Classical

Georg Muffat - Armonico Tributo (1982/2005)

2017-03-17T16:25:58Z

Georg Muffat - Armonico Tributo (1982/2005)

Sonata No 1 in D major[11'50]
1.Sonata	[3'10]
2.Allemanda	[5'22]
3.Gavotta	[1'41]
4.Menuet	[1'37]

Sonata No 2 in G minor[12'50]
5.Sonata	[5'36]
6.Aria	[2'45]
7.Sarabanda	[2'59]
8.Borea		[1'30]

Sonata No 3 in A major[9'40]
9.Sonata	[2'56]
10.Corrente	[1'55]
11.Adagio	[1'07]
12.Gavotta	[1'14]
13.Rondeau	[2'28]

Sonata No 4 in E minor[7'35]
14.Sonata	[1'11]
15.Balletto	[1'13]
16.Adagio, alternating with Presto	[1'51]
17.Menuet	[1'36]
18.Adagio	[0'31]
19.Aria	[1'13]

Sonata No 5 in G major[17'01]
20.Allemanda	[2'39]
21.Adagio	[1'13]
22.Fuga		[1'34]
23.Adagio	[2'29]
24.Passacaglia	[9'06]

Parley of Instruments
Roy Goodman and Peter Holman - conductors

The five sonatas of Armonico Tributo were published in Salzburg in 1682, and are scored for two violins, two violas and basso continuo. Muffat, in his usual practical way, defined them as ‘chamber works suitable for few or many instruments’ and although the score is laid out with the letters ‘T’ and ‘S’ indicating tutti and solo passages, this seems to be something of an afterthought and the music seems well suited to single players. In the present performances therefore, there is an apparent ‘solo’ group of two violins, cello and continuo, to which is added a ‘tutti’ of two violas, bass and continuo.

Muffat explored the possibilities of the concerto principle in his later versions of these pieces, since most of the movements appear, albeit newly arranged, in his twelve concerti grossi. (Sonata I appears in Concerto V, Sonata II in Concerto IV, Sonata III in Concerto II, Sonata IV in Concerto XI, and Sonata V in both Concertos X and XII.) There is no fixed pattern for the sonatas, although there is clearly a strong French influence in the variety of dance movements (well-defined phrase lengths with simple harmony and flowing melody), and Italian influence in both the Grave or Adagio sections (either a simple punctuated succession of chords, or a sequence of suspensions above a ‘walking’ bass) and in the more contrapuntal and concertante Allegros.

Sonata I opens with a two-section Sonata in the Italian style – a passage of majestic harmony leads to a richly wrought fugue. It is followed by three French-style dances interspersed with short Grave passages of a type common in Corelli.

Sonata II is based on a similar pattern, though slightly expanded. Handel must have known this sonata; he used the tune and bass of the Aria in a number of works, including Agrippina, a recorder sonata and two organ concertos.

Sonata III also combines abstract Italian-style movements with French dances – after a short opening Grave in block chords there is a loosely written but brilliantly effective fugue on three subjects which are heard in most possible combinations and inversions. Of the following numbers, the short Adagio before the Gavotta is especially remarkable for its daring harmony.

Sonata IV opens again with a two-section Sonata, featuring a walking bass under rich suspensions of the type popularized by Corelli. After a lively Balletto, there is another favourite Corelli device – the alternating of Adagio passages for the whole ensemble with brilliant solos for the two violins and continuo alone. After a Menuet and a short Adagio, there is a Presto movement entitled Aria which is written in duple time, but which is intended to be played as a gigue in 12/8, using a notational convention common in German keyboard composers such as Froberger and Böhm.

Sonata V is rather differently laid out from the other four in that it does not start with a two-section Sonata, but with an expressive Allemanda. A complex fugue is then sandwiched between two Adagios, both of which again display the ‘walking’ bass and wonderful harmonic suspensions. The set ends with a magnificent Passacaglia containing twenty-five variations on a standard ground bass – related to the one used by Bach in the ‘Goldberg’ variations. Muffat was evidently pleased with this movement for he re-used it later in a modernized form at the end of his twelve concerti grossi of 1701. ---Roy Goodman, hyperion-records.co.uk

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Georg Muffat - Missa in labore requies (2013)

2015-10-01T17:16:58Z

Georg Muffat - Missa in labore requies (2013)


- Sonata	1:04	 
- Kyrie: Kyrie	1:36	 
- Kyrie: Christe	0:59	 
- Kyrie: Kyrie II	1:48	
- Gloria: Gloria	1:18 
- Gloria: Laudamus te	2:01 
- Gloria: Gratias agimus	 
- Gloria: Domine Deus	1:09	 
- Gloria: Qui tollis	4:13	 
- Gloria: Quoniam	2:03 
-  Gloria: Cum Sancto Spiritu	 
-  Credo: Credo	1:19	 
-  Credo: Et in unum Dominum	3:17	 
-  Credo: Qui propter nos homines	2:08	 
-  Credo: Et incarnatus est	1:03 
-  Credo: Crucifixus	2:03	 
-  Credo: Et resurrexit	1:49	 
-  Credo: Et in Spiritum Sanctum	4:58	 
-  Sanctus: Sanctus	2:19	 
-  Sanctus: Hosanna	1:48	 
-  Sanctus: Benedictus	1:05	 
-  Sanctus: Hosanna	1:49	 
-  Agnus Dei: Agnus Dei	2:16 
-  Agnus Dei: Dona nobis	1:31

Ars Antiqua Austria 
Florianer Sängerknaben
Gunar Letzbor – conductor

Domkerk Utrecht - Festival Oude Muziek
23 august 2013

In 1724 François Couperin published a collection of instrumental works under the title Les Goûts-Réünis. This title was programmatic as he was an advocate of the 'mixed taste', the blending of elements of the French and Italian styles. In Germany various composers did the same: they incorporated them into what had come down to them by tradition. These ideals were of a strictly artistic nature and were seldom specified. The first advocate of the 'mixed taste' was Georg Muffat. He not only explained this approach in the prefaces to his publications but was also quite clear that his motivation was political. "The warlike weapons and their causes are far from me; the notes, strings, and lovely musical sounds are my daily preoccupation, and as I mix the French style with that of the Germans and the Italians, I don't make war but probably give to those people an example of desired harmony and sweet peace".

Many composers who were in favour of the mixed taste knew the different styles only through music publications or manuscripts. Neither Couperin nor Telemann ever set foot in Italy. The latter visited France, but Bach never left his own region. It was different with Muffat: he had firsthand experience of both styles. He was of Scottish ancestry, but was born in Savoy where his family had settled in the early 17th century. As a boy he went to Alsace, and then to Paris, where he studied with Lully. He worked in Strasbourg, studied in Bavaria, and then worked in Vienna, Salzburg and Prague. In the 1680s he went to Rome, where he studied with Bernardo Pasquini and became acquainted with the oeuvre of Corelli. He ended his career in Passau. Despite his experiences in France and Italy he considered himself German. Therefore he is probably the ideal of a musician who could blend the various stylistic influences he experienced during his career.

It is through his instrumental music that the ideals of the mixed taste were disseminated. He composed very little vocal music. Benedict Anton Aufschnaiter, who succeeded him as Kapellmeister at the court in Passau, stated that Muffat "left behind no more than three Masses, an Offertory and two Salve Reginas (...)". Only one Mass has come down to us, the Missa in labore requies which is the subject of the present disc. It is in the tradition of large-scale festal masses which we know also from other composers working in Austria, and in particular in Salzburg. A striking example is the 64-part Missa Salisburgensis, today attributed to Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber. In comparison this Mass, also written for Salzburg, is more modest in its proportions, but it is still in 24 parts, divided over five vocal and instrumental choirs. Especially notable is the choir of five trumpets and timpani. Also remarkable are the virtuosic parts for two cornetts and the soloistic treatment of the violins.

Obviously the main feature of a Mass like this is its splendour. However, in the passages where the trumpets and cornetts are silent there is certainly room for text expression. A notable example is in the opening section of the Gloria, where the word "pax" (peace) is given special treatment as it is repeated several times in various voices. Considering the quotation given in the first paragraph of this review that can hardly be accidental. The 'Crucifixus' is another eloquent specimen where the text is illustrated through musical figures and harmonic progressions. The opening figures are played with strong accents, as if the scourging of Jesus at the cross is being exposed. When the trumpets are involved in the proceedings their parts are treated with differentiation, for instance in the Credo when they play with mutes on the words "passus et sepultus est" (suffered and was buried), "et mortuos" (the dead) and "(resurrectionem) mortuorum" ([the resurrection] of the dead).

In his "Observations from the Podium" Gunar Letzbor explains how difficult it is to perform this work. "All these efforts to create a universal musical experience in sound were for the benefit of only a small elite, namely the archbishop and his co-celebrants, who found themselves at the sonic centre of the spatially distributed musical choirs. Just a few metres away from the centre one noticed disturbing acoustic overlaps; from greater distances the performance became so diffuse that it must have been difficult to find anything positive about it". This must have consequences for the way a work like this Mass is recorded. Letzbor believes that it is only possible by making use of modern technical possibilities, but realizes that not every music-lover has the equipment to reveal everything as it has been recorded. Another matter of concern is the venue where the recording has to take place. In his view the cathedral in Gurk has the acoustic conditions of Salzburg Cathedral, and here various experiments were made until he was satisfied with the results.

According to Aufschnaiter Muffat regretted that he did not compose more sacred music. Listening to this Mass one can only agree. That makes a recording of the only extant sacred piece from his pen all the more welcome. It is not the first time this work has appeared on disc: in 1999 Harmonia mundi released a recording by Cantus Cölln. I don't know whether that one is still available. --- Johan van Veen, musicweb-international.com

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Georg Muffat – Nobilis Juventus (Suites and Concertos) [1999]

2015-10-05T16:12:08Z

Georg Muffat – Nobilis Juventus (Suites and Concertos) [1999]

	"Indissolubilis Amititia" Oder "Vnzertrennliche Freundschaft" 	11:04
1 	Ouverture 	3:33
2 	Un Fantôme 	2:23
3 	Les Canaries 	0:39
4 	Les Païsans 	1:19
5 	Les Gendarmes 	1:20
6 	Sarabande Pour L'esprit De L'amitie 	1:50
	"Saeculum" Oder "Hundert Jährige Gedächtung" 	10:44
7 	Sonata: Grave 	1:14
8 	Allegro 	1:11
9 	Allemanda: Largo 	4:10
10 	Grave 	1:09
11 	Gavotta: Alla Breve Ma Non Presto 	1:05
12 	Menuet: Allegro 	1:55
	"Nobilis Juventus" Oder "Adeliche Jugend" 	13:34
13 	Ouverture 	3:28
14 	Air Pour Les Hollandois 	2:03
15 	Gigque Pour Des Anglois 	1:45
16 	Menuet, Pour Des François 	1:12
17 	Entrée De Maitres D'armes 	1:18
18 	Jeunes Espagnols 	0:54
19 	Menuet Pour Des Amazones 	1:16
20 	Bourée De Marly Imitée 	1:38
	"Ciacona Propitia Sydera" Oder "Günstiges Gestirn" 	8:50
21 	Un Poco Grave - Adagio - Allegro - Adagio - Allegro - Adagio 	8:50
	"Quis Hic?" Oder "Wer Da?" 	7:57
22 	Sonata: Allegro - Presto 	1:04
23 	Aria: Allegro 	2:30
24 	Grave / Aria: Allegro 	2:45
25 	Borea: Alla Breve Un Poco Grave 	1:38
	"Coronatio Augusta" Oder "Die Majestätische Krönung" 	10:56
26 	Sonata: Grave 	1:44
27 	Allemanda: Largo 	3:41
28 	Grave 	1:33
29 	Gavotta: Alla Breve Ma Non Presto 	1:39
30 	Rondeau: Allegro 	2:19

Bassoon [Baroque] – Alberto Grazzi
Cello – Balázs Máté
Composed By – Georg Muffat
Harpsichord, Organ – Norbert Zeilberger
Oboe [Baroque] – Alfredo Bernardini, Andrea Mion
Percussion – Michel Claude
Recorder – Michael Oman
Theorbo – Luciano Contini
Viol [Viola Da Braccio] – Eva Posvanecz, Peter Aigner
Viol [Viola Da Gamba] – Johann Valencia, Jorge Daniel Valencia
Violin [I] – Chiharu Abe, Gunar Letzbor, Ilia Korol, Wolfhart Schuster
Violin [Ii] – Barbara Erdner, Brigitte Täubl, Martin Jopp
Violone – Walter Rumer

Orchestra – Armonico Tributo
Conductor, Viol [Viola Da Gamba] – Lorenz Duftschmid

Georg Muffat’s highly evocative suites and concertos are a concentrate of what (good) baroque music is all about: basic tunes developed with handy counterpoint, lively rhythms, a touch of melancholy, and some unexpected instrumental effects here and there. Actually, most of these works were written for strings alone, but Muffat specifically asked for more instruments if they were available. The Austrian Armonico Tributo ensemble, named after the composer’s most famous group of works, opts for a rich instrumentarium in addition to the strings: oboes, bassoon, recorder, theorbo, harpsichord or organ, and percussion. The percussionist is particularly at feast with some funny timpani and gun parts in the “Les Gendarmes” episode from the Indissolubilis Amititia (Indissoluble Friendship) suite. Muffat’s strange Latin titling goes on with a “Centennial” suite (Saeculum), a “Lucky Star” Chaconne (Ciacona Propitia Sydera), a “Who is there?” (Quis hic?) concerto and a more common “Imperial Coronation” (Coronatio Augusta) suite. The beautiful Chaconne retains a noble gravity closer to the French style than to the Italian one. Nevertheless, Corelli’s own concerti grossi probably inspired the very original “Quis hic?” suite, though no one other than Muffat could imagine those expressive rests in the Grave movement. Conducted by viola da gamba virtuoso Lorenz Duftschmid, Armonico Tributo plays with accurate ensemble and beautiful tone. After a while, the constant bellows-like phrasings can provoke some dizziness, but the performers have enough qualities otherwise to compensate for this mannerism. The sound recording is as spacious as it is velvety. ---classicstoday.com

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Muffat & Biber - Music from The Court of Salzburg (1985)

2013-08-03T16:23:23Z

Muffat & Biber - Music from The Court of Salzburg (1985)

Georg Muffat (1653-1704)
Propitia Sydera - Concerto Grosso in G major 	18:32
1 		Sonata 	1:42
2 		Aria 	2:35
3 		Gavotta 	2:10
4 		Ciacona 	10:38
5 		Borea 	1:14

Richard Chester solo flute 	
Angus Anderson violin 	
Adrian Shepherd 	
  	  	  		
Delerium Amoris - Concerto Grosso in E minor 	7:26
6 		Sonata 	0:54
7 		Balo 	4:02
8 		Minuet 	1:10
9 		Giga 	0:32
10 		Minuet 	0:42

Susan Tyte, David Evans oboes 	
Allan Geddes bassoon 	
  	  	  		
Cor Vigilans - Concerto Grosso in A major 	9:06
11 		Sonata 	2:53
12 		Corrente 	3:31
13 		Gavotta 	1:11
14 		Rondeau 	1:24

Angus Anderson, Andrew Morris violins 	
Adrian Shepherd cello 	
  	  	  		
Impatientia - Suite in B flat major 	12:18
 (Florilegium I, No. 4) 	
15 		Symphonie 	2:47
16 		Balet 	2:20
17 		Canaries 	0:34
18 		Gigue 	0:45
19 		Sarabande 	2:17
20 		Bourrée 	0:57
21 		Chaconne 	2:18

Constantia - Suite in G major 	9:47
 (Florilegium I, No. 7) 	
22 		Air 	2:40
23 		Entrée des fraudes 	0:36
24 		Entrée des insultes 	1:29
25 		Gavotte 	0:42
26 		Bourrée 	0:51
27 		Minuet I 	1:05
28 		Minuet II 	1:04
29 		Minuet I 	0:36
30 		Gigue 	0:27

Gratitudo - Suite in D minor 	9:45
 (Florilegium I, No. 3) 	
31 		Ouverture 	3:17
32 		Balet 	1:29
33 		Air 	1:16
34 		Bourrée 	1:01
35 		Gigue 	0:43
36 		Gavotte 	0:31
37 		Minuet 	1:08

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
Fidicinium Sacro-Profanum: Twelve Sonatas, Nos 1-6 	52:10
38 		Sonata No. 1 in B minor 	11:10
39 		Sonata No. 2 in F major 	8:00
40 		Sonata No. 3 in A minor 	6:27
41 		Sonata No. 4 in G minor 	8:35
42 		Sonata No. 5 in C major 	9:37
43 		Sonata No. 6 in A minor 	8:02

Cantilena (Ensemble)
Adrian Shepherd, violoncello and director

Georg Muffat, (baptized June 1, 1653, Megève, Savoy [now in France]—died Feb. 23, 1704, Passau, Bishopric of Passau [now in Germany]), composer whose concerti grossi and instrumental suites were among the earliest German examples of those genres.

Muffat held positions as organist at Molsheim and Strasbourg cathedrals and in 1678 became organist to the archbishop of Salzburg. In 1681 he went to Italy and in Rome studied with Arcangelo Corelli and Bernardo Pasquini. He spent about six years in Paris, where he acquainted himself thoroughly with the music of Jean-Baptiste Lully. He became organist to the bishop of Passau in 1687 and chapelmaster there in 1690.

Muffat’s most famous work, 12 orchestral suites, Florelegia (two sets, 1695 and 1698), was one of the earliest German collections of suites in the French manner, using dance movements influenced by those of Lully’s stage works. The Florelegia also contains valuable information about French performance practices in the late 17th century. His Ausserlesene . . . Instrumental-Music (1701) was an early collection of concerti grossi in the style developed by Corelli. Among his other works are the Armonico tributo, a set of five-part trio sonatas, and the Apparatus musico-organisticus, toccatas for organ.

His son Gottlieb Muffat (1690–1770) became organist to the Holy Roman emperor. His most important works were Versetten oder Fugen for organ (1726) and Componimenti musicali (c. 1739), from which George Frideric Handel borrowed heavily. --- britannica.com

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (August 12, 1644 - May 3, 1704) was a Bohemian-Austrian virtuoso, and one of the first great composers for the violin.

His music was published extensively, though it was often idiosyncratic. Today he is best known for composing violin pieces requiring the performer to extract unusual chordal effects and sonorities made possible through scordatura, or non-standard tuning of the violin. His works show a tendency towards harmonic diapason and canonic use that pre-dates the works of Johann Pachelbel and Johann Sebastian Bach.

The two most famous works that are heavily reliant on scordatura for special tone colors are the Mystery Sonatas (15 sonatas on the Rosary) and Harmonia artificiosa-ariosa, a set of seven partitas for string ensemble. Especially in his later years, Biber also composed extensive choral music, operas, and sacred music such as the Missa Salisburgensis, an intense polyphonic setting of the mass for 53 voices. --- classical.net

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