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J. C. Bach: Milanese Vesper Psalms / Jenemann, Concerto Koln
Release Date: 06/28/2010
Label: Carus Catalog #: 83347 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Thomas E. Bauer, Joanne Lunn, Georg Poplutz
Conductor: Gerhard Jenemann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Concerto Cologne
Number of Discs: 2
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 32 Mins.
Works on This Recording
1. Domine ad adjuvandum, response for 2 solo voices, chorus & orchestra in G major, CW E14 (T. 203/2) by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Thomas E. Bauer (), Joanne Lunn (), Georg Poplutz ()
Conductor: Gerhard Jenemann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Concerto Cologne
Period: Classical
Written: 1760
Date of Recording: 11/2009
Venue: Birkenhainer Halle, Alzenau-Albstadt
Length: 5 Minutes 20 Secs.
2. Confitebor (Psalm 110), vesper-psalm for 4 solo voices, chorus & orchestra, CW E16 (T. 202/1) by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Joanne Lunn ()
Conductor: Gerhard Jenemann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Concerto Cologne
Period: Classical
Written: 12/1759
Date of Recording: 11/2009
Venue: Birkenhainer Halle, Alzenau-Albstadt
Length: 3 Minutes 37 Secs.
3. Beatus vir (Psalm 111), vesper-psalm for 4 solo voices, chorus & orchestra, CW E17 (T. 200/6) by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Thomas E. Bauer ()
Conductor: Gerhard Jenemann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Concerto Cologne
Period: Classical
Written: 1758
Date of Recording: 11/2009
Venue: Birkenhainer Halle, Alzenau-Albstadt
Length: 4 Minutes 19 Secs.
4. Laudate pueri Dominum, W E19 by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Georg Poplutz (), Joanne Lunn ()
Conductor: Gerhard Jenemann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Concerto Cologne
Period: Classical
Written: 1760; Milan, Italy
Date of Recording: 11/2009
Venue: Birkenhainer Halle, Alzenau-Albstadt
Length: 4 Minutes 17 Secs.
5. Magnificat in C major, W E22 by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Georg Poplutz (), Thomas E. Bauer (), Joanne Lunn ()
Conductor: Gerhard Jenemann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Concerto Cologne
Period: Classical
Written: 1760; Italy
Date of Recording: 11/2009
Venue: Birkenhainer Halle, Alzenau-Albstadt
Length: 3 Minutes 32 Secs.
Notes and Editorial Reviews
J. C. BACH Domine ad adjuvantum. Confitebor tibi Domine. Beatus vir. Laudate pueri Dominum. Magnificat • Gerhard Jenemann, cond; Joanne Lunn (sop); Elena Biscuola (alt); Georg Poplutz (ten); Thomas E. Bauer (bs); S German CCh; Concerto Köln (period instruments) • CARUS 83347 (2 CDs: 92:26 Text and Translation)
Johann Christian Bach (1735–82) is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Bach family. Music historians are fond of pooh-poohing his music as lightweight and superficial, especially in comparison with that of his older half-brothers, Friedemann and Emanuel. To be sure, Christian Bach's music lacks the complexity and gravitas of his brothers, or his father, for that matter. His sojourn in Italy (he converted to Catholicism and sometimes went by the alias of Giovanni Cristiano Bacchi) took him in an entirely different direction; eventually he built a reputation as a composer of Italian opera seria , compositionally speaking about as far removed from Lutheran church music as you can get. But surprisingly, Christian Bach's early years in Italy were spent as a church musician, beginning around 1754 with his apprenticeship to the learned Padre Martini in Bologna. In 1760, Bach took up the position of cathedral organist in Milan; from that time forward he was known as the “Milanese Bach,” even after his emigration to England. The present two-CD set is a collection of sacred works from Christian Bach's time in Milan. Unfortunately, for many people the word “sacred” conjures up the image of noli me tangere austerity. Not to worry; these are wonderfully exuberant, joyous works. They cause me to wonder why they haven't been recorded before—or if they have, why there are no current listings in either the Fanfare Archive or ArkivMusic. There is a Magnificat in C, but it's not the same one recorded here. For all intents and purposes these are world premiere recordings, making this release all the more imperative.
The German title Mailänder Vesperpsalmen has been tacked onto this set, but that's a bit off the mark, since only three of the five works included are actually based on psalms. I find it helpful to think of these works as symphonies for voices and orchestra; indeed, you will hear pre-echoes of Mozart, Haydn, and lots more in this music. The Confitebor (usually spelled Confiteor) is a multimovement work with a somewhat more serious tone than the rest. But “serious” is a relative concept for Bach; the music is mostly up-tempo and lighthearted, although there are sections in a more learned church style, perhaps a nod toward Martini and Sebastian Bach. The Beatus vir is a sunny work that affords each of the soloists a major aria, interspersed with choral movements. The Laudate pueri has no choral writing; instead, it is given over entirely to the soprano and tenor. The concluding Magnificat in D has lots of trumpet-and-drum writing, and it is fascinating to compare Christian Bach's treatment of the text with Dad's from about 37 years earlier. Whereas Old Bach set practically each verse of the Magnificat to separate, characteristic music ( Et misericordia, Esurientes, Fecit potentiam , etc.), Christian Bach is content to lump the text together in larger sections, a more generalized, public kind of statement in keeping with the Zeitgeist.
The set gains immeasurably in value thanks to outstanding contributions from the soloists, choir, and orchestra, especially British soprano Joanne Lunn, whose meltingly beautiful solos indicate a major talent and a promising career. The choir is one of several professional German radio choirs, and it does not disappoint. The orchestra, based in Germany's leading city for early music, is first-rate. Christian Bach's orchestral writing is notable for the primacy of the winds, in these scores chiefly the oboes and horns, although the flutes do make an occasional appearance. There are numerous solos and duos for the oboes sprinkled throughout the music, and the two oboists of Concerto Köln produce some of the most attractive sounds I have heard from period oboes. The sound of the whole ensemble is no less appealing, and conductor Gerhard Jenemann has everything under firm but supple control. The recorded sound is the icing on the cake: perfectly balanced and natural. An absolutely first-class production of some unjustly neglected but wonderful music.
FANFARE: Christopher Brodersen
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Johann Christian Bach is one of the less popular sons of Johann Sebastian. Whereas the music of his brothers Wilhelm Friedemann and in particular Carl Philipp Emanuel is regularly performed on the concert platform and recorded on disc, Johann Christian's music has never become standard repertoire of orchestras or keyboard players. This is partly due to the fact that most of it is written in the galant idiom which is often considered rather superficial. It has to be said that many performances of, for instance, his orchestral music do his reputation more harm than good.
In 2009 Virgin Classics released a disc with opera arias, performed by Philippe Jaroussky. It was his personal wish to make this recording, because "(much) of his music has still not been recorded, yet it contains a freshness and originality that reflects an exceptional personality, charming, brave, rebellious and at the forefront of the musical developments of his time". The present disc sheds light on another, also largely neglected, aspect of his oeuvre, the sacred music he composed during his years in Italy. Listening to this disc it is striking how little the sacred music differs from his music for the stage. The Psalms on this disc reflect Johann Christian's talent for the theatre, and they also confirm the features Jaroussky mentions.
After the death of his father Johann Christian first went to Carl Philipp Emanuel in Berlin. In 1755 he made his way to Italy. Little is known about his first years there, but soon he became a pupil of Padre Martini in Bologna. In 1757 he converted to Catholicism, and after that he started to compose music for the liturgy. In 1760 he became organist of the cathedral in Milan, and as composing music was not part of his duties he ceased writing sacred works. In 1760 his first opera was performed, and from then on he concentrated on a career as a composer of operas.
The music on this disc was all written for the Vesper liturgy. But the recording is by no means a kind of reconstruction. That would be impossible as the various pieces were definitely not written for one specific occasion. They are written across various years - from 1758 to 1760 - and are different in texture and scoring. Most pieces are for solo voices, choir and orchestra, but Laudate pueri Dominum is for two solo voices - soprano and tenor - and orchestra, without participation of a choir. The Psalms are divided into a large number of sections, most of which consist of one verse from the Psalm. The Magnificat is much more concise: the twelve verses are divided into just five sections, and there are no arias.
Those appear in abundance in the other pieces. These have a strongly operatic character. In Beatus vir the 'Gloria patri' is written in the form of an aria for tenor. It contains extended coloraturas on "spiritui" (Holy [Ghost]). And in the verse 'Excelsus' in Laudate pueri Dominum the tenor sings coloraturas on "coelos" (heavens) and "ejus" (His [glory]). Most arias end with a cadenza. There are also some duets, and various tutti sections contain episodes for solo voices. In his programme notes Uwe Wolf states that some four-part episodes are assigned to a vocal quartet and that this proves that these Psalms were not meant to be performed with one voice per part.
There are few passages with a direct connection between text and music. One of the best examples of text expression is 'Peccator videbit' in Beatus vir: "The wicked shall see and shall be angry". Another is 'A solis ortu' in Laudate pueri Dominum: "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same". Most text expression comes from the orchestra. It is especially used to create an atmosphere, to reflect the mood of the words. Several arias include instrumental solo parts. A striking example is 'Paratum cor ejus' (Beatus vir): after an orchestral introduction the violin has a solo which ends with a full-blooded cadenza. Only then does the soprano enter, and she is regularly interrupted by interventions by the violin. In 'Intellectus bonus' (Confitebor tibi Domine) Bach creates a strong contrast between voice and instruments: the violin plays lively figures to an accompaniment of two violas and two oboes, whereas the alto moves forward slowly on long notes.
In these Psalm settings Johann Christian is, to quote Jaroussky, "at the forefront of the musical developments of his time". Jaroussky's own recording convincingly demonstrated the quality of Johann Christian's vocal writing in opera. These performances of Bach's Vesper Psalms is revelatory in its display of the quality of his sacred music. In no way is it inferior to the sacred music of Italian composers of his time whose music is more often performed. The soloists are all top-notch. Joanne Lunn has a beautiful and agile voice, and deals with the coloraturas with impressive ease. Elena Biscuola's voice has a nice warm timbre, and she sings with much expression. Georg Poplutz's light voice is flexible, and ideally suited to his sometimes virtuosic role. Particularly impressive is his delivery. Fairly recently I reviewed a recording of a mass by Jan Dismas Zelenka, and I was rather critical of Thomas Bauer's theatrical approach. Here this approach is much more appropriate, and his contributions are certainly apt.
The choir comprises just 17 voices, and sings with power and passion. Concerto Köln is in excellent form - better than I have recently heard from this ensemble - and the solo parts are given immaculate performances. So there is every reason to recommend this disc, which, it is to be hoped, will contribute to a more equitable assessment of Johann Christian Bach's oeuvre.
Johan van Veen -- musicweb-international
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Mailänder Dommusik
Vor seiner Karriere als Opernkomponist und Konzertveranstalter in London bekleidete Johann Christian Bach die Organistenstelle am Mailänder Dom. In dieser Eigenschaft entstanden zahlreiche geistliche Werke, die, obwohl Meisterwerke ihrer Gattung, kaum Beachtung fanden. CARUS erschließt uns hier einen gänzlich unbekannten Johann Christian Bach, und macht nebenbei auch deutlich, warum man den »Londoner Bach«, auch den »Mailänder Bach« nannte.
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Rezensionen
FonoForum 01 / 11: "Immer wieder schüttelt Johann Christian klangliche Überraschungen und herrliche melodische Einfälle aus dem Ärmel - und immer wieder verstehen es die Solisten der Aufnahme unter Leitung von Gerhard Jenemann, den Reiz dieser Musik charmant zu transportieren - zum Beispiel im "Gloria Patri" aus dem "Confitebor tibi domini", das der Bariton Thomas E. Bauer gewohnt nobel und geschmeidig singt, oder im "A solis ortu" aus dem "Laudate pueri dominum", dessen Linien der Tenor Georg Poplutz mit seinem leichten Timbre beseelt: ein Höhepunkt."
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