early music review

Acronym (Edwin Huizinga & Beth Wenstrom violin, Adriane Post and Karina Schmitz violin/viola, Kyle Miller viola, Paul Dwyer violoncello, Loren Ludwig viola da gamba, Kivie Cahn-Lipman viola da gamba, violoncello & lirone, Doug Balliett violone, Simon Martyn-Ellis theorbo and Elliot Figg harpsichord/organ)
64:05
Olde Focus Recordings FCR901

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nyone who knows me or is regular reader of these pages will be well acquainted with my partiality for music from 17th-century Vienna, so it will come as no surprise that I love this recording. In fact, I had no idea the CD existed, but I had spent many evenings a few months ago watching Acronym’s live performances on youtube. They tackle everything from sonatas for two soloists (either two violins or violin and gamba) to the three works in eight parts. The latter include what is effectively a prototype concerto grosso (and look out for the harmonies when the tutti group join in), a sonatas for two choirs with solo violin and gamba and two ‘filler’ parts (no disrespect to the performers!), and a proper eight-voiced sonata, which is recorded here for the first time. Precise playing and clever positioning of the two treble groups on either side of the bass instruments ensures that all of the lines are clearly audible and the sophistication of Bertali’s fine part-writing comes through, without that ever distracting from the sense of overall shape, of which he was a master. As well as the links below, the album is downloadable (along with a PDF of the booklet note, which details the performers and all the musical sources used) from the recording company’s website; their about page makes for very interesting reading, and musicians with a plan might consider getting involved with them. I’m glad Acronym did and I wholeheartedly recommend this CD to everyone!

Brian Clark

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Barbara Hollinshead mezzo-soprano, Ryland Angel countertenor, Artek, Gwendolyn Toth organ/director
70:11
Zefiro Recordings ZR107
Ach Herr strafe mich nicht, Aeterne Deus, Ascendit Christus in altum, Christum ducem, Lieber Herre Gott, O dives omnium, O Salvator dilectissime, Salve dulcis Salvator, Treiffet ihr Himmel & Vox dilecti mei

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his survey of Rosenmüller’s music for solo voices (five pieces each for alto and soprano) takes us from the depths of despair in Ach Herr, strafe mich nicht to the bliss of Ascendit Christus in altum. Artek (from “art of the early keyboard”) is a very fine New York-based continuo ensemble, here consisting of two theorbos and organ. Rosenmüller’s writing for solo voices involves extended passages of simple continuo accompaniment, then contrasted with the same music played by an instrumental ensemble (here either a very, very nice string group led by violinist Cynthia Freivogel, or – in O dives omnium – a trio of dulcians! The composer asked for violas or trombones, but who cares? The reedy combination with countertenor is glorious! And the violas had shone in the previous track, Lieber Herre Gott, in any case.) Five of the pieces come from the two sets of ‘Kern=Sprüche’ issued in Leipzig before he fled to Venice, four others are from the Bokemeyer Collection, so their heritage is rather more difficult to track; the other work survives in both Dresden (as part of the Grimma collection) and Uppsala, suggesting that it, too, dates from the German period – given the plaintive nature of the text, perhaps it was after the scandal that saw him forced to flee. Whatever the history of the music, these beautifully paced and elegantly sung and played renditions confirm its consistently high quality, and all credit to Artek for producing such an impressive recital of still largely unknown music.

Brian Clark

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Adrian Chandler director/violin, Peter Whelan bassoon, La Serenissima
73:45
Avie AV2344

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you are going to record ‘The Four Seasons’, you have to do something that makes your version stick out from the crowd; Adrian Chandler, who has immersed himself for years now in Vivaldi’s music, has opted to go down the ‘let’s have lots of fun and really bring out the character of these pieces’ route, so the bird song is even more chirpy than you might be used to, the distant thunder takes on a more ominous nature, extremes of dynamic, ornamentation abounds, and personally I must admit that listening to it once was exciting but I think I would find repeated listening less so. While taking Boris Begelman’s point about the performer transforming baroque music on the page into baroque music for the ear, and impressive as Chandler and La Serenissima are (and goodness is some of the ensemble playing breathtaking!), I would not want this to be my only recording of the work. There is much more to the disc, though, as the wonderful Peter Whelan gives us two contrasting bassoon concertos (the characterful ‘La notte’ – related to but not simply a re-working of the flute concerto of that name – and a piece whose designation ‘per Maestro di Morzin’ indicates that it was written for the devotee of ‘The Four Seasons’ set, and whose orchestra was at one time headed by Whelan’s friend, Fasch) and world premiere recordings of two concertos for violin ‘in tromba marina’ with Chandler playing on three metal strings that give the instrument a different brightness than one gets on an instrument with an E string, though with a hint of hurdy-gurdy to the tone. As with the rest of the disc, here there is a clear sense of the musicians having fun with their material – so as we head into Autumn (and the wettest September on record, as the weather people are predicting), buy yourself this as a reminder of summer fun times!

Brian Clark

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Johannes Pramsohler, Ensemble Diderot
60:02
Op 1/1, 5-8, Dresden Concerto in C

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]veryone knows that the great German violinist Pisendel studied in Italy with Vivaldi and took sonatas and concertos by him (and the deep influence of his compositional style!) back to Dresden, where the court orchestra became one of the most celebrated of the age. What is not so well known is that Pisendel also knew Antonio Molinari and copies out his works, too. Having already dedicated a CD to Pisendel (and included some of his music on another), Pramsohler and his expanded Ensemble Diderot now tackle five of the eight concertos printed as Molinari’s Op. 1 and another piece that only survives in the Dresden collection (only Op. 1 No. 8 has been recorded before). He lays out his (and Montanari’s stall) in programming the Dresden concerto first, clearly Roman in design but with Venetian virtuosity thrown in and sweetly played by this outstanding young violinist. Single strings with theorbo/guitar and harpsichord make for crystal clear textures and a sense of no-one playing down to let the soloist sing out – the balance is naturally right. Montanari was one of the violinists in the Roman premiere of Handel’s La Resurrezione, and the Saxon’s influence is all over the opening of Op. 1 No. 6. Following an impressive fugal movement, the other slow movement of the same work is far more original, with an inner drama that will keep you guessing. Michael Talbot’s typically informative (in an enviably readable way!) booklet ends with the hope that these very fine performances will encourage the publication of the music and a revival in Montanari’s fortunes; unfortunately – nay, frustratingly – the library that holds the original prints does not seem as keen on the idea. At least for now we can relish this delightful and this finely recorded disc.

Brian Clark

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Arsenale Sonoro (Boris Begelman violin, Ludovico Minasi cello, Alexandra Koreneva harpsichord)
63:55
deutsche harmonia mundi 88875061582
TWV41: C1, d5*, d6*, e8*, G10*, g1, A1 & Fantasia in b TWV 40:22

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his magnificent CD arrived just too late to be included in last month’s summary of new recordings. Boris Begelman’s introductory essay focusses on the contribution of the performer to the success of Baroque music, considering the way different styles of improvised ornamentation can transform the same piece in the hands of different musicians. While he is rarely as adventurous as the extract from the Sonate methodiche printed in the booklet (has anyone actually recorded such heavily laden performances?), he is not afraid to get into Telemann gypsy mode, or to add wonderfully stylish cadential flourishes in the solo fantasia, and his Arsenale Sonoro colleagues are similarly resourceful in interpreting this fine, yet still little-known (in the case of the pieces marked with asterisks in the list above totally unknown) repertoire. Telemann may have a reputation for writing nice music for his wealthy amateur admirers, but there are several pieces here that neither the Grauns nor the Bendas would have been ashamed of; we should remember, too, that Telemann also wrote for some of the best violinists of his day, so the technical difficulties are not inconsiderable! Begelman of course rises above all the challenges and really gets under the skin of this music. With partners of the calibre of Minasi and Koreneva, his beautifully considered interpretations reveal yet another facet of Telemann’s oeuvre and should be obligatory listening to anyone studying baroque violin.

Brian Clark

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Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Michael Hofstetter
63:18
Orfeo C 831 151 A
op. 6/1, 6, 10, 12; Concerto Grosso in C (from Alexander’s Feast)

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] quirky recording. The Stuttgart Kammerorchester are a fine ensemble, and this disc contains some extremely lively, alert and incisive playing. Unfortunately it also contains an almost embarrassing excess of ornamentation, with nearly every note of some movements embellished in some way. Try the magnificent Op. 6 No. 1, for example, which opens the disc. The tempi are exciting, the band is large enough for the solo/tutti contrasts to be well-pointed, and the actual playing is superb. Yet it almost seems as though Cuzzoni’s ‘nest of nightingales’ has been released, so insistent is the chirruping. When the music is left alone, it comes across with full intensity; the peerless musette of Op. 6 No. 6 is absolutely magical, as it should be, as is the beautifully-poised final gavotte-with-variations of the closing Alexander’s Feast concerto.

Alastair Harper

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