Von Altersmilde keine Spur! Wie Beethoven und Verdi hat Leoš Janácek in seinem...

Gerade bei Aufnahmen wie dieser ist es eine Freude für den Rezensenten, die Bestnote Supersonic zu vergeben. Ich muss zugeben, dass ich diese Einspielung der Klaviertrios von Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy mit allergrößtem Vergnügen gehört habe. Wieder einmal bestätigt ein junges Ensemble, dass man Kammermusik mit Spielfreude und Engagement von seinem etwas verstaubten und intellektuell-bürgerlichen Image befreien kann.

Dem Schweizer Klaviertrio (Angela Golubeva, Violine, Sébastien Singer, Cello und Martin Lucas Staub, Klavier) gelingt auf Anhieb ein Meisterstreich und der gefährliche Spagat zwischen Unterhaltung, Virtuosität, technischer Versiertheit und kunstvoller Gestaltung. Sicher, Mendelssohns Trios sind dankbare Stücke, aber was das Schweizer Klaviertrio aus dieser Musik macht, mit welcher Dynamik sie diese Werke angehen und mit welch hervorragender Technik sie das Opus 49 und das Opus 66 auszuloten verstehen, ist eindeutig große Kunst. Ja, Kammermusik kann tatsächlich Spaß machen und ebenso intensive wie aufregende Momente bescheren. Eigentlich bräuchte man bei dieser übrigens hervorragend transparent und präsent klingenden SACD-Aufnahme überhaupt keine Worte zu verlieren. Musik und Interpreten sprechen für sich.

Bela Bartóks Musik ist eng mit der Volksmusik seiner Heimat verbunden, eine Konstante in einem Schaffen, das sich stilistisch im Laufe der Jahre durchaus wandelte und doch immer so charakteristisch blieb, dass die Musik stets identifizierbar ist. Neben perkussiver Motorik und einem eher scharfen Orchesterklang kennzeichnet ein immer wieder berückender Lyrismus die Musik.

Die vorliegende Zusammenstellung aus den Jahren 1950-53 umfasst alle im RIAS-Archiv erhaltenen Bartók-Einspielungen Fricsays. Sie runden ein Bild ab, das man von Fricsays DG-Aufnahmen aus dieser Zeit hatte.

Fricsay hat Bartók nie weichgekocht, er serviert ihn uns in intensiv aufbereitetem rohen Zustand, mit viel Impetus und einer aufregenden Mischung aus Zynismus, Ironie, Resignation und leidenschaftlicher Beseeltheit. Ein Leckerbissen ist gleich das 2. Violinkonzert mit Tibor Varga. Das schnelle Vibrato des Geigers mag heute ungewohnt klingen, aber der schmachtend lyrische langsame Satz und die virtuosen Ecksätze sind doch sehr interessant. Die beiden 'Portraits', das erste packend emotional, das zweite fulminant virtuos, sind weitere Höhepunkte, genau wie die aufregende Interpretation der Musik für Saiteninstrumente, Schlagzeug und Celesta, mit einem sehr trotzigen 2. Satz, der auf eine düstere Einleitung folgt, und einem notturnohaften, mysteriösen 3. Satz mit Nightmare-Charakter.

Die wenig aufgeführte Cantata profana (Untertitel: Die Zauberhirsche) ist ein Vokalwerk für Tenor, Bariton, Chor und Orchester aus dem Jahre 1930. Ein rumänisches Volkslied mit der Geschichte eines Vaters und seiner neun Söhne, die auf die Jagd gehen, einen Hirsch zu schießen und dabei selbst in Hirsche verwandelt werden, bildet die Vorlage für das Werk. Sie wird hier in einer packenden Interpretation vorgelegt.

Sehr konzentrierte Einspielungen gibt es vom Klavierkonzert Nr. 2 mit Geza Anda sowie von der Klavierrhapsodie mit Andor Foldes.

Kaum einer kennt heute noch die Violinistin Erica Morini, die sicherlich eine der ersten Sologeigerinnen der Geschichte war. Sie debütierte 1917 im Alter von nur 12 Jahren in Berlin unter Arthur Nikisch, wurde in den Zwanzigerjahren in Amerika regelrecht gefeiert und spielte eigentlich mit allen großen Orchestern und Dirigenten der damaligen Zeit. 1976 zog sie sich von der Bühne zurück und starb 1995 im Alter von 90 Jahren. Morini war berühmt für ihre Virtuosität und ihre eigenwilligen, unprätentiösen und unpathetischen Interpretationen, in denen sie auch gerne Risiken einging.

Atemberaubend ist das hier vorliegende, live aufgenommene Violinkonzert von Piotr Tchaikovsky, durch das sie wie eine Furie hindurch fegt und den romantischen Staub kräftig aufwirbelt. Morinis Interpretation ist dabei so gewagt und neu wie vor dreißig Jahren die revolutionären Konzerte und Aufnahmen eines Harnoncourt. Dass bei dem flotten Tempo – Morini braucht gerade einmal 31 Minuten für dieses Konzert – auch mal was danebengeht, ist nicht schlimm, denn die Spontaneität, die atemberaubende Schnelligkeit und die Flexibilität sind mehr als beeindruckend. Ferenc Fricsay ist ebenfalls in seinem Element und fordert von seinem Orchester eine enorme Reaktionsschnelligkeit, die, wie das Spiel der Solistin, manchmal gefährliche Klippen streift. Aber egal, welch ein musikalisches Erlebnis! Zusammen mit Michael Raucheisen hat Erica Morini ebenfalls Werke von Tartini (Violinsonate RV 10), Kreisler, Brahms (Walzer op. 39/15) und Wieniawski (Capriccio-Walzer op. 7) eingespielt, die interpretatorisch ebenfalls sehr interessant sind, zeigen sie doch eine Violinistin, die ihrer Zeit weit voraus war und die Musik als etwas Lebendiges betrachtete, für das man auch einmal spieltechnische Risiken auf sich nehmen konnte.

japanische Rezension siehe PDF

The three CDs under review, which will be discussed in the chronological order of their recording, encompass a broad spectrum of early 17th-century music. Attention will be devoted not only to matters of performance practice, but also to the selections of the programmes and locations of the recordings.

The Contest of Apollo and Pan: An anthology of instrumental music by Castello and his contemporaries (Chandos CHAN 0756, rec 2004, 73’) demonstrates the contrast between wind and stringed instruments and between the wild and sublime. Pan, with his prodigious agility, sexually beguiling, rugged and fast-moving, gladdens the hearts of all (Greek etymology) and is often depicted with a syrinx. Apollo, on Mount Parnassus, is represented as the God of music and poetry, and even has a herd sold to Hermes, who had invented the lyre, to take possession of the instrument. With his lyre, Apollo won not only the musical duel with Pan (thus Ovid’s Metamorphosis tale) but also with Marsyas, who was skinned after having been hung from a pine tree. In this CD, the battle is far less grim, but despite the widespread presence of writing for the violin, the sound of the dulcian is the really interesting aspect of this recording, which is built around unusual repertory for bassoon and violin; the contrasts in timbre build on the natural contrasts of the Baroque idiom.

The ensemble Apollo & Pan, winners of the 2001 Early Music Network International Young Artist’s Competition, and now making their debut recording, address the limitations of the repertory available for this combination of instruments by adding a second violin. This enables them to approach a series of sonatas (nos. 10, 4, 7, 8 and 9, in that order) from Book II (1629) by Dario Castello, a wind player at St Mark’s, Venice. A collection of early 17th-century instrumental variations is added to these sonatas: Chiacona op. 3 by Merula; Sonata and Balletto op. 22 no. 1 by Marini, Sinfonia Brando Gagliarda and Corrrente from Book IV by Buonamente; the famous Toccata no. 1 from Book II and Capriccio sull’aria di Ruggiero by Frescobaldi; a Sonata from Book IV by Rossi; Ancor che col partire by De Rore (followed by Spadi da Faenza’s version); and a Sonata by Turini. The time-span from 1621 to 1655 is comprehensively covered. Within this programme, dulcian player Sally Holman can fully demonstrate her skill. This is especially evident in the Sonata no. 7 by Bertoli (a passacaglia bass is entrusted to her instrument, with divisions becoming increasingly virtuosic), in the Chiacona by Merula and in the Balletto by Marini. Within this creative collection of anthologies, perhaps the least interesting tracks are those involving music by Castello; these collections of virtuoso instrumental music are in fact less important for what they represent about compositional practice than for the dissemination that the composer was assured by several reprints; a similar process is also reflected in the choices of repertory on this CD, another element in the chain of transmission.

Giovanni Gabrieli and his contemporaries: Canzoni per sonare con ogni sorte di stromenti (Venice, 1608) (SFZ SFZM 0209, rec 2007, 67’) contains samples of the work of Venetian publisher Alessandro Raverii, cousin of Gardano. These cover a short span, from 1606 to 1609, but the inclusion of his typographic mark, an eagle carrying in its beak the words 'Aeternitati', was prophetic, immortalizing amongst other things his collection Canzoni per sonare con ogni sorte di strumenti a 4, 5 e 8 con il suo Basso generale per l’org. Nuovamente raccolte da diversi Eccellentissimi Musici (Venice, 1608). Of the 36 compositions originally included in the collection, the ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts has selected 25, of which the majority are by Giovanni Gabrieli: he is represented by the 6 Canzoni (the entire set of those in the collection). Following those, and belonging to different generations and originating from Venice, Brescia and Ferrara, are three compositions by Frescobaldi and Guami, two by Antegnati, Lappi, Massaino and Merulo and one each by Bartolini, Chilese, Grillo, Luzzaschi and Maschera. This is a pity, because the CD could have contained even more music, especially compositions by Chilese; we know him only through the three pieces in this anthology printed by Raverii, and it would therefore have been interesting to listen to them all.

The editorial project undertaken by the ensemble is commendable, but the difficulty of encompassing the music of a range of contemporary composers is also reflected by the cover of the CD: this highlights 'Canzoni per sonare' and 'Giovanni Gabrieli' whilst 'and his contemporaries' is given in small characters. This suggests a legitimate compromise between the obligation to inform and the need not to discourage the buyer; but an explicit reference to the miscellaneous character of the collection would have been preferable. This approach does not alter the historical and aesthetic value of the CD, where the variety of types of instrumentation and the ability of the performers sustains the listener’s attention, despite the fact that this repertory may appear too homogeneous, at least at first hearing. Even the sound-quality of the recording, made in the Church of St John the Evangelist in London, avoids this danger of homogeneity, bringing out as it does the different instruments and instrumental combinations. However, in some cases, for example, tracks 1, 8 and 11, the final chord is not allowed to resonate for long enough, being interrupting in an unnatural manner.

The qualities of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts have been established for many years, particularly in relation to sound-quality and agility in the improvised ornamentations. The ensemble generates a real sensation of splendour through the dialogues between wind and string groups. Contributing further to the excellence of the recording are the ensembles the Purcell String Quartet, and the lute group Chordophony, which offers a stimulating performance of Canzon Vigesimasesta 'La Negrona' à 8 by Lappi, with the four lutes divided into two choirs; the composition is written antiphonally for high and low choirs. Also noteworthy is the performance of new versions of pieces performed previously, but using different instruments: a case in point is Canzon Quartadecima 'Capricio', a 4 by Grillo, first assigned to the organ and then to the violin consort. The booklet specifies the instrumental assembly of each item. The abbreviations of the performers suffer in some cases from printing errors: GC, for example, is Gary Cooper (harpsichord and organ), not mentioned in the list of performers on p. 7.

The scoring combinations imply careful thought. For example, the interpretation of Canzon Trigesimaquarta, à 8, per Quattro viole, e quattro Chiteroni, ò Leuti by Massaino involves the string quartet (in preference to violas da gamba) and lute quartet (instead of the chitarrones). In line with the practice of the time, this choice also reflects the availability of players where, in the absence of alternatives, one has to make do with who happens to be present. 'So the final scoring of violin and lute consorts was one of personal choice', we read in the note by Jamie Savan (cornett), 'as was our choice of scoring for all the canzonas with unspecified instrumentations. In allocating these pieces to various combinations of wind instruments, bowed and plucked strings, organ or harpsichord, our aim was to create a kaleidoscope of sound, all within the spirit suggested by Raverii’s designation of ogni sorte di stromenti'.

In Echo & Risposta: Virtuoso instrumental music from the galleries of the Abbey Church of Muri (Audite SACD 92.572, rec 2008, 73’) we are again faced with a group focused on a particular segment of Baroque-era production, this time music for cornett, which led its members to unearth rarely performed music, and in a sense to build a repertory. Les Cornets Noirs, prize-winners at the Concours Musica Antiqua at the Festival van Vlaanderen Brugge 2000, orientate this disc towards the 1620s and 30s with their choices of music by Becker, Re, Corradini, Rossi, Gussago, Castello, Riccio, Marini, Viadana, Picchi, Stradella, Scheidt, Sommer and Staden. The effect is of a varied programme, with different atmospheres, with 'echo & risposta', as the title states, a diversity of instrumentation, as facilitated by the skill of the musicians. It is, moreover, commendable to have included works not only by famous authors such as Rossi or Scheidt (whose Echo has a duration of 8’40˝) but also by lesser-known composers.

Of constant importance on the CD itself and in the booklet is the issue of choice and interchanging of instruments (for instance, Sonata a quattro Violini e doi Chitarroni by Rossi). A 'light' ensemble consisting of two cornetts and two organs (Suonata La Golferamma. A 2 cornetti in risposta by Corradini, Canzon a 2 in echo by Riccio) is alternated with the two choir pieces by Becker, Rossi, Picchi and Staden, leading up to the musical magniloquence of Marini, Somer and Scheidt (Canzon Cornetto a 4).

The label Audite is evidently concerned with the quality of the sound (super audio CD, surround sound), and is rightly convinced that the CD should have its own independent aesthetic. The care taken in the preparation of the finished product is considerable, with the booklet including much information on the instruments and on their appropriateness for each item, and about the microphones and technical specifications of the product. The association Freunde der Walls Klosterkirche commissioned the construction of two cornetts (Serge Delmas, Paris, 2005) tuned at the pitch of the two Bossard organs (approximately A = 425), so they can be used in a musical performance that exploits the four galleries of Muri Abbey. This CD provides the first evidence of this practice. 'The Abbey Church of Muri, Switzerland', says the booklet, 'with its four galleries around a large octagonal dome, enables several groups of musicians to be widely spaced, creating unique spatial acoustics. The ensemble Les Cornets Noirs exploits this fantastic building to full effect in an exciting recording of instrumental music from the early Baroque'.

Finally, the booklets accompanying all of these CDs are, as usual, presented in French, English and German, carefully avoiding Italian and thus omitting a sector of the market. This is a bad habit of publishers, particularly if one considers that the composers presented here are almost all Italian and that many have become international figures, as the Italians have become so inattentive to their own musical heritage!

Obschon sich das Schweizer Klaviertrio eine erfrischende Jugendlichkeit bewahrt...

Robert Schumann, in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, hailed Felix Mendelssohn as the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the "brightest musician who sees through the contradictions of our time most clearly and is the first to reconcile them, and he will not be the last artist." This is high praise and a bold prediction coming from one of the foremost musicians of the day. Such praise is borne out in these near perfect piano trios. This is music that is replete with every emotion. Even as they are set in minor keys with somewhat turbulent opening movements, they sound sunny and hopeful, full of wit and charm and no small amount of youthful joie de vivre.

Mendelssohn's own piano playing must have been remarkable, given the sheer virtuosity of the piano writing in these works. The c minor trio opens with a rollicking theme and the piano never quits. A beautifully lyrical Andante follows, and Mendelssohn shows his ability to create a gorgeous melody that, while somewhat sentimental, is never over the top or maudlin. A fleeting scherzo is followed by a jaunty finale. The second trio is no less a masterpiece, flashy without being gaudy, packed full of the wonderful tunes that only a Schubert could match. It struck me as amusing that the theme of the Scherzo is remarkably similar to Legrenzi's Che fiero costume, known the world over to beginning students of singing.

The Schweizer Trio is nothing less than superb in these performances. Particular kudos goes to Martin Lucas Staub, whose keyboard skills are beyond reproach. It is fairly evident that Mendelssohn was thinking beyond the salon when he composed these works. They are so full in scope and rich in tone that he must have had a concert hall in mind. Having said that, Mr. Staub never lets the formidable piano parts overwhelm his string playing colleagues, who by the way, play with spotless intonation, elegant phrasing and youthful panache. I particularly admired the manner in which this ensemble was able to take the fast movements at an almost roller-coaster tempo, yet never leave the listener feeling out of breath. The playing is of such high quality that the music just flows out effortlessly. One is left believing that there is no other way to play this music, and this is a delightful quality. I was thrilled by repeated listening to this disc.

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