Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf - Giob (2000)

Disc: 1
1. Giob: Parte Prima: 1. Introduzione: Adagio - Moderato Assai - Rheinische Kantorei
2. Giob: Parte Prima: 2. Recitativo: Andante O Figli
3. Giob: Parte Prima: 3. Coro: Riempi'l Nostro Core - Rheinische Kantorei
4. Giob: Parte Prima: 4. Recitativo: Padre Immortal, Eterno Dio!
5. Giob: Parte Prima: 5. Aria: Tu Che La Copia Versi
6. Giob: Parte Prima: 6. Recitativo: Consorte
7. Giob: Parte Prima: 7. Aria: Si, Vorrei Dall'alma Scotere - Romelia Lichtenstein
8. Giob: Parte Prima: 8. Recitativo: Giob, Amico, A Te Vengo
9. Giob: Parte Prima: 9. Aria: Cosi Tal Volta - Beat Duddeck
10. Giob: Parte Prima: 10. Recitativo: Che Veggio?
11. Giob: Parte Prima: 11. Aria: Quando Ride Serene La Sorte - Jorg Waschinski
12. Giob: Parte Prima: 12. Recitativo E Coro: Sommo Dio Che Sara?
13. Giob: Parte Prima: 13a. Recitativo Accompagnato: Oh Mio Signor
14. Giob: Parte Prima: 13b. Recitativo Accompagnato: Tutti Racolti - Ekkehard Abele
15. Giob: Parte Prima: 14. Aria: Giorno Orrendo - Ekkehard Abele							play
16. Giob: Parte Prima: 15a. Recitativo: Come? Altri Colpi? - Ekkehard Abele
17. Giob: Parte Prima: 15b. Recitativo Accompagnato: Come?...I Figli - Romelia Lichtenstein
18. Giob: Parte Prima: 16. Aria: I Miei Figli? - Romelia Lichtenstein
19. Giob: Parte Prima: 17a. Recitativo Accompagnato: Sostenetela Amici
20. Giob: Parte Prima: 17b. Larghetto: Sembra Che L'uno - Ekkehard Abele
21. Giob: Parte Prima: 18. Aria: Una Madre I Figli Suoi - Romelia Lichtenstein
22. Giob: Parte Prima: 19. Recitativo: Misera Donna!
23. Giob: Parte Prima: 20. Coro: O Santa Pazienza - Rheinische Kantorei

Disc: 2
1. Giob: Parte Seconda: 21. Giob E Coro: Passa Il Giorno, E Me Ritrova
2. Giob: Parte Seconda: 21. Giob E Coro: Quale Mai Voce Dolente - Rheinische Kantorei
3. Giob: Parte Seconda: 21. Giob E Coro: Le Mie Carni Gia Di Piaghe Ricoperte
4. Giob: Parte Seconda: 21. Giob E Coro: Questi E Giob - Rheinische Kantorei
5. Giob: Parte Seconda: 21. Giob E Coro: Qual Io Son Da Quel Che Fui
6. Giob: Parte Seconda: 21. Giob E Coro: Ah Si Lasci Nel Dolore - Rheinische Kantorei
7. Giob: Parte Seconda: 22. Recitativo: Che Intendo?
8. Giob: Parte Seconda: 23. Aria: E Follia D'un Alma Stolta - Romelia Lichtenstein
9. Giob: Parte Seconda: 24. Recititavo: Che Udii?
10. Giob: Parte Seconda: 25. Aria: Nelle Polve, Nel Duolo
11. Giob: Parte Seconda: 26. Recitativo: Mira, Baldad, A Suoi Tormenti In Mezzo
12. Giob: Parte Seconda: 27. Aria: D'un Innocente Cor - Beat Duddeck						play
13. Giob: Parte Seconda: 28. Recitativo: Lo Non Vidi Giammai - Jorg Waschinski
14. Giob: Parte Seconda: 29a. Recitativo: E Fin A Quando, Amici
15. Giob: Parte Seconda: 29b. Recitativo Accompagnato: Iddio
16. Giob: Parte Seconda: 29c. Recitativo Accompagnato: Ma Qual'
17. Giob: Parte Seconda: 29d. Recitativo: Tacete, Ola - Linda Perillo
18. Giob: Parte Seconda: 30. Aria: Quanto Piu Grave Il Nume - Linda Perillo
19. Giob: Parte Seconda: 31a. Recitativo: Nume Grande E Pietoso
20. Giob: Parte Seconda: 31b. Larghetto: Ma Che?
21. Giob: Parte Seconda: 32. Aria: Sento Novello Giubilo
22. Giob: Parte Seconda: 33. Recitativo: Che Veggio?
23. Giob: Parte Seconda: 34. Duetto: Ah Quella Man, O Sposo
24. Giob: Parte Seconda: 35. Recitativo: Ed E Ver, O Signor?
25. Giob: Parte Seconda: 36. Coro Coll'aria: Cantiam, Cantiam Le Lodi - Rheinische Kantorei
26. Giob: Parte Seconda: 36. Coro Coll'aria: E Con Novelli Modi - Ekkehard Abele
27. Giob: Parte Seconda: 36. Coro Coll'aria: Cantiam, Cantiam Le Lodi - Rheinische Kantorei
28. Giob: Parte Seconda: 37. Recitativo: Basta, Amici: Non Merta
29. Giob: Parte Seconda: 38. Quintetto: Fra Gl'insulti, A Fra Tormenti
30. Giob: Parte Seconda: 39a. Coro: Degli Alti Suoi Misteri - Rheinische Kantorei
31. Giob: Parte Seconda: 39b. Fuga: Al Redentore - Rheinische Kantorei

Markus Schäfer (Giob)
Romelia Lichtenstein (Sara)
Jörg Waschinski (Baldad)
Ekkehard Abele (Ismaele)
Beat Dudeck (Elifaz)
Linda Perilo (Angelo)

Rheinsche Kantorei
Das Kleine Konzert
Hermann Max - director, 2000

The idea of an Old Testament Biblical oratorio by a second-league eighteenth-century German composer may not send all collectors scurrying to their local record shop, but the more inquisitive will find much to discover and enjoy in this particular case.

Appreciation of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf's music has been in steady decline since he was an important 'competitor' of Joseph Haydn from the 1760's to about 1790. The oratorio 'Job' was written in 1786 for the Vienna Tonkunstler-Societat (another oratorio, 'Esther', dates from 1773). 'Job' was a success in both the important centres of Berlin and Vienna. It was later also performed in Breslau during the composer's lifetime: the booklet notes to the present issue claim that this was the last performance in Breslau until 1999 when the Rheinische Kantorei performed it in recognition of the 200th anniversary of Dittersdorf's death.

The identity of the librettist of 'Job' is unknown, but it may well have been S. Pintus, a collaborator of Dittersdorf's from 1771 onwards. The libretto presents a dramatisation of the Old Testament story in which Job's faith in God is tested by Satan. Job is stripped of his wealth, offspring, reputation and his own health, but his faith in his deity remains firm and his reward is to gain twice what he had lost. Job's wife, Sara, is given a prominant role and provides the contrasting female voice. The dramatic slant of the oratorio certainly adds interest to the rather rambling original in the Bible.

Dittersdorf balanced the action of the First Part by a shift towards the psychological in the Part Two, with Eliphaz and Bildad returning to try to get Job to admit his sins. Finally, an Angel appears to clear up the argument and to reward Job for his steadfastness.

'Giob' is not short (about two and a half hours worth of music) and it is a tribute to both the strength of Ditterdorf's invention and Max's well-sprung performance that it is fascinating throughout. Much preparation evidently went in to this recording. Words are consistently clear from bot soloists and chorus, recitatives (accompanied by an early piano, not a harpsichord) keep up the dramatic momentum and a fine line-up of soloists brings the various characters to life.

The orchestral Introduction to Part One establishes the orchestra's excellence: tempi are well-chosen and enthusiastically taken up. Das Kleine Konzert, indeed, relish their more challenging moments throughout. The depiction of a storm in the Recitative and Chorus, 'Sommo Dio che sara?' is visceral in effect.

Much of Part One is operatic in essence: the character of Zara (Sara) reveals its close blood relation to Mozart's Queen of the Night in the aria 'Sì, vorrei dall'alma scotere'. Romelia Lichtenstein is a true soprano who refuses to balk at Dittersdorf's demands.

Markus Schäfer takes the demanding title-role. He has all the agility the part requires (try his firt aria, 'Tu che la copia versi'). He is frequently expressive, although there is occaionally a tendency towards edginess in the timbre ('Nella polve' from Part 2). The late duet, 'Ah quella man, o sposo', shoes how carefully the soloists have been chosen as the voices blend perfectly. This delightful duet between Zara and Giob is one of the highlights of the piece.

Of the remaining soloists, the bass Ekkehard Abele as Ismaele is outstanding. His aria from Part 1, 'Giorno orrendo,' is superbly focussed in all registers; in Part 2, the agility of 'E con novelli modi' is excellently handled.

The alto Beat Duddeck's Elifaz is equally impressive, although he is not given quite so much to do. His high point comes at 'D'un innocente cor' (Part 2), in which he exhibits clean pitching and placing of notes. Jörg Waschinski's Baldad is appropriately agile for his aria, 'Quando ride serene la sorte'; Linda Pedrillo's contribution, as the Angel of God, is clear and musical.

Max's belief in this piece binds the whole together. He also has the ability to make somewhat banal musical geatures in some recitatives sound interesting. A superb achievement all round. CPO's engineering is exemplary. --- Colin Clarke, musicweb-international.com

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