For most people the
music history of Norway seems to begin
in the second half of the 19th century,
with Edvard Grieg. Even the emergence
of interest in the music of the pre-romantic
era hasn't shed any new light on Norway's
musical past. But it is difficult to
assume no music was played and sung
before the 19th century. This disc brings
forward music which has been neglected
for a long time.
In the 18th century
Norway was part of the kingdom of Denmark-Norway,
and Bergen was its second-largest city.
It was a member of the Hanseatic League,
which gave the city some independence,
and also meant it had strong ties with
Germany. In the central harbour area
of the city the language was German
until the middle of the 18th century.
There was no court or opera and music-making
mainly took place in private homes by
both professional and amateur musicians.
The music on this disc reflects this
practice, as it brings trio sonatas
by Georg von Bertouch and pieces from
a manuscript collected by the Mestmacher
family which was of German origin and
came to Norway in the late 17th century.
Georg von Bertouch
was also German, although with French
roots: Georg's father had left France
for religious reasons. In 1668 Georg
was born in Helmershausen, near Kassel.
He studied the violin with Daniel Eberlin
- father-in-law of Telemann - and law
in Jena, where he became acquainted
with Johann Sebastian Bach's cousin
Johann Nicolaus, who was organist there.
Once he went on a journey to Italy with
Johann Nicolaus Bach and there he met
Danish officers who offered him a position,
which he took and which brought him
into the Danish army. He was also active
in the music scene: as a composer and
performer he had an international reputation,
and he is mentioned by Johann Mattheson
in some of his books and by Johann Gottfried
Walther in his 'Musicalisches Lexikon'
The trio sonatas on
this disc are from the collection of
24, the manuscript of which has been
preserved in Copenhagen. It is quite
likely that he aimed at composing in
all 24 keys, perhaps inspired by the
'Well-tempered Clavier' by Bach, to
whom he wrote in 1738.
The trio sonatas are
firmly rooted in the polyphonic tradition
of the baroque era and avoid the galant
style which came into fashion in Bertouch’s
day. The structure of some of the sonatas
is rather unconventional, like the Sonata
No. 12, which opens with an andante,
is followed by an adagio and ends with
two allegros, or the Sonata No. 11 which
begins with two fast movements (vivace
and allegro). And in two sonatas the
trio structure is temporarily abandoned:
the Sonatas No. 11 and No. 14 both contain
a movement for one instrument and basso
continuo. Some movements are very expressive,
in particular the adagio from the Sonata
No. 8 and both slow movements (largo
and adagio) of the Sonata No. 14. In
the latter we also find some spicy harmonies.
And in several sonatas the thematic
material is quite original.
The pieces from the
Music Book of Jacob Mestmacher are mostly
anonymous. Although they are set for
keyboard, they can easily be performed
with an instrumental ensemble, and that
is how most of them are played here.
These are mainly dances, and of a somewhat
lighter character than the trio sonatas
by Von Bertouch.
I have enjoyed this
recording a lot, not only because of
the music, which is anything but dull,
but also because of the performance.
Bergen Barokk plays this repertoire
with great imagination, as is demonstrated
by the varied scoring of the keyboard
pieces and the addition of variations
to the Aria from the Mestmacher collection
(track 5). There is some excellent ensemble
playing here, for instance the dialogue
of recorder and transverse flute in
the Sonata No. 14. The swinging rhythm
of the basso continuo part in the allegro
from the Sonata No. 11 is brilliantly
realised by Markku Luolajan-Mikkola
and Hans Knut Sveen.
I wholeheartedly recommend
this disc, as it is musically highly
entertaining and historically very interesting.
And to those who are getting interested
in Norwegian baroque music I would like
to recommend a disc with music by another
composer working in Norway, of a later
generation, but equally interesting:
Johan Henrik Freithoff. His chamber
music has been recorded by the Norwegian
Baroque Orchestra Soloists (Simax PSC
Johan van Veen