I was hardly familiar with the chamber music by Camille Saint-Saens until I came across this new recording. [...] the music is beautifully presented by the Quartetto di Cremona.

We are accustomed to the idea of music emanating from royal and aristocratic patronage in the historical periods down to the Romantic Movement, but rather less so to the phenomenon of a royal figure actually composing music himself – Frederick the Great being a notable example. A few generations before him, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I (ruled 1658-1705) composed a substantial body of choral compositions, probably having been taught by the court composer Antonio Bertali whilst Leopold was only second in line to throne.

On the evidence of this disc Leopold’s compositions are accomplished if not especially memorable. In form they adhere to the concertato style of vocal and chamber music of the period, but otherwise they exemplify a comparative sparseness and austerity which does not really link the music to that of Leopold’s contemporaries, such as Biber, Charpentier, and Stradella, but harks back to the earlier period of the Baroque era, such as Schütz and Monteverdi. The a capella choral sections of the Tres Lectiones, for example, recall an even earlier period than that, evoking the purer Renaissance polyphony of Palestrina, although the Response of the First Lesson ‘Parce mihi, Domine’ might put one in mind of Allegri. The fact that all four compositions here are connected with the theme of death rather recall the morbid inclinations of Schütz’s patron Count Henry II as the spur to the composition of the Musikalische Exequien by that composer. The Missa pro Defunctis recorded here was written for the funeral of Leopold’s first wife, Margarita Teresa, whilst the Tres Lectiones of the first nocturne of the Office for the Dead was composed on the death of his second wife, Claudia Felicitas.

Cappella Murensis and Les Cornets Noirs maintain a due solemnity and steadiness throughout their performances, whether that be by the subtle hues of the cornets and viols in the instrumental interludes, or through the careful and deliberately placed choral textures by the choir in music which often proceeds simply with one syllable to a chord, rather than by long melismas. The second of the Tres Lectiones is a good example of this, with a pregnant silence movingly interpolated in the middle of its Response.

The choral forces are small, so the tutti sections remain intimate and subtly nuanced when juxtaposed with the solo vocal passages. But there is considerable contrast among the latter, as the singers seek to imbue their respective music with a distinctive character. That can be heard to good effect in the Motetto on the seven dolours of the Virgin Mary, where the opening material is passed around almost in operatic fashion like an arioso among the soloists; they are supported by the expressive accompaniment of the instrumentalists, who sometimes imitate the voices. Although much of the Requiem setting is surprisingly radiant – like the Fauré setting two centuries later, it omits the ‘Dies irae’ section – the soloists transmit an effective plaintive quality in the ‘Agnus Dei’. The bass Lisandro Abadie sounds authoritative and commanding, though the tenor Hans Jörg Mammel is more sensitive and thoughtful in contrast. Alex Potter, taking the (male) alto line, is also sensitive to the vulnerability of the music, and is technically polished, though perhaps there is a certain down-to-earth charm, redolent of Anglican choral singing, which does not always tap the mystical serenity at the core of the music.

One other qualm is that the acoustic of Muri abbey church comes across in this recording as confined, with little reverberation, though that does preserve the character of this music as expressing private grief and mourning, rather than public ceremony. Otherwise this disc is a worthwhile introduction to a very little-known figure in musical history.

Das Piano Duo Takahashi-Lehmann legt seine nunmehr dritte CD-Produktion bei Audite vor. Sie enthält Transkriptionen bereits existierender Werke sowie Originalkompositionen, die durchdrungen sind von musikalischen Zitaten und Anspielungen auf Werke anderer Komponisten: György Kurtags Bearbeitungen Bach’scher Choralvorspiele und Max Regers Transkription des Fünften Brandenburgischen Konzerts, Brahms’ Haydn-Variationen und Bernd Alois Zimmermanns Monologe. Das Duo Takahashi-Lehmann spielt dieses anspruchsvolle Programm mit bestechender Klarheit und, besonders in den langsameren Stücken, sehr stimmungsvoll.

I first became acquainted with the artistry of Maureen Forrester (1930-2010) from a 2 CD set issued by Vanguard Classics (SVC-64/65). It featured the singer in music by Bach and Handel with the Zagreb Soloists under Antonio Janigro. One particular work immediately won me over, Bach’s Cantata BWV 54 Widerstehe doch der Sünde, and it’s something I’ve returned to often. The contralto voice has suffered something of a decline since the war, and has acquired a reputation in some quarters as sounding plummy and matronly. Whilst the profile of Kathleen Ferrier has remained high, Maureen Forrester’s popularity has tended to be restricted to specialists. One reason was that, like Ferrier, she felt more comfortable in the concert hall rather than on the operatic stage. Her career spanned forty years and, throughout, her technique remained largely unimpaired. Maybe there was a slight loss in brilliance of tone towards the end, but her instinctive phrasing, well-controlled vibrato and flawless intonation withstood the test of time.

These recordings are here making their first outing on CD, and they come via the Berlin RIAS studios, which were located at the time in the city’s American sector. They were taped between 1955 and 1963. Their value lies in the fact that they explore lieder with piano accompaniment, an area under-represented in Forrester’s discography. The selection is wide-ranging, featuring composers from Johann Wolfgang Franck and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach to Samuel Barber and Benjamin Britten. Forrester also travels some less trodden paths. For instance, in the Schubert selection, she avoids the more popular songs, even performing one or two that I’d never heard before. Similarly with the Schumann, she opts for the less well-known late lieder. The earliest recitals were set down in 1955, and here her accompanist was Michael Raucheisen. In 1958 when she returned to the RIAS Studio, Raucheisen had by this time retired, so Felix Schröder partnered her, apparently standing in at the last minute for Aribert Reimann. In the two final sessions in March 1960 and September 1963, she is accompanied by Hertha Klust, who achieved some fame for her collaborations with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

There’s much here to enchant, so I thought I would highlight some of the gems that have attracted me. I’m pleased that we have her singing the two C.P.E. Bach songs. Jesus in Gethsemane is a particular favourite of mine, and rarely performed. I first got to know it in an enthralling account by Gérard Souzay on Testament (SBT 1315). Her Wesendonck Lieder have to be one of the finest renditions I’ve heard. From the very beginning, Der Engel is delivered with matchless beauty, Forrester’s rich warm, velvety tone deeply compelling. Träume is ardent and delicately shaded. Brahms’ Gypsy Songs Op. 103 (originally for vocal quartet), of which eight have been chosen, are spirited and rhythmically buoyant, benefiting from the lusty, involved contribution of Hertha Klust. The pair breathe new life and affection into these genial miniatures. Forrester projects Britten’s A Charm of Lullabies, Op. 41 with clarity and definition, and not only infuses the songs with a sense of drama but is fully responsive to the nuances that lie therein. The anger depicted in the fourth song Quiet, sleep! Or I will make Erinys whip thee with a snake! contrasts strongly with the soothing qualities of The Nurse’s Song which ends the cycle.

Barber’s Mélodies passagères were written in the early 1950s for Pierre Bernac and Francis Poulenc. They are settings of poems in French by the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, and are the composer’s homage to French mélodie, with permeating hints of Debussy and Fauré. I’ve never heard them before, but Forrester’s subtle, idiomatic performances are a winning element. Klust’s sensitive, colourfully shaded accompaniments add further to the allure. The two Poulenc cycles further reinforce the impression that the singer is securely housed in her comfort zone in this repertoire.

It was Bruno Walter who introduced Forrester to Gustav Mahler’s vocal oeuvre, and he wanted to record the Austrian composer’s music with her. As both artists were hide-bound to different recording companies, Forrester had just signed a three year contract with RCA, and Walter was a CBS artist, the project remained unfulfilled. She did however record Das Lied von der Erde with Reiner in Chicago (RCA), Kindertotenlieder with Munch in Boston (RCA) and Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Prohaska in Vienna (Vanguard). Nevertheless, we have Forrester here in Five Songs by Friedrich Rückert. She has a natural affinity for Mahler’s sound-world, her bronzed tone ideally suited to this music. She can also be heard with Walter in Symphony No. 2 Resurrection (review review) and in the same work with Slatkin.

This is an outstanding production, and certainly fills a lacuna in the artist’s discography. All the recordings have been well-preserved and the sound throughout is consistent, vibrant and immediate. I must commend Audite on their excellent annotations in German and English. Written by Heribert Henrich and translated by David Babcock, they provide not only a detailed biographical portrait of the artist, but interesting background as to the genesis of the recordings. This splendid 3 CD set would grace any vocal collection.

This week on ACDA Radio, host Stan Schmidt takes you to the Muri Abbey in Switzerland as we explore echoes of the Gabrieli brothers through the Missa in Labore Requies by Baroque composer Georg Muffat. Written in 1690, this piece utilizes a five “choir” concept — “choirs” here meaning ensembles, which include five trumpets with timpani, two cornets and three trombones, two violins and three viols, two four-part vocal choirs, and basso continuo. This is a magnificent work and his only surviving mass.

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The hand of the master is equally evident in Brahms’ Fourth, where he shapes the contours of the music to perfection, emphasizing both the architectural strength and the expressive beauty of this work.

Recordings were made November 2015 in the Fondazione Spinola Banna per l'Arte in Poirino, Italy, where the warm acoustics of the venue have been captured in a most natural way by Audite's engineering staff. There is much competition in this repertory, but this one is surely among the finest, and the SACD sound exemplary.

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Sie zeichnen ein Panorama der Klangwelten zwischen 1860 und 1910, das bei allen Cello-Freunden die Herzen höher schlagen lassen dürfte: Saint-Saëns, Franck, Fauré, dazu die wunderbar impressionistische Sonate von Debussy. Und auch wenn die Zusammenstellung ein wenig Kitschgefahr bereit hält: Die ausgewählten Mélodies und Sonaten sind stilsicher und empfindsam musiziert von einem Duo, das sich hörbar gut aufeinander eingestellt hat.