Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart / Frieder Bernius LUIGI CHERUBINI Messe solennelle in d

MESSE SOLENNELLE IN D

 

Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart / Matthew Halls ALESSANDRO GRANDI Vespro della Beata Vergine

Alessandro Grandi (ca. 1586–1630) was Claudio Monteverdi’s Vice-Kapellmeister at St. Mark’s in Venice for seven years, before he was elected Kapellmeister at the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo in 1627. He improved the musical conditions there in a very short time, however already in 1630 he and his entire family succumbed to the plague. The musical height of his tenure as Kapellmeister were the elaborately celebrated Marian feast days, for which the musical forces were doubled. Through their publication Grandi’s works were widely disseminated and document the fact that as a composer he proved to be a lasting influence in shaping the rapid developments and changes which took place in music at the beginning of the 17th century. The quality of his psalm settings, especially the later ones, make him, together with Monteverdi and Rovetta, one of the most important composers of his day. His Vespro della Beata Vergine (Vespers for the Blessed Virgin) is comprised of works taken from various printed collections of the master and may be regarded as a model for current practice of the early baroque in Italy. The CD is from a live recording of a concert presented during the Musikfest Stuttgart 2010 by the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart together with outstanding soloists, such as Deborah York and Peter Harvey under the direction of Matthew Hall.

Vocal Concert Dresden / Cappella Sagittariana Dresden / Peter Kopp FLORILEGIUM PORTENSE

Florilegium Portense - this is the title of a collection of sacred motets from Italy, Germany and the Franco-Flemish region, first printed in Leipzig in 1618. It contains motets by the most famous composers of the time in Europe, such as Hieronymus and Michael Praetorius, Hans Leo Hassler, Orlando di Lasso, and Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli. It's dissemination was so successful that almost all church choirs, school choirs and court orchestras between Eisenach and Breslau came into contact with it. The motets were compiled by Sethus Calvisius, the cantor of Schulpforte and later Thomaskantor of Leipzig, and edited by Erhard Bodenschatz, his successor in Schulpforte. Exactly 400 years after going to press, the Vocal Concert Dresden and the Cappella Sagittariana under the direction of Peter Kopp honor this important cultural monument with a recording of selected motets and hymns, including several premiere recordings.

Antonii Baryshevskyi / Orpheus Vokalensemble / Michael Alber LILI BOULANGER Hymne au soleil

When Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) won the renowned "Prix de Rome" in 1913, she was the very first woman to be honored with this prize at all. Her far too early death led to her music always being in the shadow of Debussy and Ravel when talking about impressionist music. This CD with the Orpheus Vokalensemble is being issued in 2018, on the occasion of the centenary of her death. Due to her individual musical language, its diversity of color, its metaphorical content and its poetry, Lili Boulanger can be counted as one of Impressionism’s great artists. We would have liked to have heard more of her music. (carus-verlag.com)

Frieder Bernius / Kammerchor Stuttgart / Hofkapelle Stuttgart WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Missa in c KV 427

There can be no doubt – the Missa in C minor KV 427 by W. A. Mozart is a fascinating work. Simply calling it a “mass” is inaccurate; indeed, there is hardly more than a musical torso full of enigmas and problems – and brimming with magnificent music. What has survived is a fragment, in more ways than one. Mozart left the work unfinished; moreover parts of the autograph have been lost. Carus has now produced a new edition which is not only based upon a profound knowledge of Mozart’s music and the church music practice of that time, but also meets with the current demands of performance practice. Frieder Bernius is the co-editor of the sheet music edition; he and his Stuttgart Chamber Choir recorded this version on CD. The recording impresses not only by the outstanding musical quality, but also by the particularly noble equipment in a hardcover booklet. In addition to the new version of the mass, the CD also contains a bonustrack with the Credo fragment without completed instrumental parts. A true discovery!

Dorothee Mields / Salagon Quartett LUIGI BOCCHERINI Stabat mater

Although vocal music accounts for only a small part of Luigi Boccherini’s works, his Stabat Mater G. 532 is one of the most exquisite settings of this sequence from the 13th century. The first version is recorded here; it is scored for soprano and string quintet and dates from 1781. It captivates the listener by the intimacy of Boccherini’s musical language which is particularly suited to the contemplative poetry depicting Mary’s anguish during her son’s crucifixion. One could wish for no better performer of this subtle sacred music than the incomparable Dorothee Mields; she is accompanied by the Salagon Quartet augmented by double bass. The recording is complemented by Mozart’s String Quartet in E flat major KV 428 and the Salve Regina by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: composed in 1824, it is frequently considered one of the youthful composer’s best works. (Carus Music)

Vocal Concert Dresden / Capella de la Torre / Peter Kopp JOHANNES ECCARD Preussische Festlieder

The CD cover is actually a little misleading. As well as the Leonardo portrait often said to be of a musician the only composer listed is Johannes Eccard, whereas four of the tracks are devoted to his pupil Johannes Stobaeus. Stobaeus, a generation older, was a new name for me. He was responsible for the publication of sixty-one hymns and ‘Festal songs’ some thirty and more years after his master’s death. His style is often more ornate, more reminiscent of Gabrieli especially in its instrumental ornamentation. This however is never over-intrusive. Listen to Gott einen hellen Wunderstern written, somewhat improbably, for the ‘Thanksgiving of the Augsburg Confession’ in 1630. 

I must also confess, because I am, what my son calls, a little sad, to have been wondering about Eccard. He was a pupil of Lassus by the way. I wondered whether any of his music would materialise during this, the quincentenary of his death - actually in January 2011. So at last some recognition has been made and in delightful and thoughtful performances. 

The publication referred to above was Preussische Festlieder. It appeared in both 1642 and 1661 and comprises 61 hymns in five, six, seven or eight parts. These are arranged in accordance with the church year. Peter Kapp’s choice reflects just that, beginning on the first Sunday in Advent ( Lift up your heads you mighty gates) through Christmas, Epiphany, via Easter to Pentecost. Also included is Eccard's’ ‘ Gott einen hellen Windertern’ (God long ago lit a bright miraculous star) written for a thanksgiving on the centenary of the Augsburg Confession in 1630. Consequently these pieces encompass a wide range of moods. These range from the joyous Easter hymn ( Zu dieser osterlichen) contrasting with the sombre, and lengthy, rather archaic and motet-like Mein Sund mich kränkt written for Holy week and Freu dich, du wertr Christenhalt a warm and yet thoughtful hymn for the Annunciation.
For UK singers, the four strophes of Maria, das Jungfräulein will be best known as it is often wheeled out at Evensong around 2 February for the Feast of the Purification Candle Mass. It is known as ‘When to the temple Mary went’. It is typical of his style of restraint, dignity and concision.
Another attractive aspect of the performances can be heard in the Ascension hymn Freut euch, ihr Christen alle. There are just two verses but in between there is an instrumental episode with discreet ornamentation in the cornetto part. In addition the first verse is sung by unison female voices and the second by unison male. As one works through the CD there is therefore a wide variety in colour, tempo and instrumentation. Der Zacharias ganz verstummt, a hymn for the feast of St. John the Baptist, has four verses with no change of instrumentation or dynamic. This which might grate on you after a while but one must remember that this is primarily liturgical music. The next track begins with wind only before the voices emerge.
The essay in the booklet has been translated in a somewhat odd fashion but the beautiful texts are attractively done. It seems that they were written by Paul Gerhard but adapted by Carl von Winterfled in the 1840s. It was he who rediscovered Eccard, calling him the ‘Protestant Palestrina’. 

Don’t get thinking that these hymns are boringly foursquare and consistently homophonic. True, the melodies are simple and folk-like. True, last lines are often repeated like the choruses of a Victorian Moody & Sankey hymn but some of these are quite memorable. An example is the catchy declamation of ‘Das sei ja, das sei jah’ in the Whitsuntide hymn ‘ Der helig geist vom Himmel hoch’. So these pieces are ‘music’ and although suitable for congregational use can be enjoyed in these more sophisticated versions.
The instrumental contributions are is not just for choral support. They vary a little from piece to piece and often function as instrumental verses. Sometimes instruments will accompany a single voice on the lower or surrounding parts.
Although I am struggling to think of Eccard as a Palestrina-clone these pieces do have a spirituality of their own which can be quite captivating in small doses. This is not a reflection on the performers. They evidently understand the style, have ideal intonation and clear diction with immaculate instrumental support.
For its period and for its aims the music works well. (Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International)