Krzysztof Firlus viola da gamba, Anna Firlus harpsichord
53:48
DUX 1471
Sonatas by J. S. & C. P. E. Bach, Christian & Christian Wilhelm Podbielski
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]f the repertoire on this attractive CD EMR readers are likely to know the gamba sonatas by J. S. and C. P. E. Bach, but frankly are unlikely to know the two very pleasant sonatas by Christian Podbielski. It could be argued that this is largely because the latter was born and grew up in Königsberg (now the Russian enclave city of Kaliningrad) which in the 18th century was a hub of artistic activity but which subsequently found itself marginalized culturally and politically. Podbielski published a fairly extensive body of work, and the present sonatas are full of felicitous touches and original textures and melodic ideas. It was around this time in the late 18th century that the gamba was being replaced by the cello, and there are many aspects of these sonatas which suggest the cello rather than the gamba. Pleasantly galante in style rather than intensely Baroque, their full charm and elegance is brought out by the stylish playing of the Firluses, who – in addition to enjoying as husband and wife a special rapport with one another – also clearly have a close rapport with this repertoire. Their performances of the more familiar Bach sonatas show that they are able to cope well with the more musically demanding repertoire of the period just as well. They are to be congratulated for uncovering the music of Podbielski, fine music from a cultural context not yet extensively explored, and which is clearly worthy of attention.
Music for horn & strings,
Alessandro Denabian, & Quartetto Delfico
69:15
passacaille 1032
Music by Cherubini, Dauprat & Reicha
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his CD is the answer to what was happening in the world of the horn in the early 19th century. The date mentioned in the title marks the self-coronation of Napoleon as Emperor but is also the composition date of two of the works recorded here, the two sonatas by Luigi Cherubini for horn and string quartet. The second Sonata is a more substantial piece with genuine musical merit while the first sounds a bit like a test piece. Although work was already underway to develop the valves which would make the horn truly chromatic, faced with increasingly wayward melodic lines, players of the natural horn had developed a deftness with hand-stopping which in effect allowed them to play relatively chromatic music, and it is the natural valveless horn which Alessandro Denabian employs here. The Horn Quintet, one of a set of three, by the horn player and composer Louis Dauprat published in 1817 was also conceived for the natural horn, although the valved instrument was by now available. Melodically imaginative and making expert use of the horn, this quintet is given a stirring performance by Denabian and the Quartetto Delfico. The lively acoustic of the Auditorium Montis Regalis in Mondovi allows Denabian to produce a relatively uniform tone through hand-stopped and ‘open’ notes, and demonstrates why performers and composers might have been reluctant to abandon hard-won technique in favour of unreliable mechanics – we would recall that much later in the century Brahms and even Ravel sometimes preferred the sound of the natural horn. The finest music on the CD is the Quintet op. 106 by Anton Reicha, composed in 1819 for Dauprat to play. All of the composers represented here were associated with the Paris Conservatoire and would have been very familiar with one another’s compositions and playing. Reicha is primarily famous for his compositions for wind instruments, and in this quintet the horn is very much cast as the virtuosic soloist, while the strings accompany in a more restrained style. Denabian’s technique and warm tone ensure that his performance of this demanding music is both impressive and persuasive.
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Transports Publics, Thomas Baeté
68:02
Musica Ficta MF 8028
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he charming idea behind this CD are concerts given in Antwerp around 1640 by the Jewish heritage Portuguese émigré family Duarte. A letter from Anna Roemers Visscher who attended one such concert in 1640 provides details of the instruments the family played and also some of their repertoire, while the survival of some of Leonora Duarte’s compositions allows these to included alongside other likely pieces by English and continental composers of the time. Duarte’s sinfonias for five viols, performed imaginatively here on a variety of the available instruments, are in the English viol consort style and prove to be works of considerable accomplishment and attractiveness. The quirkily named ensemble Transports Publics are joined for this project by the delightful guest sopranos Olalla Alemàn and Gret de Geyter. It is easy to be transported into the public rooms of the Duarte family, cluttered with keyboard instruments and bedecked with fine paintings, for the duration of this evocative and eloquently performed programme, which includes a nod in the direction of the Duartes’ Sephardic roots with music by Salamone Rossi and the Sephardic song El paso del mar rojo. While this latter piece would be unlikely to have been performed openly in a concert by the Duartes, intent on cultivating their Catholic credentials, the fact that Leonora Duarte hid the tune in one of her sinfonias is perhaps highly significant.
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Consone Quartet
70:41
Editions Ambronay AMY 310
Haydn in G, op. 77/1; Mendelssohn in Eb, op. 12 & Four Pieces, op. 81
[dropcap]I[/dropcap] first encountered the period instrument Consone Quartet, all of whom are former students at the Royal Academy of Music, at Ambronay in 2016. At that time they appeared competitively as part of the Eeemerging project for young musicians. Following that short concert, I wrote that their playing of Haydn’s late op. 77/1 String Quartet ‘showed considerable promise but would eventually benefit from the quartet’s own developing maturity’. Would that my prophetic words were always as satisfyingly fulfilled as they are by this splendid recording, made some 18 months later in the spring of 2018. For here is a performance in which maturity and technical excellence have merged to provide one of the most rewarding performances I have heard of this wonderful product of Haydn’s ageless old age. One of the remarkable features of all the performances here is the near-perfect balance, whether achieved as a result of the players facing each other in the square formation shown in the booklet photo or for some other reason I don’t know. But it is so, revealing part writing in a clear, yet warm ambiance for which the recording engineer also deserves the greatest credit.
A further mark of growing maturity can be found in the freedom the players have come to allow themselves in the use of rubato and touches of expressive portamento, the latter particularly effective in the gentle affection they bring to the youthful, yet understated romanticism of the opening movement of Mendelssohn’s early E flat Quartet, op. 12 (1829). This and sometimes bold decisions regarding contrasts of dynamics and tempo are a dangerous course if the results sound contrived or simply imposed, but here they invariably seem to stem from the players’ collective inner thoughts and feelings. Also admirable is the light, buoyant touch and perfect chording the Consones bring to the Canzonetta: Allegretto of op. 12, the quartet’s scherzo and trio. Here, at the ripe old age of 20, are reminiscences of those teenage miracles, the string Octet and the Midsummer Night’s Dream overture. And should you still doubt that Mendelssohn wrote nearly all his best music before he was out of short trousers, the Four Pieces published posthumously as op. 81 after the composer’s death provide further evidence. They date from across his career, the best being a veiled Fuga constructed of magical filigree strands of aural thread written just after the completion of the op 13 String Quartet in A minor in 1827. There is a Scherzo, too, dating from much later (1847) and a poor relation of those gossamer-like pieces mentioned above.
Finally, we must briefly return to the Haydn and a performance that has grown so immeasurably since I first heard it. Now the opening Allegro sets out with a deliciously jaunty but never rushed step, the counterpoint of the second idea in the development exposed with revelatory clarity. The following Adagio, one of the most profound of Haydn’s quartet movements, is graced especially by the exquisitely played solo arabesques and roulades of first violinist Agate Daraskaite. Both Menuetto and the final presto bubble over with spirit, good humour and poignant reminders of the old man’s humble peasant beginnings. ‘Old man? Age is just a figure’, Haydn seems to be saying in this infectiously joyous playing. The last word goes to Marc Vignal’s notes, a model of what such things should be. A well deserved – and from me rare – five stars all round.
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[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.
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[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!
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Fantasticus
88:57 (2 CDs in a single jewel case)
Resonus RES10222
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t would be a veritable statement to say that G. P. Telemann helped popularise the quartet form in the French capital with his elegant, well-crafted Nouveaux Quatuors or Paris quartets of 1738. But there was no shortage of home-grown talent that felt the creative impetus to add their contributions to this genre. One such person was Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, born in Paris in 1705, and after some basic violin studies in the capital, went off to Turin, as did J.-M. Leclair and J.-P. Guignon, to study under a star pupil of Corelli, G. B. Somis. At just 24, Guillemain was working at the opera house in Lyons. After some 13 years as first violinist at Dijon’s Academie de Musique, he finally returned to the capital in 1737!
He was said to have possessed a dazzling facility on the violin (“main petillante”) rivalling, even surpassing Leclair. His Caprices may have inspired those of Paganini. These exuberant, elegant and sprightly chamber sonatas, live up to their soubriquet “Conversations galantes et amusantes” (also given to his Opus 17), exuding a kind of vibrant, imitative loquacity, yet never losing the scintillating thread of the musical discourse! This Opus 12 set of six does also have passages which seem to nod and wink in a quasi-Telemann mode, but then zip along to some uniquely challenging twists and turns in the music. Published in 1743, they were performed in the swankier salons as one might expect, and at the famous Concert Spirituel, to great acclaim and approbation. The extremely attentive players in Fantasticus and guest flautist, Wilbert Hazelzet, respond to the many challenging “twists and turns” after the “Allegro moderato” beginning all six sonatas. This quartet of finely-honed musicians captures the vivacious galanterie and witty discourse in these excellent pieces of exemplary French Baroque. The lively and skilled contours of this music belie the tragic end to this bright, highly virtuosic (shooting) star of the capital, who was said sometimes to be too shy and over-sensitive to perform his own works; despite the bouts of profligate spending which kept him in constant debt, his “dazzling” hand left a fine musical legacy.
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[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ccasionally, we stumble across a recording which perfectly reflects a dream selection, or notion of a splendid, imaginary concert. This is just such a recording. These fine works have been well chosen to display the qualities of the two composers’ artistic strengths and abilities, plus there’s a neat timeline conjunction too, where they passed each other a couple of times; particularly through Eisenach. Each would have been well aware of the other’s activities; indeed, a large number of Telemann’s cantatas were sent to Eisenach, even after his tenure there (1708-12). It is widely assumed in musicological circles that Telemann’s so-termed 4th Book of Quartets, published by Charles-Nicholas Le Clerc in Paris 1752, are actually revised versions of earlier quartets for strings, from the composer’s Frankfurt or early Hamburg period. Replacing the first violin with a flute turns these finely crafted works into a more familiar instrumentation for the Parisian ears and market, yet they exude some exuberant and delicate Italianate qualities. These are the best flute versions I have ever come across! Dazzling performances of three of the six quartets. (The original string versions can be found on MDG Label splendidly performed by Musica Alta Ripa)
The interspersed works by Molter give a most favourable impression of this oft-overlooked master, clearly a very competent exponent of the baroque musical idioms and forms. The Siciliana from the e-minor Sonata (MWV9.19) is quite beautifully defined, and the other works are most pleasing to the ear. The whole CD has caught the distilled refinements of each composer’s works and brought them together in a very fine programme of euphonic delights and melodious progressions, capped by the final concise Oboe Concerto TWV 51: D6, a nice premiere to boot! Highly polished, brilliant gems! (Pun intended!)
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Samuel Boden, Thomas Walker, Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen
76:36
hyperion CDA68149
+Begin the Song!, Dread Sir the Prince of Light, The Nymphs of the wells, Chaconne a4 in G, Ground in g, Sonata in A
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter listening to these exquisitely turned performances I feel that we need more CDs and concerts dedicated to the music of John Blow (though Venus and Adonis does quite well). By and large, it is cathedral/collegiate choirs who have kept his flame burning with the motet Salvator mundi and some of the Anglican canticle settings. Now, Arcangelo, with assistance from musicologist Bruce Wood, round out that rather restricted view by means of a programme of secular music centred on the setting of Dryden’s Ode on the death of Mr Henry Purcell. Inhabitants of EMR-land will surely know that this is a quite superb work for two singers, two recorders and continuo. The low pitch adopted here facilitates performance by high tenors and Thomas Walker and Samuel Boden do not disappoint, relishing the many choice verbal and musical moments poet and composer offer them. Their fellow singers, in the other vocal vocal works, also bring admirable qualities to their performances, not least the ability to deliver lines such as ‘But here comes a Druid and we must retire’ without corpsing! The string ensemble delivers crisp performances of three chamber works: Purcell wasn’t the only one who could knock off a cracking good ground. The only slight disappointment – of scale, rather than substance – is the final New Year ode. The booklet (comprehensive, though in English only) tells us that such works were performed by the full Chapel Royal choir and the Twenty-Four Violins. However, here the chamber forces used elsewhere prevail. If you know anyone who thinks that English music between the Restoration and the arrival of Handel means Purcell and little else, treat them to this disc. And don’t forget everyone else you know. And yourself.
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Musica Britannica CIII
Transcribed and edited by Peter Holman and John Cunningham
xlviii (incl. six plates) + 134pp
ISMN 979 0 2202 2517 8; ISBN 978 0 85249 953 5;
ISSN 0580-2954; Stainer & Bell Ltd £99.00
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s a violinist, there are few things I enjoy more than playing music for three treble parts, so the contents of this volume (much of which I know from recordings by one of the editors and his ground-breaking Parley of Instruments) are a delight.
There are 11 three-movement fantasia-suites by John Jenkins, a ten-movement suite by Thomas Baltzar, grounds by Bartholomew Isaack and Nicola Matteis, and five sonatas by Gottfried Finger (as well as the sole surviving part from a sixth).
After a broad introduction to the repertoire (including a footnote referring readers to a free download site rather than the English publisher, King’s Music/The Early Music Company, for early Italian sonatas for three violins, while modern German editions are credited in footnote 11), each of the composers and his output are profiled in greater detail.
The music itself is neatly laid out with repeats and ends of movements at line or page breaks. Editorial additions are printed in smaller type and if something is not clear, there are extensive notes on sources and discrepancies in the 18-page critical notes that complete this very handsome volume.
At under £100, this beautiful book is a bargain. Hopefully its true worth will be shown in renewed interest in the repertoire it contains. Although it states that performing material is published simultaneously, I was unable to find it on www.stainer.co.uk – perhaps they are “in preparation”. Let us hope so!
