Tag: Baroque

Georg Philipp Telemann, Christoph Graupner, Johann Sebastian Bach
The Bach Players, dir Nicolette Moonen, Rachel Elliott S, Sally Bruce-Payne A, Simon Wall T, Matthew Brook B
132:11 (2 CDs)
Hyphen Press Music 008
Georg Philipp Telemann: Laß vom Bösen und tue Gutes TWV 1:1038, Wer sich rächet TWV 1: 1600, Overture in F sharp minor, TWV 55: fis 1
Christoph Graupner: Aus der Tiefen rufen wir GWV 1113/23a, Gott führt die seinen wunderbar GWV 1115/24, Ouverture in C minor GWV 413
J.S. Bach: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe BWV 22, Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen BWV 81

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he interesting idea behind these two CDs packaged together is to give us a snapshot of what three jobbing musicians were producing at a fairly pivotal moment in their careers. Two and four years older than Bach respectively, both Graupner and Telemann were schooled at Leipzig, outlived Bach and both produced far more that the Bach output that has survived. Telemann, C.P.E. Bach’s godfather, was Leipzig’s first choice in 1722 but didn’t want it, Graupner couldn’t be released from his post at Darmstadt, so they called Bach for interview. It is instructive to hear how ‘modern’ Graupner’s music already sounds at this stage – more melodic and ‘orchestral’ in a modern sense. Telemann has obviously been influenced by the Italian and French music to which he had been introduced. Beside them, Bach’s unusual scoring, free way of illuminating the texts both Biblical and poetic, shaping them with recitative, aria and duet as well as chorus all vary the texture and intrigue us. Bach’s theological creativity makes the others seem less imaginative about the text; they already have half a foot in a symphonic future where the general mood of a piece can be reflected, rather than each word or theological concept prized.

Each CD contains an instrumental piece – by Telemann on the first and by Graupner on the second. Otherwise the Telemann cantata on the first, probably written in 1719, was performed in the Thomaskirche in 1725, while those by Graupner and Bach were their audition pieces. The link between the three on the second CD is that they were all written for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany in 1724 – three treatments of Jesus stilling the storm, the gospel for that day.

These two CDs – recorded a year apart – offer us a chance to stand back and question our settled assumptions about Bach’s magisterial primacy, but at the same time to reaffirm what a very distinctive and unique voice – as well as a somewhat old-fashioned one – he offers. The players in the Bach Players – one to a part strings, with a pair of oboes/recorders and a bassoon and a keyboard – cultivate a beautifully clean tone, which some of the singers match better than others. Simon Wall is the cleanest, and it is easiest for his kind of light tenor voice; but both Matthew Brook and Sally Bruce-Payne are equally convincing both when singing singly and as part of the vocal ensemble and suggest hidden depths. Rachel Elliott as always draws the short straw: it is so much more difficult for a soprano to match the clean and almost steely tone of the violins and still sound both interesting and musical: she does really well but has to work hard to give that clean clarity in the chorus passage work and a steady tone in the homophonic passages before switching to a more soloistic vocal style in her (rather few) arias. This is my only uncomfortable moment with these quality performances, and perhaps it is because Nicolette Moonen herself gives no quarter. I like it, but it is very hard to match vocally.

The recording is close – you can hear every bow stroke as it was played; and the balance between strings and wind, instruments and voices is beautifully judged. The photographs showing how they stood in live performances may not reflect how the recordings were achieved, but a group like this, performing cantatas as intimate chamber music, never has to force their sound. This is a huge advantage over large-scale performances directed ‘at’ rather than performed ‘among’ their listeners.

As always with this group’s production there is a minimalistic package, concealing a very well researched and intriguing essay by Hugh Wood with Stephen Pedder giving both the background to these auditions and a detailed analysis of the music. This is programme planning of a high order, and we are lucky to eavesdrop on their performances.

David Stancliffe

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Tommaso Rossi, Ensemble Barocco di Napoli
58:54
Stradivarius STR 33969

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Neapolitan composer Leonardo Leo (1694-1744) is best known for his sacred music and for operas both comic and serious, but seven sonatas for recorder and continuo by him survive in a manuscript from the collection of the Austrian Harrach family. One of its members, Aloys Thomas Raimund Harrach was Viceroy of Naples between 1728 and 1733, at a time when the recorder was still extremely popular there in spite of the rise in popularity of the transverse flute. This is the first recording of this attractive set of sonatas. They all have the same pattern of four movements, alternately slow and fast, but these tuneful pieces are never dull. Additional variety is given by the use of different instruments for the continuo of each sonata, archlute, cello, harpsichord and even bass recorder in different combinations. The booklet notes by Tommaso Rossi cram a great deal of information into a small space, and the occasional awkward translation and the lack of a clear distinction between the paragraphs make them a slightly difficult, though interesting, read.

Victoria Helby

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Raffaella Milanesi S, G.A.P. Ensemble
74:10
Pan Classics PC 10324
Caldara: Risoluto son già tiranno amore Piani: Violin sonatas op1/1, 3, 9
A. Scarlatti: Appena chiudo gli occhi Vivaldi: Lungi dal vago volto

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he title of this recording is something of a marketing ploy – yes, Piani was one of the most highly paid musicians in Vienna but the violin sonatas on the disc were published in Paris before he was employed by the Habsburgs; Alessandro Scarlatti and Vivaldi’s connection was as composer to a particular residence, but how many times did they actually encounter the emperor? Caldara, of course, deserves his place on the programme though I am not sure what he would have made of this performance of one of his many cantatas… Giovanni Antonio Pieni (G.A.P., as in the ensemble’s name) published his op. 1 (a set of 12 violin sonatas) in 1712, nine years before he began almost 40 years of Viennese service. They build on the Corellian model but have not the stature of Locatelli, Veracini or even Geminiani. They are, however, all I can conscientiously recommend about this CD.

The problem is not the singer’s voice per se, but rather one of balance; the aggressive opening chords of the Caldara recitative and the “dramatic” interpretation that ensues from singer and continuo alike in my opinion distorts the music, pushing it to the very limits of good taste, especially with regards to tuning. In the arias, the single sweet-toned violin struggles to compete with the full-blooded operatic voice, and when the music has to slow down – not only for the entire “B” section, but also for some of the vocal coloratura – that really is too much; it was scarcely less uncomfortable, listening to the violinist’s efforts to draw not only more volume but also drama from his instrument.

Brian Clark

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Romina Lischka gamba, Sofie Vanden Eynde theorbo
72:28
Paraty 814129
Music by Marais, Ste. Colombe, de Visée

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is a marvellous disc. The pairing of theorbo and bass viol is a potent one, sometimes played separately (de Visée, Ste Colombe) sometimes together (Marais). Romina Lischke is a pupil of Paolo Pandolfo and Philippe Pierlot, and she clearly shares with them a very attractive impulsiveness, and a brilliant technique. She plays what I guess might be a copy of a Colichon (the booklet doesn’t tell us about the instruments) – it has a lovely, bright, pleasingly astringent top string, with a very sonorous middle register and a booming bass. The recording is made in a generous acoustic, but there is no issue of clarity. Both instruments are closely miked, and the result is a very atmospheric and intimate sound, which perfectly suits the music they have chosen.

They open with a suite of seven Marais dances, cherry-picked from all five books, in E minor or G major, and conclude with an eloquent rendering of Marais’ Tombeau pour Mr de Ste Colombe. This is followed by a suite in D made up of Preludes and dance movements, alternating Ste Colombe and de Visée for solo viol or solo lute. The final tracks feature three of Marais’ character pieces: Les Vois humaines, La Rêveuse, and Le Badinage – yes, the famous one in F sharp minor from the film.

It is very satisfying listening. I very much enjoyed the beautifully poised lute playing, both solo and accompanying, but my focus is on the music from the so-called Tournus Manuscript, of pieces for solo bass viol by Ste Colombe. I recently reviewed the edition of this manuscript published by Güntersberg, and I’ve found exploring the music fascinating and stimulating. As many players will know, it shares with the well-known duets many unmeasured bars, not just the notes perdues but fully written-out roulades. What makes them more interesting is that there are some quite detailed instructions for bowing, which all work out very well and are very informative. His music is quite unlike that of his pupils, or anyone else for that matter, and his melodies take unexpected turns. His harmonies are unorthodox, and clearly arise out of his improvisations, so wedded are they to the technique of the instrument. As the developer of the silver-wound bass strings he clearly loves the possibilities offered by the new clarity of the bass strings. He must have been a marvellous player, and he does require from a modern player a great deal of understanding and intuitive insight, as well as a brilliant technique. These performances abundantly fulfil all these requirements, and his music comes across as enormously appealing. One can discern the effect he must have had on his most distinguished pupil. De Visée’s music is more conventional, but no less compelling, and of course that of Marais is great. Open a good Bordeaux, light some candles, turn off the lights, and let the music cast its potent spell.

Robert Oliver

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Capella Cracoviensis, Fabio Bonizzoni
66:26
Alpha 199
BWV225–230, Anh. 159

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his recording of the complete motets by eight singers, cello, double bass and organ continuo is one of the most moving discs I have encountered in a long time. Fabio Bonizzoni explains that the group spent a long time exploring not only the music but also its background and original setting – as part of a long German tradition of grave-side songs of consolation. Finding four pairs of equal voices that can combine seamlessly or split into two choirs as the music demands is not easy, but the results here are incredible; the texts are clearly enunciated, the phrases are beautifully shaped, and the tempi – and the spaces between movements – are spot on. There is room in the acoustic for the singers to use vibrato as an ornament, and there is, above all, a real sense of involvement in the ritual of a funeral. Definitely one of my favourite discs this month.

Brian Clark

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Ricercar Consort
Mirare MIR237   (54′)

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his recording – despite its relative brevity – left me exhausted; there is nothing tiring about the playing, which is absolutely first rate, but the music is just so intellectually demanding, or at least I allowed it to be so, teasing my brain with all its ingenuity! Of course, I could just have kicked back and enjoyed the experience as entertainment, but for some reason these perfectly shaped and effortlessly balanced performances “drew me in” and, once in the spider’s web, there was no escape. This is not the first Musical Offering to be reviewed in these pages, nor will it be the last to be written about in a critical way, but I am sure this version will find many admirers in the Bach fraternity, and I will not be surprised to see it among this year’s award winners.

Brian Clark

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Guido Kraemer, Frederik From, Bjarte Eike, Peter Spissky violins, Antoine Torunczyk oboe, Concerto Copenhagen, Lars Ulrik Mortensen
55:10
cpo 777 904-2

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f your initial reaction (like mine, I confess) was, “oh no, not another recording of these concertos!”, time to dispel fears of being anything other than captivated by a series of interpretations that are as finely nuanced without the slightest hint of micro-management as you are ever likely to hear. In the slow movement of the A minor concerto, for example, Frederik From (the only one of the quartet of solo violinists of whom I had never heard!) makes the semibreves the most interesting notes of the piece, by nourishing them as the bar passes with an ornament called vibrato – never was it better applied! His approach to the outer movements of the same work is typical of the COCO’s Bach; every detail is in its rightful place and no fuss is ever made of any particular note or phrase – I have never heard the pause halfway through the final Allegro assai and the pick-up from the basses and violas handled so neatly; I suppose that’s how Bach must have intended it to sound. His rendition of the E major concerto is every bit as impressive, and again it is in the slow movement that he excels – his first entry is guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows. The soloists in the double violin concerto are Peter Spissky and Bjarte Eike, while the final work on the disc features Manfredo Kraemer and Antoine Torunczyk. The same virtues of From’s solo concertos pervade both – effortless virtuosity and evenness of tone across the range of the instrument, beautifully paced with room for free ornamentation and no sense that everything is being centrally controlled. I understand this may not be everyone’s idea of heaven, but it’s pretty close for me. My only regret is that the disc is so short – elsewhere in these pages I have sometimes argued that too much of a good thing is perhaps not a good thing, but with these musicians on this kind of form, I’d take my chances!

Brian Clark

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Luca Guglielmi
60:07
cpo 777 930-2

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]uglielmi has recorded this selection of works on five different instruments over three years to 2011. He uses a copy of a 17th-century Italian harpsichord by Michele Barchi for Frescobaldi and a Philippe Humeau copy of the Russell Collections 1638 Ruckers for Buxtehude. There are also three original North Italian organs, built between 1695 and 1752 which provide a variety of registrations for Frescobaldi. The playing is excellent, displaying fluency and a refined sense of each composer’s style. Buxtehude’s harpsichord music is much less known than Frescobaldi’s and the comparison is not quite equal in terms of variety or depth, but Guglielmi includes a couple of pieces by the former which are often played on the organ (the Praeludium in G BuxWv 163 and the Toccata in G BuxWv 165). He also plays an attractive Canzona, BuxWV 166, on organ flutes. The extended Cento partite by Frescobaldi, with its constantly changing tempo relationships, is handled with aplomb. That composer’s Ave Maris Stella versets are somewhat surprisingly paired with the solo verse settings from Monteverdi’s Vespers, sung by Jenny Camponella; the result is not as incongruous as it might sound. Overall this is a very satisfying recording.

Noel O’Regan

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Brecon Baroque, Rachel Podger
136′
Challenge Classics CCS SA3651S

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ny new recording of L’Estro Armonico is most welcome! There simply is not a weak piece among the 12 concertos for one, two or four violins, with or without obbligato cello and continuo – truly, it is a virtuosic display of Vivaldi’s talent, both as composer and as performer; the first time you hear the stratospheric string crossing at the end of the tenth concerto (the one Bach converted into a concerto for four harpsichords), you cannot help but be taken aback. With a group of Brecon Baroque’s calibre, you just know that the playing will be brilliant (in its true sense), and that there will be plenty of energy between the players and in the performances themselves.

As in a previous release, I was especially struck by the very focussed sound of the violas – no shrinking violets here, especially when they are the foundation of the ensemble. I was not, I’m sorry to say, as impressed by the presence of three continuo players; the eighth part-book is not, as Timothy Jones says in his note, for ‘continuo e basso‘ (his quotation marks, suggesting that this is what Roger printed), but “Violone e Cembalo“; now, if the whole premise of L’Estro Armonico is that each partbook was for one player (or, in the last case for a keyboardist with a bass player reading over his/her shoulder – does this ever happen nowadays?), then we should have nine performers, but instead we have 11. In her introduction to the disc, Rachel Podger writes that it is not “often do you witness four violins trying to outdo each other!” – here there are several places where they cede the limelight to the keyboard player, and even a few where it’s the lutenists who improvise in the spaces between chords. Now, I appreciate why it might seem like a very good idea to vary textures over the span of two CDs (and yes, I did listen to them both several times right through!), but I would rather have had just one continuo instrument per concerto, and – if I’m brutally honest – I don’t think I need strummed chords to add to the energy levels; the gypsy moment at the end of the slow movement of the third concerto was excitement enough. I really don’t want to sound too negative, though; I will be very surprised if this doesn’t win awards, too…

Brian Clark

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