In the 17th and early 18th centuries northern Germany was one
of the most prosperous parts of the country. In particular the
Hanseatic cities were centres of economic activity which in
turn resulted in admirable artistic standards. The Thirty Years
War (1618-1648) heavily affected every part of society, but
when the war came to an end with the Peace of Westfalia the
recovery was remarkably quick.
Cities in the north of Germany were able to attract eminent
musicians and composers, and both sacred and secular music flourished.
This disc sheds light on the music written for the liturgy,
with concertos and cantatas for solo voice and instruments.
In addition a couple of instrumental pieces are played which
reflect the high skills of the collegia musica in the
various cities and their ensembles of Stadtpfeifer. The
only organ piece bears witness to the exalted standard of organ
playing and explains why organists were held in such great esteem.
The organ played a key role in the liturgy. It was used for
solo pieces, but also to accompany congregational singing. Moreover,
it played the basso continuo in sacred concertos and cantatas.
Recently performers have tried to restore this practice as an
alternative to the common use of positive organs. The main problem
is finding an organ with the right disposition, pitch and temperament
as well as enough space in the organ loft to position all the
participants. Apparently Jean Tubéry, the director of La Fenice,
has found such an organ. In his liner-notes Hans Jörg Mammel
gives concise information about the history of the organ, but
unfortunately there is no mention of pitch and temperament nor
any list of the stops. I am a little disappointed that this
organ has or is given surprisingly little presence in comparison
with other recent recordings in which large instruments play
the basso continuo.
It is also rather surprising that the acoustic is so dry. If
one didn’t know where this recording had been made one would
think that the space was quite small and intimate. Apparently
the miking was very close. I also wonder whether measures were
taken in order to keep the reverberation in check. If that is
the case they have gone too far: this music needs more space
than it gets here.
The programme is a mixture of hardly known compositions and
pieces which have been recorded before. Nicolaus Bruhns is one
of the famous masters of the North-German organ school. His
organ works have been recorded complete several times, and never
fail to make an impression. He was a great virtuoso, and his
Prelude and fugue in e minor is a specimen of the stylus
phantasticus which is the main feature of the school. It
consists of a sequence of contrasting sections; some of them
could have been played a bit faster. Unfortunately only a small
number of organ works by Bruhns are known. He also composed
vocal music, and although this part of his oeuvre is also not
very large his contributions to the genre of the sacred concerto
for voice(s) and instruments are substantial. Jauchzet dem
Herren alle Welt is a brilliant piece which shows the influence
of the Italian concertante style which was enthusiastically
embraced by most composers from this region.
In fact, North Germany in the 17th century had its own version
of the 'mixed taste'. This term was used in the 18th century
for the mixture of the Italian and French styles. In this case
it could be used to describe the mixture of German, Italian,
English and Dutch influences. The Dutch influence was mainly
audible in the organ works: many German keyboard players went
- or were sent by their employers - to Amsterdam to study with
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Through him they became acquainted
with the music of the English virginalists which had influenced
him. But there was also a more direct influence of English music,
especially consort music. In particular William Brade (1560-1630)
was responsible for that as he had lived in North Germany since
the 1590s. This was mixed with the more virtuosic style of the
Italian violinist Carlo Farina, who worked in Dresden from 1625.
These influences come together in, for instance, the brilliant
Sonata a 4 by Matthias Weckmann. The Italian style is
predominant in the Canzon by Johann Sommer in which the
two cornetts and the two violins are in dialogue and imitate
each other's motifs. The two pairs of instruments are juxtaposed
very much in the style of the Venetian cori spezzati.
Johann Sommer is one of the little-known masters of this programme.
He was an organist and cornettist, and died in Bremen. He worked
in this city as well as at the court of Gottorf in what is now
known as Schleswig-Holstein. His playing of the cornett explains
the scoring of the Canzon. Two cornetts are also playing
in the concerto O höchster Gott, which is an arrangement
of the rhymed version of Psalm 8 by Ambrosius Lobwasser, who
translated the Genevan Psalter in German and used the Genevan
The other unknown here is Julius Johann Weiland. He worked mainly
at the court of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel, east of Hanover. All
of his surviving music is sacred, and shows a clear influence
of Heinrich Schütz. Jauchzet Gott, alle Lande is a sacred
concerto for voice, four instruments and bc. More modest in
its scoring is a setting of Psalm 130 (De profundis), here on
a German text, Aus der Tiefe rufe ich Herr zu dir by
Johann Philipp Förtsch. It is for solo voice, violin, viola
da gamba and bc. Förtsch was not from North Germany, but had
worked there since the 1670s. He played a major role in the
Hamburg opera. This sacred concerto concentrates on an accurate
expression of the text.
In another recording this piece is performed by a soprano (review).
That doesn't necessarily exclude a performance by a tenor; it
depends on the composer’s indications. In this case I don't
know, but at least Buxtehude's cantatas aren't scored only for
a high or low voice, but specifically for a type of voice. From
that perspective the performance of the two pieces by Buxtehude
on this disc by a tenor is questionable.
The lamento Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin was written
for the funeral of Meno Hanneken, the Lübeck superintendent,
in 1671. Buxtehude performed it again, together with a Klaglied
on a text of his own, in 1674 at the funeral of his father Johannes.
It is a moving piece beginning with a simple chorale which is
then elaborated in three parts, and can be played either at
the organ or - as here - with instruments (cornett, two violins).
In Buxtehude's poem the strings weave a web around the voice
which sings the simple melody. It is a shame that only three
of the seven stanzas are performed; this is not flagged up in
Hans Jörg Mammel is one of the best interpreters of this kind
of repertoire. He has made a career in which German music plays
a key role. A complete command of the German language and a
thorough knowledge of the character of German sacred music are
essential to explore the close connection between text and music.
That is exactly what makes this disc such a great achievement.
It is a compelling portrait of the rich musical culture of North
Germany in the 17th century. The high level of instrumental
playing is well reflected by the performances of La Fenice.
Anyone who is interested in this repertoire should add this
disc to his collection. The inclusion of several hardly-known
pieces makes it even more worthwhile. The liner-notes - in French
and English - are well-written, but it is a serious omission
that no information is given about the two unknown composers,
Sommer and Weiland. The lyrics contain some errors and the translations
could have been more precise.
Johan van Veen