Georg Friedrich Handel – 4 Concertos for Organ, Orchestra and Continuo op. 4

★★★★

   Vinyl records are commonly associated with pleasure of home listening, sometimes with educational possibilities, and rather rarely this medium is connecting to scientific and archival purposes. After more than a century of phonographic industry, most people learn recording technology has much more functions and upon direct utilitarian use, record companies’ catalogues are great archive of world music. Now we can see how some ideas was developed in last century, from first ethnographic and archival recordings to publishing it in series designed for special use of academic and learning purposes. One of most significant chapters in the history of archival recording and publishing was the case of Archiv Production label.
   The history of Archiv Production started in postwar years. After the end of 2nd World War many historical instruments in Germany were destroyed, organs were often in bad condition and it was clear after the reconstruction many instruments would lost earlier qualities. Using recording technology was a chance for preserving the sound of historic instruments in original interiors. This project was connected to the idea of systematic recording whole catalogues of most significant antiquities of early music from mediaeval sacral music to the end of 18th century. First recordings of works by Johann Sebastian Bach were made in 1947 by Helmut Walcha on organ of Jakobkirche in Lübeck. These recordings were published in 1948 when Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft founded its subsidiary label Archiv Produktion. 

Georg Friedrich Handel – Organ Concertos op. 4 (1956)

   Fred Hamel, who was the head of Archiv Produktion label in years 1948 to 1957, organized the catalogue of recordings in 12 periods: I. Gregorian, II. High Middle Ages, III. Early Renaissance, IV. High Renaissance, V. Italian Seicento, VI. German Baroque, VII. West European Baroque and Rococo, VIII. Italian Settecento, IX. Johann Sebastian Bach, X. Georg Friedrich Handel, XI. German pre classical music, XII. Mannheim and Wien. These periods were subdivided into detailed categories, but not always completely presented. For example Bach’s catalogue covered all of his works, but in Handel’s seven categories strikes obvious lack of his operas and oratorios. And for many reasons it was main body of Georg Friedrich Handel’s musical work – these works made him successful composer in England.
   Although Handel was famous for large musical forms, oratorio and opera, organ concertos sometimes can look as a minor part of his output, or as only a fragment of instrumental music catalogue, in fact these 18 compositions are serious contribution in development of concerto form, in the history of organ as the concerting instrument. Especially Six Concertos for Organ, Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 4 belong to most significant works in 18th century music. Four of these concertos, No. 1 G Minor, No. 2 B Major, No. 3 G Minor and No. 4 F Major, were recorded December 16th to 21st 1956 by organist Eduard Müller with Concerting Group of Schola Cantorum Basiliensis under the direction of August Wenzinger. Sustainable interpretations of these recordings are designed to retain full compliance with the original text and Handel’s style. Technical merits and reliability of these performances make it a standard of modern baroque interpretations. Four stars as standalone album and as an element of the series.

Georg Friedrich Händel – Italian Solo Cantatas

★★★★✰

   Baroque was an era of the opulence. Music in 17th and first half of 18th centuries was the scene of many processes changing culture for good. In fact this time was so much filled with artistic accomplishments and creative talents, the baroque become synonymous with plenitude. Some composers were specializing in specific genres or forms of music, but in most cases it was natural aspiration to work on full range of musical means. The same situation was with Georg Friedrich Händel who was one of best and most comprehensive among Baroque composers. Although he is remembered mainly for his oratorios and operas or organ concertos, he was active and successive as orchestra music composer, chamber and solo instrumental and vocal works. Apart he was competent and gifted composer of any baroque form, he was absolute master of narrative forms, where lyrics were interacted with music and voices build narratives in conjunction with instrumental layers.
   Georg Friedrich Händel was composer of three cultures, he was born and learned in Germany, then studied composition in Italy and lived in England. It is really difficult to assess which culture was dominant. He was born in Halle in 1685, the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. From his beginnings he was linked to most massive forms of baroque stage music, opera and oratorio. He was only 17 years old when according to his father’s will he started in Halle University jurisprudence studies. The same time he was working as church organist and one year later he started to work as violinist in Hamburg Oper am Gänsemarkt. Thank to contacts with Johann Mattheson and Christoph Graupner, he composed his first two operas Almira and Nero – both were staged in 1705, when Händel was only twenty. Here in Hamburg Opera he met Gian Gastone de' Medici who invited him to Florence to compose opera in Italy. Next step in composers career was work in Italy, Florence, Rome, Venice and Naples.

Ton Koopman – Händel – Italian Solo Cantatas (1978)

   During his Italian period Händel was developing his possibilities in dramatic and narrative musical forms. He was composing operas and oratorios, both religious and secular music. In short period 1706-1709 he composed hundred secular cantatas, 72 Italian cantatas for solo voice with figured bass and 28 with obbligato instruments and continuo. Cantata was form perfect for composers training because it was much easier to perform. But these cantatas had also impact on Händel’s career, for this was the one of highly valued forms when it comes to employment on the composer of the court post. In baroque music cantata was playing the same role as madrigal in 16th century and Italian composers had great achievements in the field. Earlier Händel was under influence of Giovanni Bononcini whom he met as 13 years old when he made his debut on the court of Frederick I of Prussia in Berlin. In Rome he was learning from Luigi Rossi, Giacomo Carissimi, Alessandro Stradella and particulary Alessandro Scarlatti, who composed over 600 cantatas.

   From great series of Händel’s Italian solo cantatas, four were taken for album published in 1978 in Telefunken collection Das Alte Werk. Artists were singer Marjanne Kweksilber and the ensemble Musica antique Amsterdam conducted by Ton Koopman. The choice of four cantatas comprises Pensieri notturni di Filli: Nel dolce dell’ oblio HWV 134, cantata for soprano, recorder and b.c., composed in Rome between 1707 and 1709, Un’alma innamorata HWV 173 from May-June 1707, Filio d’alte speranze HWV 113 written in Florenz in 1706 and Armida abbandonata: Dietro l’orme fugaci HWV 105, composed May-June 1707. Authors of poetry in these cantatas remain unknown. In this historically informed performance radical style of phrasing define an esthetical perspective of interpreting dramatical and lyrical fragments. Beautiful, clear soprano of Marjanne Kweksilber gives one of best performances of Händel cantatas.

Stokowski conducts Handel and Bach

   During the early music period conductor was not a necessary person. Some gestures needed to start and finish together were given by the leader of the ensemble, who often was also the composer of a work and musical entrepreneur. Conductor became common person in classical music, after transition from baroque orchestra to classical symphonic orchestra. Substantial difference was not in set of instruments, but in the musical texture. Since in Mannheim school musical sentences were divided into small motifs and performed by different instruments, there was someone needed for every such moment, especially in symphonic forms. The result was the emergence of further opportunities and the development of massive symphonic sound in late romantic music. Performance of romantic music without a conductor was unthinkable, and for most symphonic music since Beethoven it would be a catastrophe. And these were circumstances of raising the role of conductors in modern concert life, up to the rank of the creator equal to composer.
   Among legendary conductors of 20th century one of most respected artists was Leopold Stokowski. He was born in 19th century, most probably in 1882, but he himself was giving different dates and places of his birth – from Cracow to Pomerania. However there are documentary evidences he was born in London. He studied in Royal College of Music since he was thirteen. After receiving Bachelor of Music degree in 1903, he immigrated to New York in 1905 and three years later he started conducting Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He was thirty years old when in 1912 he became director and conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Four years later he led Philadelphia Orchestra and Choruses during sensational American premiere of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand.

Leopold Stokowski conducts Handel and Bach (1977)

   Most striking feature of the Stokowski’s craft was conducting without a baton, in the choirmaster manner. He was explaining this way he is able to shape the sound more effectively. Indeed, his interpretations were famous for superior sound quality. Starting from positions of English romanticism, he was one of the most important conductors giving baroque music its modern quality. In fact he was under the strong influence of English performing tradition. In opposite to other countries, in England baroque music was alive, and compositions of Georg Frederic Handel were constantly in school teaching and in concert repertoire. This was great basis for Stokowski’s artistic development. And recordings of Handel’s most popular compositions belong to his great achievements.
   Georg Frederic Handel’s suites were always Stokowski’s showpiece. First recordings of these works he made on shellac discs in 1934. In 1962 with RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra he recorded the two Handel’s suites and album published by RCA became one of best sellers. In 1977 RCA label published double album of two baroque giants in series titled “Meister spielen Meister”. First record is Georg Friedrich Handel’s Music For The Royal Fireworks and Water Music Suite. Perfect renditions with clearly stable strings and bright brass were exemplary orchestral performance. The same with second part of 1977 album, it was 1975 recording of Johann Sebastian Bach transcriptions: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 D Minor, Preludio from Partita No. 3 E Major, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 D Major, Fuge G Minor (Kleine) BWV 578, Sinfonia from Kantate Ich steh’ mit einem Fuß im Grabe BWV 156, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645, Komm sel’ge Ruh BWV 478. This time perfect sound was receoived from London Symphony Orchestra. The same 1977 was the year great conductor passed by. Transcribing baroque music for symphony orchestra was one of Stokowski’s achievements, but this demands at least new post.

Baroque highlights by Maurice André and Hedwig Bilgram

   Trumpet and organ is unusual but possible connection. Especially in baroque music where setup was always result of possibilities and expected aims, one can find many unusual configurations of musical means. Even though there are not too many such compositions, artists like to play most moving works and constantly searching for highlights capable to astonish listeners. Sometimes, like in the set of trumpet with organ, repertoire is too small and insignificant and the only chance is to re-arrange some orchestral parts for organ or some other soloist part for trumpet. Interesting propositions of establishing such repertoire has been recorded twice by master of baroque trumpet Maurice André with arranger and organ player Hedwig Bilgram. Artists establish the duo already in 1968 with great results. Clear and open trumpet sound and stable base of organ voices worked together in the complementary whole. They made these projects for EMI label, first time in 1971 recorded in the St. Pierre le Jeune Kirche in Straßburg on Mühleisen-Kern-Organ, second time on May 16, 1985 in church of Ebbs in Tirol.

Maurice André and Hedwig Bilgram – Trumpet & Orgel (1989)

   Despite the many similarities, these albums are quite different collections. The program of first album was seventeenth century music of Henry Purcell and Georg Böhm baroque suites and pre-classical sonatas by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Jean Baptiste Loeillet. The second album was fixed mainly on measures of late baroque concerto style. Opening the album with Concerto grosso B-flat major by Georg Frederic Handel musicians show the direction of whole program. Obligatory reference to the greatest composer Johann Sebastian Bach was arrangement of the choral Jesus bleibet meine Freunde. Central part of the program are two concertos of Italian masters, Concerto D minor Op. 9 No. 2 by Tommaso Albinoni and Concerto D minor by Alessandro Marcello and between them Sonata C major by Jean Baptiste Loeillet. And the closing part is Concerto B-flat major by Georg Philipp Telemann.
   Phenomenon of Maurice André (1933-2012) trumpet sound and virtuoso perfection is legendary from late 60’s and early 70’s when he conquered the world stages. Son of mining family thanks to his unbelievable talent and diligence, after six month won conservatory’s first prize. In 1955 he won Geneva International Music Competition. He specialized in playing baroque music on piccolo trumpet. Since the repertoire for trumpet was not enough and his virtuoso possibilities were higher than usual, Maurice André often performed and recorded transcriptions of compositions written originally for other instruments or for solo voice.