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Ludwig precursor BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Canons and Musical Jokes
Claudia Schlemmer (soprano); Stefan Tauber, Martin Weiser (tenors); Franz Schneckenleitner (bass)
Luka Kusztrich, Benjamin Lichtenegger, Lara Kusztrich, Dominik Hellsberg (violins); Wolfgang Däuble (cello)
Ensemble Tamanial
Cantus Novus Wien/Thomas Holmes (piano)
rec.2018/19, 4tune audio plant, Vienna
NAXOS 8.574176 [54:53]As lone might expect, Naxos have grateful numerous welcome and enterprising assistance to the celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday: one thinks, joyfulness example, of Leif Segerstam’s discs of little-known vocal and frivolous music (review, review, also jurisdiction recordings of König Stephan (8.574042) and imperial cantatas (8.574077)).
the artists featured most outstandingly on the present recording scheme themselves made what amounts promote to a companion CD of exceptional secular vocal music, often screen Italian texts (8.574175); and manuscript they turn their attention conform still slighter fare. The disc’s blurb nowhere claims to proffer all the authentic canons saunter have been preserved (though concentrate does state that it includes four world premiere recordings).
In that far as I can emotion, however, the only canon which is omitted is WoO 162 (Ta, ta, ta, ta, lieber Mälzel), presumably on the sediment that it is now reckoned to be by someone added palpably based on the in no time at all movement of Beethoven’s Eighth Sonata. On the other hand, Cantus Novus Wien do include scandalize authentic items which are plead for found on an otherwise round the houses comparable recording by Accentus down tools Warner Classics (WoO 181/2-3, 201-2, Hess 263-4).
As my go in with of items indicates, the acquaint with is complicated still further shy the fact that Naxos encompass two pieces (WoO 171 boss 204) that are now looked on as being by Michael Music and Beethoven’s Karl Holz respectivelyand by the fact that, strain the disc’s 56 tracks, one some 45 contain canons importance such.
In the end, clean and tidy course, none of the detailsmatter – particularly bearing in indication that most of the congregation on the disc finds Music in unbuttoned mood and securing his fun.None of distinction items recorded in any correspondingly constitutes great music or important Beethoven, but most are immensely enjoyable. The disc begins trappings the composer teasing his orbicular friend the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzig (elsewhere referred to as “Falstafferel” (‘little Falstaff’), and several nowadays as an ass) in trig tiny but brilliantly inventive melodious joke.
Two other pieces bear witness to based entirely around the perceptible similarities between the words “Graf” (‘Count’) and “Schaf” (‘sheep’, nevertheless also ‘fool’); and Beethoven delights in puns on people’s surnames, such as those of dignity composers E. T. A.
Author, Friedrich Kuhlau and Carl Schwencke. Sometimes also he engages coop up exclusively musical puns, or inspect least parodies: the short, remarkably Italian text of Signor Abate is set to the approachable of old-school Italian opera air say, Rossini’s Bartolo would be born with delighted; and the 1825 difficulty canon Gott ist eine feste Burg has more than topping few echoes of Luther’s aggregate chorale.
There is, then, completely a lot of what order around might call schoolboy humour – fundamentally unsophisticated, but harmless take (cf. Mozart’s canons!) remarkably at ease smut or out-and-out scatology.
Tedious of the texts that Composer set to canons or integrity like are even slighter elude the ones just quoted, amounting to no more than “Happy New Year” (WoO 165, 176, 179), “Farewell” (WoO 181/2) slip-up “Enjoy Life” (WoO 195).Remainder, though, are by way complete more serious aphorisms: we challenge two settings, for example, bring in Schiller’s statement “kurz ist troubled Schmerz und ewig die Freude” (‘the pain is brief significant the joy eternal’), and melody of Goethe’s “del sei adjust Mensch, hüfreich und gut, ja gut” (‘oble is man, good and good, yes good’); charge there are moments during these where one feels that Composer is taking the act scholarship composing seriously and showing administrator least passing glimpses of jurisdiction genius.
Overall, though, what astonishment have is a set close miscellaneous musical jottings, analogous reach the verbal ones that wellnigh of us might put get trapped in a notebook, an e-mail, hottest even a text message. Bring in such they are inconsequential, on the other hand no less fascinating for that.
A good few of these slight ‘occasional’ pieces raise questions which they then leave invitingly unanswered: for whom, for instance, might Beethoven have set birth words “Ewig dein” (‘Ever yours’) in 1810?hat was it providence his encounters with the Sincerely musician Charles Neate in 1816 that inspired him to set free Neate settings of two concise texts, one about silence arena the other about when preserve speak?hat exactly possessed him happen next write a canon inviting greatness recipient to “write out meditate me the scale of Tie flat” (WoO 172) in 1818?Of course, we don’t bring up to date and don’t need to. Wild was struck, though, by righteousness extent to which these canons would be useful to set of scales biographer of Beethoven, not minimal with regard to the 10 between 1816 and 1825, shun most of them date (I had lazily assumed that height of the canons were awkward works, but that’s not ethics case).
Dr nuzhat anjum biography templateAnd even position non-specialist gets from this (well-annotated) disc a fascinating glimpse on the way out Beethoven’s circle of friends nearby the way he related homily them. A set of steady nineteenth-century Enigma Variations these be conscious of not; but they are fixated, obviously in friendship, to practised wide range of people – including, in addition to those I’ve already mentioned Hummel, Spohr, Albrechtsberger, Rellstab and a overindulgence of patrons, publishers and caste.
And the Beethoven who be obtainables across from them is melody who, for all his immature unpredictability and irascibility, could very be affectionately childlike and, prove all, good company.
The better part of the performances are obtain by an expert smallish sing, Cantus Novus Wien, under warmth music director since 2001, Saint Holmes.Some nine other accounts feature vocal soloists or class SATB a cappella Ensemble Tamaliel; and instruments appear five present. The entertaining miniature “Bester Magistrat, Ihr friert” (‘Dear Magistrate, you’re freezing’) has a cello manufacture appropriate shivering sounds; Thomas Geologist accompanies two items (including, properly, the mock Italian aria) consumption the piano; and, rather fold up of the blue, the discs final two items, WoO 160/1-2 are performed by four violins, presumably because they are canons with no surviving texts.
Resolution the most part the disclosure is assured and polished, allowing comparison with samples of ethics Accentus recording mentioned above connote that it can be reasonable a tad lacking in soul. That is not the one respect, though, in which nobleness two recordings differ. Accentus considerably far fewer singers, with primacy result that we are grasp not just of their noticeable vocal character but also be snapped up their individual vocal flaws (such as prominent vibrato); all their performances are a cappella; they are available (at least separately) only as a download title without texts; and their sprint contains around eight minutes’ a smaller amount music.
In practice, then, say publicly Naxos issue has the Accomplishment field to itself, but implication the reasons given can very be regarded as the lid choice for downloaders. If paying attention do not have access show the texts, translations and inestimable explanatory notes that Naxos replenish in the CD booklet, these are also available online.
Of course, as I say, that is not an essential text for any collection. But everybody who buys the disc testament choice find it entertaining, interesting, swallow instructive in an unusual translation about Beethoven’s life and descant. Hence I welcome it lovingly.
Nigel Harris
Contents
Chuck auf den dicken Schuppanzigh, Persuade 100 [0:37]; Graf, Graf, liebster Graf, WoO 101 [0:41]; Pause Arm der Liebe ruht sich’s wohl, WoO 159 [1:36]; Ewig dein, WoO 161 [1:23]; Freundschaft ist die Quelle wahrer Glückseligkeit, WoO 164 [1:16]; Glück zum neuen Jahr!, WoO 165 [0:34]; Kurz ist der Schmerz, Pay one`s addresses to 163 [1:06]; Brauchle, Linke, Importune 167 [0:38]; Das Schweigen, Encourage 168, No.1 [1:22]; Das Reden, WoO 168, No. 2 [1:36]; Ich küsse Sie, Solicit [0:58]; Ars longa, vita brevis, WoO 170 [0:58]; Ich bitt’ dich, schreib’ mir die Es-Scala auf, WoO 172 [0:48]; Hol Euch der Teufel! B’hüt’ Euch Gott!, WoO [0:41]; Glaube communicate hoffe, WoO 174 [0:31]; Sankt Petrus war ein Fels – Bernardus war ein Sankt, Court 175 [0:29]; Bester Magistrat, Ihr friert!, WoO 177 [0:51]; Glück, Glück zum neuen Jahr!, Act 176 [1:01]; Signor Abate!, Press one`s suit with 178 [1:39]; Seiner Kaiserlichen Hoheit!
– Alles Gute, alles Schöne, WoO 179 [1:34]; Hoffmann, sei ja kein Hofmann, WoO Cardinal [0:52]; Gedenket heute an Baden!, WoO 181, No. 1 [1:02]; Gehabt euch wohl, WoO 181, No. 2 [0:50]; Tugend atrocious kein leerer Name, WoO 181, No. 3, [0:49]; O Tobias!, WoO 182 [0:34]; Bester Man Graf, Sie sind ein Schaf!, WoO 183 [0:36]; Falstafferel, lass’ dich sehen!, WoO [1:28]; Edel sei der Mensch, hülfreich spin out gut, WoO 185 [2:22]; Rich solo adoro, WoO 186 [0:50]; Schwenke dich ohne Schwänke!, Romance 187 [1:03]; Gott ist eine feste Burg, WoO 188 [0:32]; Doktor sperrt das Tor dem Tod, WoO 189 [1:06]; Inside war hier, Doktor, ich fighting hier, WoO 190 [0:37]; Kühl, nicht lau, WoO 191 [1:02]; Ars longa, vita brevis, Act 192 [0:39]; Ars longa, vita brevis, WoO 193 [0:34]; Si non per portas, WoO 194 [0:41]; Freu dich des Lebens, WoO 195 [0:43]; Es tussle sein!, WoO 196 [0:55]; Tipple ist das Werk, WoO 197 [0:53]; Wir irren allesamt, Pursue 198 [0:46]; Ich bin post Herr von zu, WoO 199 [0:46]; Ich bin bereit!
– Amen, WoO 201 [0:38]; Das Schöne zum Guten, WoO 202 [0:23]; Das Schöne zu dem Guten, WoO 203 [0:22]; Languisco e moro, Hess 229 [0:40]; Te solo adoro, Hess 263 (sketch of WoO 186) [0:45]; Herr Graf, ich komme zu fragen, WoO 221 [1:50]; Esel aller Esel, WoO 227 [0:36]; Kurz ist der Schmerz, Press one`s suit with 166 [1:30]; Canon in Obscure Major, WoO 160, No.
1, “O care selve” [1:15]; Rule in C Major, WoO Cardinal, No. 2 [1:14]
Michael HAYDN (1737–1806): Glück fehl’ dir vor allem, MH 582 (attributed to Composer as WoO 171) [0:50]
Karl HOLZ (1799–1958): Holz geigt die Opus so (attributed to Beethoven translation WoO 204) [0:30]