Giovanni Legrenzi - Missa Opus 1; Sonata da Chiesa

"Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690) belonged to a generation that came between the early Baroque composers, such as Claudio Monteverdi, and the great masters of the eighteenth century, including Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi.

"Most of his career was spent in Bergamo and in Venice, where he held several positions at the city's 'ospedale', before becoming 'maestro di cappella' of St. Mark's in 1685. Through his works, but also through his pupils, he had a profound influence on late seventeenth-century musical life.

"'How did Legrenzi come to your notice?'

"Olivier Opdebeeck: 'As is always the case in the field of musicology, chance and intuition both took a hand. On a field trip to Venice, I was looking chiefly for works by one of my favourite composer, Antonio Lotti. Legrenzi being alphabetically close to Lotti in the catalogue, I happened to look him up too... I discovered a work entitled 'In Nativitate Domini', which existed only in separate parts. When I got back to Paris, I found several of the composer's works in the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève and the Bibliothèque Nationale. Legrenzi barely exists in the record catalogues. That seemed to me unfair, and I felt it had to be put right.'

"'Can we regard Legrenzi as a Venetian composer?'

"'Although he was not born in Venice, Legrenzi is in the tradition of the great Venetian composers who came before him, Monteverdi, Rovetta, Grandi and Cavalli. He probably studied with Monteverdi or Rovetta, who was then 'vice-maestro di cappella' of St. Mark's. Like every self-respecting Venetian composer, Legrenzi distinguished himself not only in religious works, but also in opera. It would be interesting to revive his great dramatic works. Finally, after a long and fruitful career in various prominent positions in the city, Legrenzi spent the last years of his life in the supreme office for a Venetian musician, that of 'maestro di cappella' of St. Marks.'

"'What is his place in the history of music?'

"'Legrenzi is the 'missing link' between Monteverdi and Vivaldi. From the former he learned to be concise, and also how to blend the voices and the instruments, and create a balance between music and liturgy. To the latter, who may have studied with him when he was very young, he passed on his taste of musical instruments, and particularly for violins. Legrenzi increased the number of instrumentalists at St. Mark's considerable - in 1687 there were thirty-four!'

"'How would you describe his Mass Opus 1?'

"'It was his first publication, so Legrenzi wanted to show just how far his talent went. His Mass is amazingly strong in its structure and diverse in its moods, and many of the elements he used in it were to be taken up later. The violins are given transitional ritornellos between the 'Kyrie' and the 'Christie', which was something very new at the time. The soloists also stand out more clearly from the ensembles. Finally, the composer also knows how to handle major forms such as fugue (second 'Kyrie'). And in the division of the movements, he anticipates the great composers of the eighteenth century.'

"'What sources did you have?'

"'Our main soruce was of course the edition that was published in 1654 in Venice. It is in separate books, as was often the case at the time. So we had to bring them together to create a full score. We then compared that score to two manuscript sources which contain many small difference in rhythm and in the accidentals. Publishers did not necessarily pay much attention to accurace in the seventeenth century, and we had to choose the variants according to the coherence of the voices. This fascinating work was carried out, first of all, at the table, then in practice with all the musicians.'

"'And what about his instrumental music?'

"'Legrenzi appears to have been the inventor of the trio sonata - two violins and a cello with 'basso continuo' - a genre that had a bright future ahead of it in Italy, then in the rest of Europe. Each movement is very clearly characterised: one could amost place a 'subtext' beneath each one! The three instruments are on an equal footing. It really is a trio, even though the 'continuo' occasionally joins the cello.

"'What is so original about this programme?'

"'Legrenzi's 'Opus 1' groups together a certain number of liturgical works. First of all a 'Mass' in three movements, 'Kyrie', 'Gloria' and 'Credo' (the 'Sanctus' and the 'Agnus Dei' were quite often ommitted in Venetian masses). To that we have added two 'Sonatas', played at the 'Gradual' and the 'Offertory'. A 'Motet' is performed at 'Communion'. For the work to be complete, we must record the 'Vespers', which come at the end of the opus: that will be the subject of the second volume.'" (Olivier Opdebeeck. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Ensemble Olivier Opdebeeck, Cori Spezzati, Oliver Opdebeeck

1. Missa Opus I: Kyrie

2. Missa Opus I: Ritornello

3. Missa Opus I: Christe

4. Missa Opus I: Ritornello

5. Missa Opus I: Kyrie

6. Missa Opus I: Gloria

7. Missa Opus I: Domine Deus, Rex Caelestis

8. Missa Opus I: Domine Fili

9. Missa Opus I: Dominus Deus, Agnus Dei

10. Missa Opus I: Qui Tollis

11. Missa Opus I: Qui Sedes

12. Missa Opus I: Quoniam Tu Solus

13. Sonata 'La Tassa'

14. Missa Opus I: Credo

15. Missa Opus I: Crucifuxus

16. Missa Opus I: Et Resurrexit

17. Missa Opus I: Et In Spiritum

18. Sonata 'La Benaglia'

19. Missa Opus I: In Laudem Sanctae Crucis. Adoramus Te

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Giovanni Legrenzi; Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorios of the Italian Baroque: Il Cuor Umano All'incanto; Oratorio della SS Virgine; Jonas

"In the environment of cultural renewal which took place in the wake of the Catholic counter-reformation at the turn of the 17th century, two diverse forms of sacred poetry written for music arose: the oratorio, championed by the followers of St. Philip Neri, and the sacred drama, favoured by the Jesuits. Both of these forms were aimed at responding to the same need: that of proposing stories of a sacred, spiritual or moral character in a manner pleasing to a vast public. The artistic results which followed were, however, quite different, and perhaps even in direct opposition to one another. The oratorio, in accordance with the canons of Philip's teachings according to which the faithful should be educated through simple and immediate means, was conceived as a composition in two parts, featuring a few fundamental personages and executed by musicians and singers who were hidden from view of the listeners. The sacred drama, on the other hand, conformed to that dramaturgy, which Jesuit theoreticians had long sought to codify, inspired by antique theatrical models. The text of the drama, much longer than that of an oratorio, was divided into three or even five separate acts, at times divided by comic intermezzos, and featured a remarkable number of principal and secondary characters who complicated the plot, while the staging was conceived in such a way as to awe the spectator, even to the point of upstaging the music or the poetic text.

"Music comprised the element of contact between the two genres. While the librettists generally belonged to different cultural milieus, the same composers often wrote both oratorios and sacred dramas. The compositional technique foresaw the use of all musical form employing basso continuo. The sacred drama and the oratorio would thus undergo the same musical evolution as other contemporary genres such as cantatas or operas.

"The music for 'Il Cuor umano all'incanto' was composed by Giovanni Legrenzi in all probability during the very early years of the 1670s. At that time, Legrenzi, who had already served as 'maestro di cappella' at the Accademia dello Spirito Santo in Ferrara beginning in 1656, moved to Venice to take over the post of director of the Conservatorio dei Mendicanti. In 1685 he also became the director of the prestigious chapel of St. Mark's. In these years, he established himself as one of the leading authors of musical oratorios in the Venetian area, collaborating frequently with the local 'Congregazione dell'Oratorio' which met at the church of S. Maria della Consolazione. Documentation preserved in the archives of the church of S. Maria della Consolazione provides details concerning the titles of the oratorios performed in those years: among those cited, we find for the first time, in 1673, 'Il cuor umano all'incanto'.

"The text of the oratorio was written by Pier Matteo Petrucci, a priest of the Order of St. Philip Neri, who took his training at the Universita of Macerata and was a member of the 'Congregazione dell'Oratorio' of Jesi. The years immediately following 1670 were fundamental for the literary production of Petrucci, a prominent figure in Italian mysticism. In 1680, he was named bishop of Jesi, and in 1686 cardinal. Merely a year later, however, in the wake of the trial of Miguel de Molinos, his publications were condemned for quietism by the court of the Inquisition and were placed on the Index of prohibited books.

"The first printed edition in which the text of 'Il Cuor umano all'incanto' appears dates to 1675. It was included in a collection entitled 'Poesie sacre e spirituali de Pier Matteo Petrucci della Congregazione dell'Oratorio di Jesi' and was published in Jesi and Macerata. It is particularly interesting to note the delay of nearly two years which separated the first performances of the oratorio in Venice from its publication, edited personally by Petrucci himself for the very purpose of obviating an unauthorized circulation of his works. This fact demonstrates that the circulation of oratorios took place even before the compositions were published, thanks to the ties which connected the followers of St. Philip who were active in various Italian cities. Evidence of the use of the text by Petrucci - musical scores, librettos, documents concerning performances - may be found today in some of the cities where the oratorians were most active: Venice, Ferrara, Bologna and Naples. The success of the 'Poesie' is witnessed, moreover, by the reprints published in Jesi or Venice in 1680, 1685, 1686 and 1717. 'Il Cuor umano all'incanto', in particular, was set to music not only by Legrenzi, but also by Giovanni Antonio Manara and Pietro Andrea Ziani.

"The version by Giovanni Legrenzi was performed in Venice in 1673, 1674 and 1696, in Ferrara in 1676 and in Vienna at the chapel of Emperor Leopold in 1692. Legrenzi's writing is clear and fluid, and invariably respectful of the moral content of the oratorio. Thus, in the arias the composer avoids superfluous repetitions of the text and in the recitatives the musical phrases conform to the rhythm of the poetical verses. Only in the ensemble sections and in the two choruses placed at the end of each part does Legrenzi elaborate more complex musical situations, though he remains equally moderate in length and faithful always to the general tone of the composition.

"The structure of Petrucci's oratorio follows the stylistic canons recognized and accepted by the majority of authors writing musical oratorios in the second half of the 17th century whose names were scrupulously listed by Arcangelo Spagna in the his 'Discorso intorno a gl'Oratori', published in Rome in 1706 but probably conceived a few decades earlier.

"'Il Cuor umano all'incanto' is divided into two parts, allowing for the insertion of a sermon between the two. It calls for six characters: 'Il Cuore umano' (the Human Heart), 'L'Angelo custode' (Guardian Angel), 'Il piacer vano' (Vain Pleasure), and 'Il mondo' (the World) in the first part; 'Il Cuore umano', 'L'Angelo custode', 'Cristo' (Christ) and 'Il Demonio' (the Devil) in the second. The distribution of the parts is conceived in such a way that it may be performed by four singers, as Petrucci himself scrupulously indicates in the various printed editions: a soprano, an alto, a tenor (for both 'Il piacer' and 'Cristo'), and a bass (for 'Il Mondo' and 'Il Demonio'). The four singers form a chorus at the end of each part of the oratorio, where the moral messages of the text are restated in a more explicit manner.

"The poetic strength of Petrucci lies in his giving the listener a simple and fully enjoyable text, almost scanty in its linearity but faithful to what we have mentioned was the spirit of the message championed by the followers of St. Philip Neri. Petrucci was aware that music and poetry should be a means of transmission rather than ends unto themselves, and he underlined his concept in the preface to the edition of 1686 of his 'Poesie': 'I have often noticed that a great exquisiteness of speech and exceedingly florid phrases offend rather than assist the vigour of the sacred verses and of the poetry which should benefit the spirit [...] Just as the extraordinary sweetness and musical art of a sung voice make man pay greater attention to [the voice] itself than to the sacred meaning of the poetry, instead of raising the Soul to God, holds it to itself and feeds more on beautiful flowers than on nourishing fruit.' Here, then, is the road indicated by Petrucci: 'read, therefore, O devoted Soul, these Rhymes, not so much to delight in them as to profit by them.' (Francesco Gatti, tr. Candace Smith. From the liner notes.)

"Giacomo Carissimi, son of Amico and Livia Prosperi, was baptised on 18th April 1605 in Marion Parish Church, near Rome. He started in Marino church as a clergyman, and studied music and singing with the local organist, supported by the ecclesiastical benefices of Grottaferrata Abbey. In 1623, when he was only eighteen, he was engaged as a member of the choir of Trivoli Cathedral, and his salary was one 'scudo' and fifty 'baiocchi' a month. There he came into contact with the latest musical movements through the maestri di cappella Briganti Colonna, Alessandro Capece and Francesco Mannelli. In 1627, Getulio Nardini and Vicario Apostolico of the Diocese of Assisi, appointed the twenty-year-old Giacomo Carissimi to the post of maestro di cappella in S. Rufino Cathedral, with the handsome annual salary of twenty 'scudos'. He stayed in the Umbrian town until December 1629, when he was summoned to Rome and given the dual role of maestro di cappella in S. Apollinaire church and teacher in the German College. Greatly admired and sought after by many a Prince, Carissimi never left Rome, and kept the appointmenets he was assigned to until his death on 12th January 1674, declining to succeed Monteverdi at St. Mark's in Venice or accept the post of Imperial Kapellmeister.

"Carissimi was an unassuming person of simple tastes, entirely dedicated to music, who reasily accepted the austere lifestyle that his post as a teacher at the German College imposed upon him. A teacher of 'Christian and exemplary morals, who would adapt to the way of life, and [to the] discipline of the College, and who would confess and take communion at least once a month in the College, if however he was [not] a priest, [who] would have to do so more often'. One of his commitments was to show the Rector all the compositions he wanted to publish, bearing the words 'Maestro di Cappella in S. Apollinare', so that he could make sure that they would not offend the dignity and reputation of the College. His manuscripts were also bound by Papal decree, which stopped his oratorios being performed during Mass, as it was the common practice to replace the antiphon, the gradual and the offertory with oratorios or motets similar to oratorios. This can be deduced from a letter sent from Paris by René Ouvrard to Claude Nicaise who was visiting Rome: '[...] two years ago, this Pope, prohibited stories set to music, not wanting anything to be sung in the church that was not word for word in the Holy Scriptures [...]' he goes on by saying that: '[...] two months ago [...] Signor Giacomo Carissimi could get permission to print the compositions he himself wrote'. Many of his works were unpublished and later countless other were lost when the Apollinaire archives were destroyed following the devastation caused by Napoleonic troops, who burnt all the existing autographs, so causing most of Carissimi's music to sink into oblivion. Numerous masterpieces by the composer are only known today because of the copies made by his students, which can be found in libraries all over Europe: this enabled one of the most authoratitive figures of the European music scene to come into his own.

"Whilst he was in Rome, Carissimi soon came into contact with the 'esercitii oratoriali' (oratorial exercises) in the form practised by the Compagnia de Crocifisso, in which the musical element was the Latin dialogical and concerted motets, with solo choral and solo parts, and pieces in recitative style, as observed by Maugras: 'The voices start with a psalm in the form of a motet, and then all the instrumentalists play and excellent symphony. After that the voices sing an episode from the Old Testament as a sacred drama. Then one of the most important preachers gives an exhortation, and this done, the day's gospel is sung, in which each singer represents a character in the story and expresses the force of the words perfectly.' Following the work already carried out by Emilio de'Cavalieri and Paolo Quagliata, Carissimi continued to develop the oratorio as a separate musical genre. As no autographs of the composer are extant, for the reasons already mentioned, we do not know what terminology Carissimi used for this new kind of music.

"Only seven of the Latin oratorios in a French manuscript are actually called Oratorios ('Judicium extremum', 'Diluvium universale', 'Judicium salomonis', 'Lamentatio damnatorum', 'Felicitas beatorum', 'Martyres' and 'Dives malus'), the others have been given the name 'oratorio' by present-day researches, but the original titles were 'historie' and 'historia o motet'. There is a considerable difference in opinion amongst musicologists as to the total number of Latin oratorios composed by Carissimi, as different criteria were applied to the term 'oratorio'. To evaluate Carissimi's part in the development of the oratorio, his great variet of sacred works should be considered, such as the short motets in dialogue form, the biblical 'stories', the lamentations, Latin cantatas and dialogues and the two-part oratorios. Not only does the length of the composition vary, but also the number of voices, how the dialogue and the narrative roles are assigned to the choir and soloists and the way choral episodes, recitatives, duets, terzettos, ariosos and instrumental pieces are distributed. Carissimi's contribution to this is less apparent in formal innovations than in the way he created an oratorial atmosphere, particularly by means of expressive processes in which biblical episodes are transformed into sacred epics, evidence above all of his otherworldly, impetuous and overwhelming faith.

"'The Oratorio Della Santissima Vergine': Only two of Carissimi's oratorios in the vernacular are extant: 'Daniele' and the 'Oratorio della Santissima Vergine'. Both of these works are essential to understanding early oratorios written in the vernacular. Neither of the dates of these compositions is known. The 'Oratorio della Santissima Vergine' is a contemplative work, in two parts. The only character indicated in the score is the Virgin (S), the other characters sing solo passages (A, T, B), duets (SS), trios (ATB), and choral pieces (SSATB). The instruments, two violins and basso continuo, play an opening symphony, some ritornellos and accompany the choral parts. The first part of the libretto brings to mind Francesco Balducci's 1642 version, whilst the second part is practically all original. Here the meditative-allegorical vision is transformed even to include the fight between the Virgin and Evil, called the 'serpent' or the 'monster'. When the Oratorio opens Maria's identity is revealed, dawn is rising and the new light turns the shores to gold. A voice (T) is heard singing 'Gran Donna appare', and asks 'Chi è costei' (who is she) and another voice replies 'Ella è Maria' (she is Maria) (A). When the figure of the Madonna has been revealed, a third voice (B) narrates the conflict between the Virgin and Evil: the Virgin defeats the 'monster' and goes on to plunder hell. In the second part jubilation is shown for the victory of good over evil and hymns are sung to the Virgin. The Oratorio ends, like all good sermons, with the choir offering a final metaphoric meditation, in the spirit of the Counter-Reformation: the night is not so dark that there will be no dawn; after the winter the fragrant spring adorns the fields with flowers. The dramatic circumstances are always expressed in a powerful and intriguing way, and there are vocal hints of madrigalism and the style of Monteverdi. The way the work is written, for the sinuous purity of its nature, the serene beatitude of the moods and the celestial transparency that imbues the whole - almost Botticellian - composition, suggest that this must have been an early work, particularly as this would coincide with the date Balducci wrote the text.

"'Jonas': The main character, Jonas, a prophet despite himself, is called by God to convert the people of Niniveh - a task which is too difficult for him. Jonas is frightened and hides in a ship leaving for Tharsis. God causes a terrible storm to hit the ship, as if to show how small human beings are in comparison to the Universe of God. The composer's innovative expressive flair now highlights the raging storm almost onomatopoeically, with the crashing of waves and the force of the wind. The frightened sailors pray to their gods to cause the storm to abate, and when questioned, the gods say that Jonas brought it about. The sailors then ask the Prophet to reveal himself, and when he wakes from a 'sapore grave' (deep sleep), he confesses that is was he that was the cause of the storm, so they hurl him into the sea, where a 'cetus grandis' (whale) swallows him up. The fury of the elements is thereby appeased. Jonas cries three times to God ('ignosce Domine') from the belly of the fish, and God forgives him, and orders the whale to release him so that the Prophet can go and carry out his mission amongst the people of Nineveh who, in the end are converted, and sing the marvellous 'Peccavimus Domine'. This final choral piece again shows Carissimi's versatile use of the choir to obtain expression, by means of a group character (the citizens of Nineveh), through a plurality of dialoguing voices. These oratorios, as in all the Roman composer's compositions, show Carissimi's immense ability to render text expressively, so much so that Kircher considered him superior to all other musicians 'at moving the souls of audiences to feel whatever emotion he intended', whilst other simply called him 'the musical orator'. (Paolo Pacini, tr. Priscilla Worsley. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Ensemble Legrenzi, Complesso Pro Musica Firenze

1.1. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: Sinfonia

1.2. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Io, Che Sono Un Core Umano'

1.3. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'O Mondo, O Piacere'

1.4. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'E Dunque Il Core Umano'

1.5. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Di Nuovo Rimbomba'

1.6. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Core Umano Non Temere'

1.7. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Cor Uman, Se Ti Miro'

1.8. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Dolce Prezzo! O Quanto, O Quanto'

1.9. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Cerca Monete, O Cor, Cha Sian Più Sode'

1.10. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Senti O Cor Non T'ingannare'

1.11. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Taci Piacer, Non Più, Tu M'incateni'

1.12. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Che Cosa È L'piacere?'

1.13. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Dico Anch'io Ch'è Verità'

1.14. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Saggia Senteza'

1.15. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Eh, Non Temer, Il Mondo Ascolta'

1.16. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Innalza Il Guardo A La Celeste Mole'

1.17. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'A Dirtela Schietta'

1.18. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Cauto Consiglio! Io Mi Vo'dare A Voi'

1.19. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Madrigale 'Ecco Viene Già Servo Il Core''

1.20. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: Sinfonia

1.21. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Soccorrete O Cieli Amici'

1.22. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Sento Che 'L Cor Umano'

1.23. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Un Sentiero Fiorito'

1.24. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'E Quai Cieli Invocar Puoi'

1.25. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Ahi Qual Gelido Orrore'

1.26. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Abissi Orribili'

1.27. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Maledico I Tuoi Iaceri'

1.28. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Questi Queruli Accenti, E 'L Grido Roco'

1.29. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'O Giesù Mio, Mio Redentor, Mia Vita'

1.30. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Discacciato Dal Mondo, A Dio Pretendi'

1.31. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'No Mio Dio, Ma Gira Il Ciglio'

1.32. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Chuidi L'indegne Invidiose Labbra'

1.33. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Dunque Al Cielo Alzerassi Un Cor Di Fango'

1.34. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Ma Tu, Ma Tu Rimira, O Core Ingrato'

1.35. Giovanni Legrenzi - Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Dunque Omai Rimirate, Umani Cori'

1.36. Giovanni Legrenzi -  Il Cuor Umano All'incanto: 'Madrigale 'Se V'offre Il Mondo''

2.1. Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorio Della SS Vergine: Sinfonia

2.2. Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorio Della SS Vergine: 'Io Dell'eterna Mente'

2.3. Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorio Della SS Vergine: 'Ecco Al Vento Le Bandiere'

2.4. Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorio Della SS Vergine: 'Taccia Betulla'

2.5. Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorio Della SS Vergine: 'Su Su Si Spogli Di Fiori Il Prato'

2.6. Giacomo Carissimi - Oratorio Della SS Vergine: 'Notte Mai Non E Si Nera'

2.7. Giacomo Carissimi - Jonas: Simphonia

2.8. Giacomo Carissimi - Jonas: 'Et Praeliabantur Venti'

2.9. Giacomo Carissimi - Jonas: 'Tulerunt Nautae Jonam'

2.10. Giacomo Carissimi - Jonas: 'Peccavimus, Domine'

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Johann Adolf Hasse - Sonatas and Trio Sonatas

"'The duets, the trios, the quartets, and the concerts for instruments were so many that he himself would not have been able to recognize them when listening or looking at them... His works are so simple not because he is incapable of elaborate, surprising or unusual modulations... In general his modulation is simple and his melody is spontaneous, his music never gives an impression of confusion. In his compositions the intention of pleasing the ear and of satisfying the intellect is evident, leaving to the vain and the pedantic everything that strikes, stupefies and puzzles.'

"Charles Burney dedicated these comments to Johann Adolf Hasse, describing their encounter in Vienna in September 1773 in his 'Musical Journey in the Low Countries and in Germany'.

"Hasse was born in 1699 in Bergedorf, near Hamburg. After having acquired some experience as a tenor in Hamburg in 1718 and in Braunschweig in 1722, he moved to Naples in order to study, first, with Nicola Porpora, later to become his main competitor, and, subsequently, with Alessandro Scarlatti. From 1727 he was 'maestro di cappella' in Venice, where in 1730 he married the soprano Faustina Bordoni, then, from 1730 to 1763, at the court in Dresden, initially in the service of August II, 'The Strong' (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony from 1694 and King of Poland from 1697.

"After the death of the Elector, Hasse alternated his activities in Dresden with frequent trips abroad, residing mainly in Venice. Although he had many friends and admirers in London, who were constantly inviting him, he never visited the city. Handel held Hasse in such high esteem that he included several of his fellow composer's arias in his 'pasticci londinesi' (1730-34).

"Hasse lived in Vienna from 1764 to 1773 as official court composer and struck up a great friendship with Metastasio, setting to music all his works, with the exception of 'Temistocle', some of them three or four times, and all of them at least twice. He spent his last years in Venice where he died in 1783.

"Hasse enjoyed great fame in his own time, especially for his theatrical works in which he was able to utilise and develop the characteristic traits of the Neapolitan operatic style, which had already been defined by his Neapolitan teachers. In his work a typically German precision of language is blended with the melodic strains native to Neapolitan opera, as learned during his stay in Italy. Before being challenged by the followers of the new operatic style introduced by Gluck and Calzabigi, Hasse dominated European stages for almost half a century, thanks to the elegance of his melodies, the richness of the instrumentation and his confident formal instinct.

"The sonatas and trio sonatas of Hasse were published with various indications for instrumental performance. The majority of them carry the indication 'for flute or violin and basso continuo' or 'for 2 flutes or violins and basso continuo'. As always in these kinds of composition, the indication is a conventional one serving commercial purposes and, according to the performance practice of the time, the instrumentation maye be changed. In fact, nothing prevents one from playing a piece for flute or violin on the oboe, so long as the technical and musical characteristics do not present obstacles to it, and the piece does not lose its effect. Among Hasse's work are many compositions published with the indication 'for oboe', which includes high notes, even in solo passages, that are not performable on this instrument but much more suitable to the flute or violin. Conversely, works published with the indication 'for flute' or 'for violin' have a better effect if performed on the oboe.

"Another means of varying and adapting the instrumental combinations in music of the baroque period, one also utilised in the eighteenth century, is the transcription of a piece to tonalities different from the original one. The 'Trio Sonata in F major' is an example of the use of this type of expedient. The manuscript of this piece is kept in the Berlin State Library, and carries the instrumental indication 'for oboe, violin and basso continuo'. It is actually a transcription one tone lower of the Trio Sonata in G major, which is one of the 'Six sonatas or trios for 2 flutes or violins' (London, 1739). With the new instrumentation this piece acquires a different, perhaps more interesting, expressive colour. To this end, and in accordance with the same principle, we have carried out the same operation also on the other trio sonatas from the same collection presented in this recording, performing the 'Trio Sonata in D minor', originally in E minor, and the 'Trio Sonata in C major', from the original in D major, with oboe, violin and basso continuo. In the latter, for the purpose of rendering the basso continuo more varied and effective in our interpretation, the bass part is performed by the harpsichord and the cello in the slow movements, while the bassoon has been added in the fast ones. The decision to perform these trio sonatas with the first and second parts allocated to two instruments of different families, in this case the oboe and violin, is also justified by the lack of prevalent parallelisms in the two upper melodic lines that would render the piece more suitable for two instruments of the same type, such as two flutes or two violins or two oboes. The aural effect achieved in this manner allowes the availability of two expressive sonorities, each individual and different from the other, that lay the ground for a clear and dynamic dialogue.

"Like that of the Trio Sonata in F major, the manuscript of the 'Sonata in F major' for chalumeau, oboe, bassoon and basso continuo, on which the present recorded performance is based as no published edition exists, is preserved in the Berlin State Library. Deriving from an earlier concerto from chalumeau, the piece is remarkable for its unusual instrumentation. Chamber musical works of this type employing the chalumeau are in fact rare. This instrument, of the most ancient origin, has circulated in two main types, one with a conical bore, from which the oboe is derived, the other with a cylindrical bore, which can be considered a precursor of the clarinet. In this sonata the bassoon has the role of 'obbligato' instrument on the one hand, and of reinforcement of the basso continuo on the other. The dialogue between chalumeau and oboe seeks to create different colours also in the part of the basso continuo by way of the instrumental combination: the solos of the chalumeau are accompanied by the basoon, while those of the oboe are supported by the cello.

"The 'Sonata in G major' for oboe and basso continuo, belonging to the collection 'Solos op. 2 for flute or violin' (London, 1740), demonstrates a very simple compositional style, similar to that of the trio sonatas presented here. The 'Sonata in E minor' for violin and basso continuo, part of the collection 'Solos op. 5 for flute or violin' (London, 1744), offers characteristics that testify to a more modern taste, desiring greater depth of feeling.

"Frederick II, 'The Great', befriended Hasse on the occasion of the performance of the Te Deum in Dresden in 1745, and conceived an enthusiastic interest in Hasse's compositions for flute, being himself a virtuoso on this instrument. Some chamber works for the flute had already been published in London, and the King's commissions significantly enlarged the catalogue of this musical genre. The publishing house Breitkopf had collected the majority of Hasse's compositions in Leipzig in order to realise the publication of his complete works. The late King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, August II, 'The Strong', had assumed responsibility for financing this project, but it was Frederick II who found hismelf in the predicament, during the Seven Years War, of having to bombard Leipzig! On the 19 December 1760 the greater part of Hasse's instrumental work was lost under the cannonade. Again, Charles Burney recounts how the composer had honoured Frederick II by asserting that he was sure the King, given the chance, and knowing well the value of those compositions, would have informed him of the events in time, thus giving Hasse the opportunity of transporting his works to safety." (Alessandro Piqué, 2004, tr. Paolo Piqué and Frank Long. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Epoca Baroca

1. Trio Sonata In F Major: I. Larghetto

2. Trio Sonata In F Major: II. Allegro

3. Trio Sonata In F Major: III. Largo

4. Trio Sonata In F Major: IV. Tempo Di Menuetto

5. Trio Sonata In D Minor: I. Largo

6. Trio Sonata In D Minor: II. Presto

7. Trio Sonata In D Minor: III. Siciliano

8. Trio Sonata In D Minor: IV. Allegro

9. Sonata No. 5 In E Minor: I. Adagio

10. Sonata No. 5 In E Minor: II. Vivace

11. Sonata No. 5 In E Minor: III. Andante

12. Sonata No. 5 In E Minor: IV. Allegro Assai

13. Sonata In G Major: I. Andante

14. Sonata In G Major: II. Allegro

15. Sonata In G Major: III. Largo

16. Sonata In G Major: IV. Tempo Di Menuetto

17. Sonata In F Major: I. Adagio

18. Sonata In F Major: II. Allegretto

19. Sonata In F Major: III. Adagio

20. Sonata In F Major: IV. Allegretto Ma Poco

21. Trio Sonata In C Major: I. Adagio

22. Trio Sonata In C Major: II. Allegro

23. Trio Sonata In C Major: III. Adagio

24. Trio Sonata In C Major: IV. Allegro

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Marc-Antoine Charpentier - Intermedes d'Andromede; Le Ballet de Polieucte

"In 1682 Comédie-Française mounted a full-scale revival of Pierre Cormeille's machine play 'Androméde' (1650), which had not been seen in Paris for 27 years. This revival coincided with the premiere of 'Persée' — Quinault and Lully's operatic version of the same myth — which had been playing at the Paris Opéra for three months (premiéred April 17).

"This spectacular 1682 production of 'Androméde' aimed to re-establish the pre-eminence of the Comédie-Frangaise in lyric theatre. Marc-Antoine Charpentier had been engaged to provide a new musical score, which included an overture, nine instrumental numbers, eight accompanied choruses, five vocal solos, and two sung duos. The cantata-like structuring of the choral and balletic interludes brought Corneille's machine play more in line with the aesthetic of opera. The original aerial flights and spectacular machine effects of Giacomo Torelli were re-created by Dufort, the resident machinist of the Comédie-Frangaise. This new production of 'Androméde' opened on 19 July 1682, and was given a total of 45 performances during the 1682-83 season. The review in the Mercure Galant singled out for praise the climactic battle scene with the sea monster, in which Pegasus, Perseus's flying horse, was played this time by a live horse. Because of Lully's restrictions on theatre music, which limited public theatres to only two singers, the singing roles and the chorus were taken by actors of the Comédie-Frangaise: Monsieurs de Villiers, Guérin, La Grange, Hubert, Verneuil, and Mademoiselles Dyot (perhaps Guyot?) and Hennebaut.

"Charpentier's incidental music for the machine play is remarkable for both its length and its high quality. The Prologue is set at the summit of Mount Pamassus, where Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, meets with the Sun — who arrives after the overture in his blazing chariot. They praise the King, in whose honour the performance is being given, and the Sun invites Melpomene to join him in his chariot to proclaim the rare qualities of this youthful prince throughout the world in a single day. To the music of an instrumental prelude Melpomene flies up and takes her place next to him, and together they sing praises to the Sun King ('Cieux, écoutez; écoutez, mers profondes') — with which the chorus of shepherds joins in ('D'un héros qu'en tous lieux'). Then Melpomene and the Sun depart to a musical envoi in order to spread the news of Louis's fame to the rest of the universe.

"The first act takes place in Ethiopia, in the capital city of the kingdom of Cepheus. Cassiopeia, Andromeda's mother, is en route to the temple with Perseus to decide by casting lots which maiden is to be the next to be sacrificed to the sea-monster that is plaguing the land. The heavens open, and Venus appears on her star. The people sing her a hymn of praise ('Reine d'Erice et d'Amathonte') while Venus slowly descends. Cassiopeia bids the group be silent to hear Venus's prophesy: Andromeda is to be wed this evening, and the gods will join in the festivities. As Venus departs, the chorus sings a song of thanksgiving ('Ainsi toujours sur tes autels'). Phineus, Andromeda's cousin and fiancé, considers Venus's prophecy to be a good omen; Perseus, however, reveals his feelings for Andromeda to the Queen. An instrumental rondeau is played as an interlude while the scene changes.

"The second act is set in a luxurious garden with white marble vases, orange trees, and an arbour. Andromeda is gathering flowers with her nymphs to fashion a floral crown for Phineus. Meanwhile, one of his pages sings a song in anticipation of Phineus's arrival ('Qu'elle est lente, cette journée'). When Phineus arrives Andromeda in turn has Liriope, one of her ladies-in-waiting, sing a song for him ('Phinée est plus aimé qu'Androméde n'est belle'). Afterwards, the page and Liriope sing a musical dialogue, that concludes with the oracle delivered by Venus in Act 1: before the day is out, Andromeda will have married a man worthy of her. This refrain is taken up by the chorus, representing the followers of Phineus ('Joignons nos voix'). Then the King, accompanied by Perseus, suddenly arrives to announce that the lot has fallen upon Andromeda: she is to be the next sacrificial victim. Aeolus and his eight Winds descend to thunder and lightning, fly around above the stage, and carry away Andromeda in one of their clouds. Perseus, left alone with the King and his entourage, vows that he will rescue her. The instrumental air entitled 'The Winds' (which no doubt accompanied Andromeda's enlévement) is performed as an entr'acte.

"The scene changes in the third act to a barren landscape with high cliffs bordering the sea. Two Winds are seen tying Andromeda to the foot of a rock, while the chorus of Ethiopians looks on from the shore and sings a lament (Charpentier's music unfortunately has not survived). The Queen, in despair, vows to throw herself into the sea. The sea-monster approaches, but at that instant Perseus appears in the sky on his winged steed Pegasus. As the chorus urges the hero on in his battle Perseus slays the monster; he then frees Andromeda, and flies away on Pegasus. The Ethiopian people sing a chorus of victory ('Le monstre est mort, crions victoire') in which they acknowledge that Perseus, not Phineus, is the man worthy of Andromeda. The act closes with the arrival of Neptune, who rises from the depths of the sea in a sparkling mother-of-pearl conch shell drawn by two sea-horses. Neptune is incensed by Perseus's interference, and plots his revenge. The instrumental entr'acte that follows is a caprice — an Italianate capriccio comprising a succession of fugal sections in contrasting tempi.

"Act 4 takes place in the vestibule of a stately royal palace. Perseus declares his love for Andromeda, and then departs — lest she mistake feelings of gratitude for love. Andromeda reveals to her nymphs that her affection for Perseus is growing stronger, and she rejects Phineus when he arrives, explaining that if he could leave her to the monster before, he could now leave her to Perseus. Juno then appears in the sky in her chariot drawn by two peacocks, and promises to lend her support to Phineus. At the end of the act, the King and Queen have made ready their wedding preparations, and the chorus sings a wedding song ('Vivez, vivez, heureux amants'). Two airs are played during the interlude: an instrumental repeat of the preceding chorus, and an 'English gigue'.

"The final act is set in a bronze temple, where Phineus pleads with Andromeda for the last time. But when Andromeda and her mother both treat him with contempt he departs to take his revenge on Perseus. It is then reported that Perseus has used the head of Medusa to petrify Phineus and his warriors. Mercury arrives in the sky to announce the imminent arrival of his father Jupiter, and the chorus implores Jupiter to give Perseus and Andromeda his blessing ('Maître des Dieux, hâte-toi de paraître'). Jupiter descends from the sky on his gilded throne situated on a cloud, flanked by two other clouds bearing Juno and Neptune, who have been appeased by the sacrifices made by the lovers. Suspended mid-air on his throne, Jupiter declares that the marriage of Perseus and Andromeda must be celebrated among the gods. Perseus and Cepheus climb onto Juno's cloud, while Andromeda and Cassiopeia climb onto Neptune's, and to the slow and stately song of the chorus ('Allez, amants, allez sans jalousie') they ascend to the heavens to take their places amongst the stars.

"During the 17th century, annual theatrical productions became part of the academic fare of Jesuit colleges in France. Usually drawn from saintly and pious subjects, these student plays were accompanied by balletic interludes of song and dance on allegorical themes. For the Collége d'Harcourt, Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed such a ballet to accompany a production of Pierre Corneille's Christian tragedy 'Polyeucte Martyr'.

"Evidently Charpentier used some precomposed music for this event. His overture was originally composed for Moliére's comedy 'Le Dépit amoureux' — possibly for a given revival at the Comédie-Francaise on 11 July 1679.

"The title page of the composer's manuscript reads: 'Ouverture du prologue / ['du depit amoureux' is crossed out] de Polieucte pour le college d'Harcourt'. Evidently Charpentier added to it the twelve dances that would comprise what he referred to as 'le ballet de Polieucte'.

"Further light on this is shed by Paul Lacroix's catalogue of the 'Bibliothèque dramatique de Monsieur de Soleinne'. Here Lacroix lists a collection entitled 'Recueil de pieces dramatiques représentées dans les anciens colleges de Paris', containing a ballet entitled 'Le Combat de l'amour divin et de l'amour profane' that was performed at the Jesuit College d'Harcourt on 8 August 1680. According to the catalogue, the ballet was 'aprés Polyeucte, de Comeille'. Unfortunately this fivret has not survived, but it seems likely that Charpentier's allegorical dances made up the ballet that was danced for this performance. The titles of the individual movements suggest a spiritual struggle which is acted out in dance-pantomime: 'Profane Love, Games and Pleasures'; 'Pantomimes for the same [dancers]'; 'Sadness', 'Signs of Zeal'; 'Grace and the Virtues"; 'Desperation'; 'The Picklocks', "Noble and Base Feelings'; 'Cupid Blacksmiths', 'Triumphal March'; 'Joy Alone'; 'Combatants'. One dance carries the cue 'Why has the tender heart not returned?', thus translating the feelings expressed in a spoken passage." (John S. Powell. From the liner notes.)

Performers: New Chamber Opera, Gary Cooper, Rachel Elliott, James Gilchrist, Thomas Guthrie, Giles Underwood

1. Andromède: Ouverture

2. Andromède: Prélude Pendant Que Melpomene Vole Dans Le Char D’Apollon

3. Andromède: Récit D’Apollon 'Cieux, Ecoutez'

4. Andromède: Chœur De Bergers (Ensemble) 'D’un Héros Qu’en Tous Lieus A Suivi La Victoire'

5. Andromède: Prélude (Scène III)

6. Andromède: Chœur Des Suivants Du Roi Et De La Reine 'Reine D’Erice Et D’Amathonte'

7. Andromède: Replique De Choeur 'Ainsi Toujours Sur Tes Autels'

8. Andromède: Rondeau (Intermède Du Premier Au Second Acte)

9. Andromède: Petit Prélude De Caprice

10. Andromède: Air D’un De La Suite De Phinée 'Qu’elle Est Lente, Cette Journée'

11. Andromède: Air De Liriope 'Phinée Est Plus Aimé'

12. Andromède: Dialogue 'Heureux Amant!/Heureuse Amant!'

13. Andromède: Chœur De La Suitte De Phinée Et D’Andromède (Ensemble) 'Joignons Nos Voix'

14. Andromède: Dialogue 'Le Ciel Le Veut'

15. Andromède: Chœur De La Suitte De Phinée Et D’Andromède (Ensemble) 'Douce Union Que Chcun Doit Bénir!'

16. Andromède: Les Vents (Intermède Du Second Au Troisième Acte)

17. Andromède: Chœur D’Ethiopiens 'Le Monstre Est Mort'

18. Andromède: Un De La Suite Du Roy 'Quand Le Danger Presse'

19. Andromède: Duo 'Vous Êtes Sa Digne Conquête'

20. Andromède: Chœur D’Ethiopiens 'Le Monstre Est Mort'

21. Andromède: Caprice (Intermède Du 3ème Au 4ème Acte)

22. Andromède: Chœur De Peuple 'Vivez, Vivez, Heureux Amants'

23. Andromède: Premier Air (Intermède Du 4ème Au Cinquième Acte)

24. Andromède: Deuxieme Air — Gigue Angloise

25. Andromède: Chœur 'Maître Des Dieux, Hate-toi'

26. Andromède: Chœur 'Allez, Amants, Sans Jalousie'

27. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Overture

28. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Amours Profanes: Jeux Et Plaisirs

29. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Panthomimes Pour Les Mesmes; Inquietude; Attention Ou Aplaudissement; Tristesse

30. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Marquis De Zelle

31. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Les Graces Et Les Vertus

32. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Le Despespoir

33. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Les Crotcheteurs

34. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Sentiments Généreux Et Lasches

35. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Amours Forgerons

36. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Marche De Triomphe

37. Le Ballet De Polieucte: La Joye Seulle

38. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Pourquoi N'avoit Pas Le Coeur Tendre Retourné

39. Le Ballet De Polieucte: Combattants

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Tetsuo Furudate - Othello as Noise Opera

"Othello's bedroom is located approximately 200 metres underground. It exists under high pressure. The air in the room is compressed and contaminated.

"Strangely enough, his wife Desdemona is living there carefree. But everything is getting unbearable for Othello. The contaminated air consists of the unpleasant parts of Othello's character and mind such as jealousy, hatred for being discriminated against, curses from the people that he killed in his many battles and his desires. Such unwilling will and knotted soul are whirling around and materializing here and there in the room. Despite him saying to himself 'in reality it's air', Othello became aware when he decided to kill his wife.

"'This room is in my brain. I cannot get out of it. The walls of the room are my black skin. They act as a mirror for my entire soul, keeping it trapped, and reflecting back into the room. The walls intensify this...' The whirling of his malice and crooked love is unbearable loud for him. 'Desdemona doesn't care about the noise and sleeps... Did I kill her already?'

"There is neither life nor death because this room exists in the brain of Othello whose head is buried approximately 200 metres underground, with repent and fear awakened anew.

"The noise opera 'Othello' (after Shakespeare) is a new interpretation of the famous murder scene, accompanied with noise music of Japanese group 'Autrement Qu'être'." (From promotional materials. See here and here.)

1. Overture

2. His Jelousy

3. A Bedchamber In His Castle

4. What Noise Is This?

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Igor Stravinsky - Oedipus Rex; Les Noces

"Stravinsky conducted the first performance of 'Oedipus Rex' (1925-1927) in the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, on 30th May, 1927, in a double bill with 'Firebird,' in which George Balanchine danced the role of Kastchei. Composers—Ravel, Poulenc, and Roger Sessions among them—were the first to recognize it as Stravinsky's most powerful dramatic work and one of his greatest creations. After hearing Ernest Ansermet conduct it in London, February 12, 1936, the young Benjamin Britten noted in his diary: 'One of the peaks of Stravinsky's output, this work shows his wonderful sense of style and power of drawing inspiration from every age of music, and leaving the whole a perfect shape, satisfying eve aesthetic demand [...] the established idea of originality dies so hard.'

 

"Leonard Bernstein may have been the first to identify the principal influence on the music: 'I remembered where those four opening notes of Oedipus come from [...] And the whole metaphor of pity and power became clear; the pitiful Thebans supplicating before their powerful king, imploring deliverance from the plague [...] an Ethiopian slave girl at the feet of her mistress, Princess of Egypt [...] Amneris has just wormed out of Aida her dread secret [...] Verdi, who was so unfashionable at the time Oedipus was written, someone for musical intellectuals of the mid-'20s to sneer at; and 'Aida', of all things, that cheap, low, sentimental melodrama. [At the climax of Oedipus' 'Invidia' aria] the orchestra plays a diminished-seventh chord [...] that favorite ambiguous tool [i.e., tool for suggesting ambiguity] of surprise and despair in every romantic opera [...] Aida! [...] Was Stravinsky having a secret romance with Verdi's music in those super-sophisticated mid-'20s? It seems he was.'"

 

"Bernstein might also have mentioned the debt to Verdi in Jocasta's aria and her duet with Oedipus. A photograph of Verdi occupied a prominent position on the wall of Stravinsky's Paris studio in the 1920s, and on his concert tours he would go out of his way to hear Verdi operas, to the extent of changing the dates of his own concerts, as he did in Hanover in December 1931 for a performance of 'Macbeth.' In the early 1930s he wrote to one of his biographers: 'If I had been in Nietzsche's place, I would have said Verdi instead of Bizet and held up 'The Masked Ball' against Wagner.' In Buenos Aires, in 1936, Stravinsky shocked a journalist by saying: 'Never in my life would I be capable of composing anything to equal the delicious waltz in 'La Traviata'.' 

 

"Other influences besides Verdi's are apparent. The 'Gloria' chorus at the end of Act One, the Messenger's music, and the a cappella choral music in the Messenger scene are distinctly Russian, but the genius of the piece is in the unity that Stravinsky achieves with his seemingly disparate materials.

 

"'Les Noces' ('Svadebka') ranks high in the by no means crowded company of indisputable twentieth-century masterpieces. That it does not immediately come to mind as such may be attributable to cultural and linguistic barriers, and to the ineptitude, partly from the same causes, of most performances, for the piece can only be sung in Russian, both because the sounds of the words are part of the music, and because their rhythms are inseparable from the musical design. A translation that satisfied the quantitative and accentual formulas of the original could retain no approximation of its literal sense. For this reason Stravinsky, never rigidly averse to sacrificing the clarity of sense for sound's sake, abandoned an English version on which he had laboured in the fall of 1959 and again in December 1965. It is also the reason, bizarre as it may seem, that his own first recording of 'Noces' was made in English (1934). No Russian chorus was available in Paris at the time, but in any case he abominated the French version by C. F. Ramuz, which requires numerous changes and adjustments in the musical rhythms. 

 

"Performances are infrequent as well as inadequate. The four pianos and seventeen percussion instruments that comprise the ensemble are not included in the standard instrumentation of symphony orchestras. Then, too, the piece by itself is long enough for only a short half-programme, while the few possible companion works, using many of the same instruments—Varese's 'Ionisation', Bartók's 'Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion', Antheil's 'Ballet mecanique' (an arrant plagiarism)—derive from it too obviously as instrumental example. 

 

"As a result of the obstacles of language and culture, audiences do not share in the full meaning of the work, hearing it as a piece of 'pure' music; which, of course, and as Stravinsky would say, is its ultimate meaning. But Stravinsky notwithstanding, 'Svadebka' is a dramatic work, composed for the stage, and informed with more meanings on the way to that ultimate one than any other opus by the composer. The drama is his own, moreover, and he is responsible for the choice of the subject, the form of the stage spectacle, the ordonnance of the texts. 'Svadebka' is in fact the only theatrical work by him, apart from the much slighter 'Renard,' that combines music with a text in his mother tongue, the only work in which ritual, symbol, meaning on every level are part of his direct cultural heredity. 

 

"It is also the one Stravinsky work that underwent extensive metamorphoses. 'Svadebka' occupied his imagination throughout a decade and, in aggregate, took more of his time than any other work of the same length. The sketches, in consequence, offer a unique study of his processes of growth and refinement. The reasons for the long gestation are, first, that Stravinsky several times suspended work to compose other music, which, in each case, left his creative mind with altered perspectives. Second, he was creating something so new, both musically, in its heterophonic vocal-instrumental style, and in theatrical combination and genre, an amalgam of ballet and dramatic cantata, that he was himself unable to describe it. 'Russian Choreographic Scenes,' his subtitle on the final score, neglects to mention that the subject is a village wedding and that the four scenes depict the ritual braiding of the Bride's tresses, the ritual curling of the Groom's locks, the departure of the Bride for the church, and the wedding feast." (Robert Craft. From the liner notes.)

 

Performers: Philharmonia Orchestra, International Piano Quartet, Tristan Fry Percussion Ensemble, Simon Joy Chorale, Simon Joy Male Chorus, Robert Craft, Edward Fox, Jennifer Lane, Martyn Hill, Joseph Cornwell, David Wilson-Jonhson, Andrew Greenan, Alison Wells, Susan Bickley, Alan Ewing

1. Oedipus Rex: Prologue

2. Oedipus Rex: Introducing Creon

3. Oedipus Rex: Introducing Tiresias

4. Oedipus Rex: Introducing Joacasta

5. Oedipus Rex: Introducing The Messenger

6. Oedipus Rex: Epilogue

7. Les Noces, Scene I: The Tresses (At The Bride's House)

8. Les Noces, Scene II: At The Bridegroom's House

9. Les Noces, Scene III: The Departure Of The Bride

10. Les Noces, Scene IV: The Wedding Feast

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Skin Crime - Parasite

Goliath CD release from Americans Skin Crime on Japanese noise label Xerxes in 2001. Raw sound recorded from 1996 to 1998, then digested into this release over the proceeding three years. An excellent exposition of Skin Crime's harsh noise abilities in their prime. 

 

1. Uncinaria Stenocephala

2. Anoplocephalia Perfoliata

3. Thysanosoma Actinioides

4. Rhipicephalus Sanguineus

5. Cochliomyia Hominovorax

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Franz Schubert - Lieder After Mayrhofer

"1817 is the beginning of a period in Schubert’s life, called his 'years of crisis,' when he was forming and asserting his personal and musical autonomy. His songs from this time concentrate on mythology and on the poetry of his friend Johann Mayrhofer. Thirteen mythological Mayrhofer songs sing through the 'I' of a mythological character and address a god for aid. [...]

"Both Mayrhofer’s poems and Schubert’s songs present difficulties. Mayrhofer’s language and treatment of myth occlude his poetry’s meaning. Schubert’s settings obscure what they might communicate to readers or listeners through experimental formal, harmonic, and text-setting strategies. To discover the order and meaning behind the abstruse surfaces of the poems, music, and songs, I turn to four analytical perspectives immanent in Mayrhofer’s poems. Though mythological on the surface, Mayrhofer’s poems tell a gnostic narrative of man’s desire to unite with god. The poems are also masochistic: Mayrhofer’s mythological heroes are all in pain, static, and devoted to a goddess. These two simultaneous subtexts exemplify the ambiguity of Mayrhofer’s poetry, that it both keeps its meaning indistinct and means many things at once. Mayrhofer’s use of mythology and Gnosticism direct us to Carl Jung’s use of the same in his psychoanalytic researches into the self.

"Gnosticism, masochism, ambiguity, and the Jungian self are elements of Schubert’s songs just as they are elements of Mayrhofer’s poems. Each of the dissertation’s four main chapters focuses on one of these concepts. In analysis, I give the greatest attention to the music, that is, how the music is Gnostic, masochistic, ambiguous, and psychologically self-expressive. The musical analyses are largely motivic, but also involve musical form, harmony, meter, genre, and vocal style. I understand song as a multiplicity, as an interaction of individual voices. Since each of the four analytical perspectives - as distinct as they are - says something about the relationship between the self and the other, they are means to assess the relationships resulting in song, and how meaning and understanding emerge from the interaction of multiple voices." (The Abstract from Michael Shaw's doctoral thesis 'Schubert's Mythological Mayrhofer-Lieder: Historical, Philosophical, and Psychological Contexts'. Available in full here.)

Performers: Christoph Prégardien, Andreas Staier

1. Fahrt Zum Hades, D. 526
2. Freiwilliges Versinken, D. 700
3. Der Entsühnte Orest, D. 699
4. Der Zürnenden Diana, D. 707 Op. 36 No. 1
5. Lied Eines Schiffers An Die Dioskuren, D. 360 Op .65 No. 1
6. Auf Der Donau, D. 553 Op. 21 No. 1
7. Der Schiffer (Im Winde, Im Sturme Befahr Ich Den Fluß), D. 536 Op. 21 No. 2
8. Die Sternennächte, D. 670 Op. Posth. 165 No. 2
9. Abschied, D. 475
10. Nachtstück, D. 672 Op. 36 No. 2
11. Fragment Aus Dem Aeschylus, D. 450
12. Antigone Und Oedip, D. 542 Op. 6 No. 2
13. Memnon, D. 541 Op. 6 No. 1
14. Philoktet, D. 540
15. Atys, D. 585
16. Der Sieg, D. 805
17. Wie Ulfru Fischt, D. 525 Op. 21 No. 3
18. Der Alpenjäger (Auf Hohem Bergesrücken), D. 524 Op. 13 No. 3
19. Nachtviolen, D. 752
20. Abendstern, D. 806
21. Nach Einem Gewitter, D. 561
22. Gondelfahrer, D. 808
23. Auflösung, D. 807

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George Enescu - Octet, Op. 7; Quintet, Op. 29

"[...] The modernist era charged Enescu with stylistic ambiguity, a perception that persists to this day. After his Romanian Poem op. 1, which he wrote in 1897 at the age of 15, and both 'Romanian rhapsodies, op. 11' (1901 and 1902), Enescu was known as a virtuoso violinist and an author of bright, charming compositions with a tinge of Bessarabia. As early as 1900, while, at the age of 19, he was working on the 'Octet, op. 7', Enescu faced the aloofness of the public. It wasn't until nearly four decades later that he was acclaimed as a composer, when experts first recognized as a revelation the mythic opera 'Oedipus, op. 23' (1936). Between the rhapsodies and 'Oedipus', Enescu created three symphonies, a poem, suites, compositions for orchestra and solo instruments, and passionate, irresistibly pictorial chamber music, under which are laid an instrumental mosaic and a flutter of imagination. The conception of each of these pieces seems unmatched. 

"'Something trembles in my heart, without interruption, either day or night,' confessed the composer. The instrumental 'technique of trembling' was noted in fact by attentive critics of 'Oedipus.' It is very much present in the orchestral version of the 'Octet, op. 7' and in the 'Quintet, op. 29' heard on this disc, as well as in that opera. The Octet finale is woven with thumping vitality. Its monotonous motion is both staggeringly malleable and truly magical, which Enescu acutely and astutely felt as early as the dawn of the 20th century. 

"Already in the first bars of the early Octet, one may discern the special 'inside-out,' mirror-like concept of Enescu's method of composing. In this system the main theme acts as a condenser, the point 'not of departure, but of conclusion.' In the later Quintet, a distant relative of both late Scriabin and mature Ravel (and at moments Prokofiev), this concept of musical movement reveals a new facet: a spontaneous and associative methodology that simultaneously deciphers and obscures the original theme. But in the finale, one discovers a striking, extremely expressive highly emotional condensing of what at first seemed just elegant play. Later Enescu would become more sophisticated, philosophical and dramatic. The modal pace of his heterophony became more inventive and similar to the steps of a ropewalker. In the ever more extensive instrumental palette, the boundaries between light and dark became less evident, as did the distinctions of form. Characteristic shades of Romanian folkloric instrumentation tread more softly and cautiously. Now only an attentive listener will notice them, in areas such as the piano part in the Quintet's 'Andante sostenuto e cantabile.' Nevertheless, his music still breathes bits of emotional substance, from hidden passion to introverted sorrow, and a sincere and wonderful solemnity. 

"Enescu shares much with those whose fate led them outside of the artistic mainstream. On the surface, his fate is similar to that of French writer Joris Karl Huysmans or Russian painter Natalia Goncharova: he knew both fame and oblivion; he signed no manifestos and belonged to no particular school; he was plagued by false interpretations and the status of both forerunner and imitator simultaneously; his novelty was subtle yet obstinate; his tenderness, flexibility, luminosity and individuality are all singular, intimately rooted in culture. For the Kremerata Baltica and Gidon Kremer — whose artistic strategy is marked by both a unique understanding of well-known repertoire and also a particular, sensitive and delicate tuning to unconventional material — joined here on the Quintet by Lithuanian-born Andrius Zlabys, one of the most gifted Baltic pianists of today, George Enescu's music is a precious discovery: splendid, mysteriously multi-dimensional and utterly thrilling." (Julia Bederova, tr. Elisabeth Konovalova. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Kremerata Baltica, Gidon Kremer, Andrius Zlabys

1. Octet, Op. 7: I. Très Modéré

2. Octet, Op. 7: II. Très Fougueux

3. Octet, Op. 7: III. Lentement

4. Octet, Op. 7: IV. Moins Vite, Animé, Mouvement De Valse Bien Rythmée

5. Quintet, Op. 29: I. Con Moto Molto Moderato –

6. Quintet, Op. 29: I. Andante Sostenuto E Cantabile

7. Quintet, Op. 29: II. Vivace, Ma Non Troppo –

8. Quintet, Op. 29: II. A Tempo, Un Poco Più Animato

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Two Assistant Deputy Ministers / Cracksteel - Official Channels

Split from Kazuhiro Matsuyama (Cracksteel) and Jason Kushnir (TADM). The themes here fall in line somewhat with Incapacitants' insane salaryman archetype, somewhat with later projects like Dominick Fernow's industrial techno moniker vatican shadow: dark echoes of international espionage. This is dense, highly dynamic noise. Despite Kushnir being (probably American) his sound is closer to what one might describe as staple Japanoise, whereas Matsuyama displays a sound that's slightly denser and low-end focused. Released in 2001 in an edition of 100 CDs on the Self Abuse Records sub-label Solipsism.

1. Two Assistant Deputy Ministers - Channel 16: Information Retrieval
2. Cracksteel - Channel 23: Imperial Torture
3. Two Assistant Deputy Ministers - Channel 39: Dissolving The Issue

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Âmes Sanglantes - Rust And Steel

Âmes Sanglantes (meaning Bloody Souls) is French-Canadian Industrial/Noise/Metal artist Pierre-Marc Tremblay's main noise project. This is a relatively early release from 2001 (they start from around 1997). We range from intense, hard biting noise backed by heavy vocal effects befitting the title, to more spaced out nerve shredding sounds. The track titles are a little all over the place, but this is no real cause for complaint.

1. Corporate Media
2. Pollution Money
3. Late Night Perversions
4. TV Dinner Is Evolution
5. Machine A Boule
6. Rain Of Montreal

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