann organ of the Dom in Freiberg which dates from 1714, where Elias Lindner, Kuhnau’s pupil, was the organist. Some of the smaller works included on these three discs together with the seven sonatas of the Frische Clavier Früchte are played on the single manual Silbermann organ of 1722 in the Marienkirche at Rötha. These sound more like a set of instrumental sonatas in the style of Corelli, while the larger Biblical Sonatas have a more mixed parentage that combines Buxtehude with a more naturalistic, Italianate, descriptive style.

The subjects of the Biblical Sonatas are all Old Testament in character, revealing Kuhnau’s interest in Hebrew, and are I imagine what the composer might have improvised had the great Silbermann organ been set up in the cinema of the day. Lots of flashing D major arpeggios and trumpet calls are the prelude to martial music celebrating David’s triumph over Goliath and the Philistines, or Gideon’s surprise attack. This is frankly rather predicable extemporisation! Rather more interesting are the sombre scenes – Saul’s rage and David’s soothing harp-playing; or the Tomb of Jacob, where we hear some of the melodic lines for which Kuhnau was famous, Hezekiah’s lament, which has some sustained development of a musical theme rather than a few conventional rhetorical flourishes, and some imaginative use being made of the strings, flutes and reeds for which the organ is renowned. Snatches of Lutheran chorales float over the Hebrew landscape like birds of prey, waiting for the kill. But overall, I found the playing, though worthy and accurate, rather uninspiring. Only Silbermann’s Vox Humana and a breathtakingly slow-beating tremulant depicting ‘The Burial of Israel, and the Sorrowful Lament of Those Present’ made me sit up. This is vulgar programme music, and it needs more of an extrovert showman to bring off its rather conventional gestures.

Stefano Molardi has recorded a lot for Brilliant Classics, including the whole of Bach. Those who have no other keyboard music by Kuhnau and are keen to understand the surprisingly broad range of keyboard music being published as J. S. Bach was getting into his stride will be glad to have these CDs, played on this wonderful organ. Those whose interests are less specialised may want to sample them before committing to this substantial listen.

David Stancliffe

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Dresdner Kammerchor, Dresdner Barockorchester, Hans-Christoph Rademann
65:52
Carus 83.272 (C) 1999, 2000

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is a clever re-packaging of two separate recordings in which the Heinichen masses were coupled with Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Magnificat. I hope this means that Heinichen’s music is now well-enough known that it no longer needs the presence of a “big name” to sell it! In fact, in no way does either of these works pale into insignificance even alongside such accepted masterpieces – Heinichen, after all, held the Dresden job that Bach so coveted, and there is much in his choral music that recalls Handel at his best. There are Italianate arias (the Quoniam Tu solus from Missa No. 11 is for tenor, two horns and strings, and the Christe eleison from Missa Nr. 12 for soprano, alto, oboes and upper strings would be worthy of a place in any opera of the period!), declamatory choruses, and plenty of catchy fugal choral writing. Indeed, this music is ideally suited to choirs, and with all the D major pomp of horns and trumpets (not to mention flutes, oboes and recorders!), these two masses would make excellent Christmas concert pieces.

Brian Clark

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Guido Balestracci gamba, Nicola Dal Maso violone, Rafael Bonavita archlute, Massamiliano Raschietti harpsichord/organ
73:38
Pan Classics PC 10338
Suites 6, 8-12

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is a re-release of a recording originally made in 2003, of six of the suites, re-released with nice timing to go with the publication of the 12 Suites, originally published by Hacquart in 1686 under the title of Chelys, in a modern edition, published by Güntersberg in 2013. I reviewed it in EMR issue 161, August 2014, and found the music well worth the attention of good players. In Guido Balestracci it has undoubtedly found such a one.

Predating the Güntersberg edition by 10 years, they have worked out their own bass line for some of the movements, and their solutions are sometimes very imaginative, including leaving out the bass altogether for some bars. He plays with marvellous freedom and virtuosity, always finding ways to bring out the beauty of the music, but without mannerism. That’s not to say that he plays entirely literally – he takes liberties with the notated versions, particularly in his tempi, but all is very much at the service of the music – lovely lyricism in the slow movements, and beautifully articulated rapid playing in the fast. A particularly nice touch is in the Sarabande of the C major suite, No 12, where there are divisions or variations following each statement. The lute, accompanied by the organ and 2nd bass viol, plays the ‘plain’ version beautifully, and the solo bass viol follows with the variations.

The music itself is clearly derived from the French style, the Allemandes and Sarabandes very much influenced by Marais, but, like Schenk, Hacquart was affected by the English and Italian music as well. He may not have the same melodic charm that Schenk has, but he writes so well for the instrument, that the result, in these hands, is very enjoyable listening. The continuo team of lute, 2nd bass viol and harpsichord/organ is marvellous.

The sound is very resonant, recorded in a favourable acoustic, fairly close-miked. The booklet has excellent notes, supplementing the introduction to the Güntersberg publication. One minor complaint is Nicola dal Maso is listed as playing a violone, when it’s clearly a bass viol, but that’s not sufficient not to give this one top marks throughout.

Robert Oliver

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CD1 Charpentier/Lully – Te Deum
Le Poème Harmonique, Capella Cracoviensis, Vincent Dumestre
CD2 Du Mont – Grands motets for the chapel of Louis XIV
Ensemble Pierre Robert, Frédéric Desenclos
CD3 Versaille, L’île enchantée
Capriccio Stravagante orchestra, Skip Sempé
195:49 (3 CDs)
Alpha 961

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is a re-packaging of recordings from 2013, 2004 and 2001 respectively. The note (Eng/Fre) gives a good general background to the music though says little about specifics and the texts/translations must be downloaded from Alpha. The booklet does, however, include more or less full details of who is singing/playing what.

CD1 is of sacred music – Te Deum settings by Lully and Charpentier directed by Vincent Dumestre. I’m sure that many will find these lively and colourful but I’m afraid they just irritate me. The composers knew what they were doing and their scores do not require the addition of recorders at unlikely pitches or the substitution of viols at the wrong octave for violins. And the choir ladies are prone to excess vibrato in moments of high excitement. On its own this would rank 2.5* for performance.

CD2 is quite different, though also of sacred music. Four noble examples of Henry du Mont’s motets are performed by Ensemble Pierre Robert with respect, restraint and an exquisite sense of style. When first released this was highly praised and nothing has happened to change this. 5* for performance – it is very fine.

CD3 offers a varied selection of secular music – harpsichord solo and duo, opera extracts and solo songs with Skip Sempé/Capriccio Stravagante. The programme is skilfully arranged to reflect the kind of evening that took place in the Versailles salons. As such it is an excellent French Baroque ‘sampler’ but is also rather good (4*), robbed of a full house by the occasional moments of ‘help yourself’ performance practice.

The ratings below are for the overall package.

David Hansell

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Balthasar-Neumann-Chor und -Ensemble, Pablo Heras-Casado
Archiv Produktion 479 4522
Hieronymus Praetorius Magnificat quarti toni, O quam pulchra es, Quam pulchra es, Surge propera amica mea, Tota pulchra es, Vulnerasti cor meum
Jacob Praetorius Indica mihi, Quam pulchra es, Veni in hortum meum
Michael Praetorius Magnificat per omnes versus, Nigra sum sed formosa

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is a fine recording of some little-known music. The Praetorius of the title is actually the trinity of Michael, of Dresden, and the unrelated Heironymus and his son Jacob, of Hamburg (the latter a first for me.) The programme combines settings of the Magnificat (by Heironymus and Michael) with motets with texts from The Song of Songs, many previously unrecorded. The performances are generally superb; the opening Heironymus Tone IV Magnificat is wonderfully exciting, with driving ‘Dispersits’, disappearing ‘Dimisit Inanes’ and a welter of antiphonal ‘Saeculorum Amens’. The second Magnificat (Michael this time) is even more interesting, set ‘per omnes versus’ and utilising the hexachord ‘Ut re mi fa sol la’ as both cantus firmus and as a contrapuntal point. It has a particularly splendid conclusion, with the hexachord up and down in long notes in the bass supporting closely contrapuntal upper parts. Jacob’s two wedding motets are gentler; Indica mihi has a lovely ending, with upper and lower voices (representing bride and groom?) echoing each other’s ‘Ego dilecta mea’ / ‘Ego dilecto meo’. The Michael motets abound with felicitous word-painting – try the charming wandering flocks (‘Ne vagari’) of Nigra sum, for example. Heironymus is at his best in the richly sonorous Tota pulchra es, with its crowding ‘Veni, veni, coronaberis’ conclusion.

The Balthasar-Neumann-Chor and -Ensemble respond brilliantly to Heres-Casado’s sometimes rather over-detailed direction; some of the manipulation of dynamics, for example, seems a little unnecessary. The sleeve notes are not so satisfactory; there is a good deal about Heres-Casado, less about the composers and almost nothing about the individual pieces, a particular omission being details of the vocal and instrumental scorings, which are an essential and integral part of this glorious music.

Alastair Harper

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