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1 CD -
Teldec 8.42100 XH (c) 1989
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1 LP -
Telefunken 6.42100 AW (p) 1970 |
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NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT - 25 Years
on TELDEC |
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Johann Heinrich
Schmelzer (1623?-1680) |
"Sacro-profanus
concentus musicus... 1662" |
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Sonata
Natalitia a 3 Chori für 2
Violinen, 3 Violen, 3 Piffari,
Fagott, 2 Flöten, 3 Posaunen und
B.c. |
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2' 55" |
A1 |
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Sonata
II a 8 doubus Choris für
Violine, Viola, Viola da Gamba,
Violoncello, Zink, 3 Posaunen und
B.c. |
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5' 17" |
A2 |
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Sonata
a 4 "La Carolietta" für
Violine, Zink, Posaune, Dulzian und
B.c. |
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6' 19" |
A3 |
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Sonata
I a 8 für 2 Violinen, 2
Clarinen, 3 Gamben und B.c. (Orgel
und Gambe) |
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3' 54" |
A4 |
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Sonata
a 3 für Violine, Clarine,
Posaune und B.c. (Violone und
Cembalo) |
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4' 36" |
A5 |
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Sonata
IV a 6 für 2 Violinen, 3 Viola
da gamba und B.c. (Gambe und
Cembalo) |
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4' 22" |
B1 |
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Sonata a
5 für 2 Violinen,
Clarine, Fagott, Viola da
Gamba und B.c. (Cembalo)
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6' 59" |
B2 |
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Sonata
a 3 für Violine, Viola, Viola
da Gamba und B.c. (Violoncello und
Orgel) |
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5' 45" |
B3 |
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Sonata a
3 Violine für 3
Violinen und B.c.
(Violoncello und Cembalo) |
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7' 05" |
B4 |
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Don
Smithers, Zink |
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CONCENTUS MUSICUS
WIEN (mit Originainstrumenten) |
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Nikolaus
HARNONCOURT, Leitung |
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Luogo
e data di registrazione |
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Casino
Zögernitz, Vienna (Austria) -
marzo, giugno e settembre 1969 |
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Registrazione:
live / studio |
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studio |
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Producer
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Wolf
Erichson |
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Edizione CD |
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TELDEC
- 8.42100 XH (244 691-2) - (1 CD -
durata 48' 13") - (c) 1989 - ADD |
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Originale LP
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TELEFUNKEN
- 6.42100 AW - (1 LP - durata 48'
13") - (p) 1970 - Analogico |
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Note |
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Heinrich
Schmelzer was one of the
most interesting and original
musicians of his day. He grew up
in an army camp because his
father was an officer. Quite
probably it was there that he
received his first impressions
of music besides regular violin
instruction. The Polish,
Hungarian, Croatian and Bohemian
soldiers of the Austrian army,
after all, had their musicians
with them, and some were surely
excellent and virtuoso folk
musicians. All through his life
Schmelzer was most closely
attached to folk music; most of
his works reflect his youthful
impressions while in the army
camp. Before he was twenty
years old his violin technique
must already have been so good
that he was engaged as violinist
in the imperial court orchestra,
His unusual talent then soon
came to the attention of the
ernperor. He had to compose the
ballet music to nearly all of
the operas. Leopold held him in
such high esteem that in
1679, he made him his first
non-Italian conductor at the
court. - The works on this
record are taken in part from
"Sacro-profanus concentus
musicus" (a collection of his
works that was printed in 1662)
and in part from the Kromeřiz
archives. The latter are so
extreme in their technical and
musical demands that surely he
had written them especially for
the virtuosi of this orchestra.
- Formally speaking, all of
these one-movement sonatas are
in the Italian style. The
various sections with differing
rhythmic signatures are not
separated from one another by
end-of-movement pauses, but
rather are joined together
without a break. At times the
form is concluded by a reprise.
The Christmas
Sonata "Natalitia" is,
despite its shortness, a work of
monstrous tonal richness, with
three choirs - it was probably
thought of as pastoral music. A
choir of four piffari (oboes
with bassoon) and a choir of two
flutes and three trombones
answer the five-part string
choir that is also supposed to
be provided in choirs.
Interestingly enough, according
to an explanatory note in the
instrument parts the recorders
may also be replaced by
soft zinks - a further
indication of the dynamic
possibilities of the instruments
of that time.
Sonata II in the
"Concentus" is written in the
old Venetian manner for two
separately placed orchestral
choirs; the instruments used in
the choirs also reflect the old
Venetian style: one violin and
three violas in the first choir
against a zink (cornetto) and
three trombones in the second
choir, with organ and violone
(double bass) accompaning. The
violone and zink clearly have
duties to perform as concert
soloists. Alternation between
the two choirs is less in the
form of a dialogue than of
imitation and echo.
The sonata La
Carioletta is a typical
Kromeřiz work. It was composed
in 1669, and its solos for
trombone and bassoon (actually
still a late form of the
dulciana) are decades ahead of
its time. Of especial interest
is the bassoon part, that
diminishes the bass in
obligatory paraphrases. Such
extreme scorings prove the
dynamic flexibility and
homogeneity of the old
instruments time after time.
In the eight-part Sonata
I (of the Concentus) the
thematic motifs of the trumpet
are taken over by the violins
and gambas; the middle section
(without trumpet) offers the
opportunity to change key and to
introduce characteristic string
figures. The dance-like final
section is again dominated by
the valveless trumpet.
It is true that the Sonata
for Violin, Clarino and
Trombone has come down to
us in Kromeřiz without
the composer’s name; yet
the style of writing is so very
Schmelzer-like that I personally
hold it to be one of his works.
For all practical purposes it is
a prelude and chaconne over a
step-wise descending bass that
had been repeatedly used since
Monteverdi. Every instrument has
solo variations with technical
demands that border on the
limits of what is humanly
possible.
In Sonata IV (of the
Concentus) it can be noticed
most clearly that Schmelzer’s
inspiration steemed from eastern
lolk music. This work is pure
Hungarian gypsy music in which
there are many of the special
features and rhythms that today
are still identified with that
kind of music.
Another also extremely
difficult work is
thc Sonata a 5. Once more
the bassoon part far exceeds the
normal requirenients for the
bass instrument. The themes of
this work are determined by
the valveless trumpet. The two
violins are placed like a choir
against the two wind
instruments. In the middle
section each soloist has to
perform a "breakneck" solo - a
characteristic of nearly
all Kromeřiz
Sonatas - before they
all join in to play the
dance-like closing movement.
Although the Sonata a
3 has come down to us
without the name of its
composer, it is still impossible
for me to imagine its composer
as having been anyone other than
Schmelzer. The instrumentation
is subtly worked out: each of
the four different string
instruments received a task that
was typical for Schmelzer. The
violin is the dominating solo
instrument, the violetta (a
viola) and the garnba are
juxtaposed like two choirs.
There is surely a concrete
program underlying this piece,
one that is built on the
thoroughly complicated rhythms
in the bellringing that returns
twice. The almost romantic
melancholy of the interludes,
the rich harmony and the themes
of the Allegro parts obviously
show a strong Hungarian
influence.
Completely unlike the other
works described up to this point
is the last Sonata for
Three Violins. In this fugal
work there are no main or
secondary parts; the three solo
violins are of fully equal rank
and constantly pass the lead
from one to another. The middle
section is a harmonically bold
Adagio that, after a short
interlude, runs into the final
dance that is written over a
basso ostinato.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
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