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CD reviews
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767): Arias and chorales
[I] "Sacred Arias"
GSOConsort
Dir: Gudrun Sidonie Otto
rec: Sept 6, 2015 (live), Magdeburg, Gesellschaftshaus (Schinkelsaal)
CPO - 555 091-2 (© 2017) (70'40")
Liner-notes: E/D; lyrics - translations: E
Cover, track-list & booklet
[in order of appearance]
For the 10th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,1629a) (Jammervolle Liebestränen!)a;
For the 11th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,1466a) (Blitz, der Herz und Geist zerschmettert!a; Weinend, seufzend, ächzend, klagendb);
For the 12th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,1219a) (Kräftigs Wort, voll Heil und Lebena; Gott hat uns alles wohl gemachtb);
For the 13th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,801a) (Seel und Leib sind fest verbundena; Zerschmilz doch die beeisten Herzenb);
For the 14th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,998a) (Gott nimmt die Farren unsrer Lippena; Lass uns danken, lass uns loben!b);
For the 15th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,1703a) (Prangende Lilien in sprossender Schönea; Mein in dir gelassnes Herzeb);
For the 16th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,68a) (Krache, sinke, morsche Hütte!b; Wollte doch die Stunde schlagena);
For the 17th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,691a) (Demut ist der Tugend Kroneb; Nur Jesu, du sollst in mir lebena);
For the feast of St Michael (TWV 1,335a) (Thronender Gottheit in flammender Pracht; Lass auch deiner Engel Hände)b;
For the 18th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,661a) (Welt, verlange nicht mein Herza; Die Glut, so nach dem Himmel steigetb);
For the 19th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,1700a) (Todesangst und Höllenschreckenb; Gott, wo ist ein solcher Gotta);
For the 20th Sunday after Trinity (TWV 1,1675a) (Prang im Golde, stolze Welt!; Geziert mit seinem eignen Schmucke)b
Gudrun Sidonie Otto, sopranoa;
David Erler, altob;
Caroline Kang, cello;
Karl Nyhlin, gallichon;
Aleksandra Grychtolik, harpsichord, organ
[II] "Telemannische Hauspostille - Telemann at Home"
Klaus Mertens, bass-baritone;
Thomas Fritzsch, viola da gamba;
Stefan Maass, lute;
Michael Schönheit, organ
rec: Feb 22 - 25, 2016, Berlin-Karlshorst, Kirche 'Zur frohen Botschaft'
Rondeau - ROP6124 (© 2016) (81'17")
Liner-notes: E/D; lyrics - no translations
Cover & track-list
[in order of appearance]
[For the 4th Sunday after Epiphany]
Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir, chorale prelude (after TWV 10,1);
Herr Jesu Christ, groß ist die Not, chorale variation (after TWV 10,1);
Hörst du so gar nicht unser Schreien (TWV 1,737a);
Herr Jesu Christ das gläub ich doch, chorale variations (after TWV 10,1)
[For Epiphany]
[dictum] Ihr Völcker, bringet her dem Herrn;
Jesu, großer Wunderstern, chorale (TWV 10,1);
[dictum] Opffere Gott Danck;
Beglückte Mutter, neues Zion, aria (TWV 1,261a);
[For the 2nd Sunday after Trinity]
[dictum] Wirff dein Anliegen auf den Herrn;
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, chorale (TWV 10,1);
[dictum] Alle eure Sorge werffet auf ihn;
Mein Freund ist mein, und ich bin sein, aria (TWV 1,327a);
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz (Ich dank dir Christe, Gottes Sohn), chorale (TWV 10,1)
[For the Feast of the Visitation]
[dictum] Maria stund auf in den Tagen;
Magnificat: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, chorale (TWV 10,1);
Mein Herze muß an Freuden voll, aria (TWV 1,1065a);
Magnificat: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren (Er übet Gewalt mit seinem Arm), chorale (TWV 10,1);
Niemals leere Gnadenfülle, aria (TWV 1,1065a);
Nun lob mein Seel den Herren (Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren), chorale (TWV 10,1)
[For New Year's Day]
Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, chorale (after TWV 31,2);
[dictum] Gott hat Jesum erhöhet;
Gebenedeiter Weibessame, aria (TWV 1,605a);
Jesu, mein Herr, und Gott allein, chorale (after TWV 31,1)
[For the 7th Sunday after Trinity]
[dictum] Herr, wie sind deine Wercke so groß und viel;
Auch der Mangel wird zum Überfluß, aria (TWV 1,780a);
Singen wir aus Herzensgrund (Gott hat die Erde zugericht), chorale (TWV 10,1);
[dictum] Schmecket und siehet, wie freundlich der Herr ist;
Reiche mir dein Himmelbrot, aria (TWV 1,780a);
Jesu, meines Herzens Freund (Weide mich, und mach mich satt), chorale (TWV 10,1)
[For the 20th Sunday after Trinity]
[dictum] Wir sind allesammt wie die Unreinen;
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, chorale (TWV 31,37);
[dictum] Der Herr wird ein neues im Lande schaffen;
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, chorale (TWV 31,38);
[dictum] Ich freue mich im Herrn;
Prang' im Golde, stolze Welt (TWV 1,1675a);
[poesis] Ich heiße Jesus Braut;
Geziert in seinem eignen Schmucke, aria (TWV 1,1675a);
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh), chorale (TWV 10,1)
[For Sunday Invocavit]
[dictum] Seyd starck in dem Herrn;
Vater unser im Himmelreich (Führ uns, Herr, in Versuchung nicht) (TWV 31,2);
Auf zum Streiten, auf zum Siegen, aria (TWV 1,1280a);
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel wär), chorale (TWV 10,1)
[For the 11th Sunday after Trinity]
[dictum] Meine Sünden haben mich ergriffen;
Wo soll ich fliehen hin (O Jesu voller Gnad), chorale (TWV 10,1);
Weinend, seufzend, ächzend, klagend, aria (TWV 1,1466a);
Ach! was hab ich ausgerichtet (Herr, es steht in deinen Händen), chorale (TWV 10,1);
[III] "Telemannisches Gesangbuch"
Vincent Frisch, treble;
Klaus Mertens, bass-baritone;
Thomas Fritzsch, cello, viola da gamba, basse de violon;
Stefan Maass, lute;
Michael Schönheit, harpsichord, organ
rec: May 7 - 9, 2012, Baden-Baden, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio
Carus - 83.340 (© 2013) (77'30")
Liner-notes: E/D; lyrics - no translations
Cover & track-list
Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig;
Auf meinen lieben Gott;
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir;
Befiehl du deine Wege;
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott;
Erstanden ist der heilig Christ;
Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle;
Gott des Himmels und der Erden;
Gott Lob, der Sonntag kommt herbei;
Herr, nun läss'st du deinen Diener im Friede fahren;
Jesaja, dem Propheten, das geschah;
Jesu, meine Freude;
Jesus, meine Zuversicht;
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott;
Mit Ernst, o Menschenkinder;
Mitten wir im Leben sind;
Nun danket alle Gott;
Nun lasst und gehn und treten;
Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren;
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden;
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig;
O Wonn, o Freud, o Herrlichkeit;
Puer natus in Bethlehem/Ein Kind gebor'n zu Bethlehem;
Valet will ich dir geben;
Wach't auf, ruft uns die Stimme/Auf, auf! und lasst uns wachsam sein;
Wenn dich Unglück hat betreten;
Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein;
Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende;
Wie der Hirsch im großen Dürsten;
Wir gläuben all an einen Gott
Sources:
Auszug derjenigen musicalischen und auf die gewöhnlichen Evangelien gerichteten Arien, welche in den Hamburgischen Haupt-Kirchen durchs 1727. Jahr vor der Predigt aufgeführet werden, 1727;
Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch, 1730;
Telemanns fugirende und veraendernde Choraele, 1735
Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch
Organ works
Our picture of music life in past centuries is inevitably one-sided. Parts of the repertoire performed centuries ago escape our attention because it was never written down and the subject of constant change. That goes in particular for folk music. Another important aspect of music life was the religious music sung in the homes of the faithful. From the Reformation of the 16th century onwards many hymn books and other collections of religious music were printed throughout Europe. Hymns were usually written for one voice, without accompaniment, and are therefore not very suitable for inclusion in concert programmes or on disc. Sometimes they were the subject of harmonisations or were published with an accompaniment for a single instrument or basso continuo. Examples are the so-called Schemellis Gesangbuch, to which Johann Sebastian Bach contributed, and the collection of chorale harmonizations which his son Carl Philipp Emanuel published after Bach's death. However, even these are only sporadically taken into account when performers put together their concert programmes or prepare a CD recording.
The three discs reviewed here shed light on a little-known part of Georg Philipp Telemann's oeuvre. In 1726/27 he published two collections of sacred cantatas for use both in church and in domestic surroundings, under the title of Harmonischer Gottesdienst. These are scored for either a high (soprano/tenor) or middle (mezzo-soprano/baritone) voice, a melody instrument (two instruments in the second volume) and basso continuo. They are pretty well-known and currently the whole collection is being recorded by Bergen Barokk for Toccata Classics. In 1727 Telemann published another collection of sacred pieces, this time exclusively for domestic use, under the title (translated): "Extract of those musical arias, based on the standard gospels, which were performed in Hamburg's principal churches in the liturgical year 1726–27". The arias are selected from cantatas which were commonly scored for four voices, instruments and basso continuo. For this collection Telemann selected two arias for every Sunday and feast-day, and scored them for a high or a middle voice and basso continuo. As most of the original arias included parts for melody instruments, he had to arrange them in such a way that the main elements which contributed to the expression of the text, were kept intact.
In 2016 CPO released a first disc with arias from this collection, all written for Advent and Christmas. The second disc of the GSOConsort, reviewed here, covers the period from the 10th to the 20th Sunday after Trinity, from August to October. Klaus Mertens and his colleagues have taken arias from the same collection, but here the course of the ecclesiastical year is not strictly observed: it opens with pieces for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, and then follow pieces for Epiphany, the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, New Year's Day, the 7th and the 20th Sundays after Epiphany and Sunday Invocavit, and closes with pieces for the 11th Sunday after Trinity. There is another difference: in addition to the collection of arias, the artists have turned to a further source of music, related to everyday worship of the faithful. In 1730 Telemann published the Fast allgemeines Evangelisch-Musicalisches Lieder-Buch (Almost universal evangelical musical songbook), which included well over 2000 hymns with more than 500 different melodies.
In the programme recorded by the GSOConsort we get two arias for each Sunday, mostly one for a high voice and one for a middle voice. The exception is the 10th Sunday after Trinity, from which we hear only one aria. In the programme recorded by Klaus Mertens not every section in the programme has exactly the same structure; that depends on the material that is available. The disc opens with music for the 4th Sunday after Trinity. First Michael Schönheit plays a chorale prelude: Herr Jesu Christ! ich schrey zu dir, followed by a chorale variation on Herr Jesu Christ, groß ist die Noth, in alternation with Klaus Mertens' reading of dicta, quotations from the Bible, which are taken from Erdmann Neumeister's Fünffache Kirchen-Andachten of 1716. Then follows the aria Hörst du so gar nicht unser Schreyen (TWV 1,737a), and this section closes with another chorale variation, this time on Herr Jesu Christ, das gläub ich doch.
The section devoted to music for the 20th Sunday after Trinity is more extended. It opens with two dicta from Neumeister's publication, alternating with two chorale arrangements of Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern. After another dictum Klaus Mertens sings the aria Prang' im Golde, stolze Welt (TWV 1675a). He then reads a poesis, a free poetic text, from Neumeister's Fünffache Kirchen-Andachten, sings a further aria, Geziert in seinem eignen Schmucke (TWV 1,1675a), and the chorale Wie bin ich doch so hertzlich froh, a stanza from the chorale Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern as included in Telemann's Lieder-Buch.
The arias from the 1727 collection are full of expression, which appears in both the vocal part and the basso continuo. A few examples can illustrate this.
In Jammervolle Liebestränen, an aria for the 10th Sunday after Trinity, which opens the CPO disc, the "woeful tears of love" are depicted by short notes in the basso continuo. There are strong accents in the first aria for the 11th Sunday after Trinity, on the text "O lightning bolt that shatters heart and spirit". The second aria for that same day, Weinend, seufzend, ächzend, klagend is very different: sighing figures are used to illustrate the first two lines: "Weeping, sighing, groaning, wailing, yet still with hope". "Let us give thanks and praise", says the aria Laßt uns danken, laßt uns loben (14th Sunday after Trinity); here Telemann uses a lively rhythm, accents and ascending figures, and coloratura on "exalted on high" in the B section.
Prangende Lilien in sprossender Schöne (15th Sunday after Trinity) begins with the words: "Ye bright lilies flowering in beauty, adornment surpassing the gold of kings!" The word "surpassing" is illustrated by ascending coloratura, and Gudrun Sidonie Otto effectively increases her volume here. Very nice is the aria Wolle doch die Stunde schlagen (16th Sunday after Trinity): the first line, "If only the hour would strike" inspired Telemann to the motif of a ticking clock in the basso continuo. In the aria Demut ist der Tugend Krone (17th Sunday after Trinity) the word "Demut" (meekness) dominates the mood of the whole piece. Music for the feast of St Michael often has a combative character. That is not different here as far as the first aria, Thronender Gottheit in flammender Pracht, by Telemann is concerned: "O jubilant, radiant hosts of the Divinity, enthroned in blazing majesty!". The word "blazing" is depicted by ascending, leaping figures. The second aria for this feast, Lass doch deiner Engel Hände, is completely different as it is a prayer: "Let the hands of your angels bear my soul to my final resting place". Lastly, I would like to mention Todesangst und Höllenschrecken, the only aria on the CPO disc without a dacapo (19th Sunday after Trinity). The text - "Mortal fear and infernal terrors are the ripe fruit of sin" - inspired Telemann to use unsettling harmonies which eloquently illustrate the content of this aria about the effect of sin. Auf zum Streiten, auf zum Siegen (Sunday Invocavit) has a belligerent character: "On to war, on to victory, God with us should be the parole". In Prang' im Golde, stolze Welt (20th Sunday after Trinity) the pride of the world is effectively expressed through rhythm and musical figures.
Gudrun Sidonie Otto and Klaus Mertens, with their respective colleagues, have done us a great favour by turning their attention to the highly interesting and musically compelling aria collection. It shows that Telemann's cantatas are models of text expression, and one can only hope that the cantatas from which the arias are taken, will be available in their original scoring some time in the future. There is still much to discover in this part of Telemann's oeuvre.
Ms Otto is an excellent interpreter; she proved that in the previous disc, and here she confirms that impression. She fully explores the expressive qualities of these arias. Like the previous disc, the present one is a live recording, and David Erler let me know that he was indisposed at the concert. He urged me to concentrate on Ms Otto's performances instead of his. I noticed that sometimes his singing is not as powerful as one would wish, for instance in Krache, sinke, morsche Hütte!. Obviously I don't know in what way Erler would have liked his performances being different from what he was able to achieve at the concert. However, his singing is pretty good, and I have enjoyed his contributions nonetheless.
Klaus Mertens is a seasoned interpreter of German baroque music, and that shows here. Every aria is given a well-judged interpretation, and no aspect of text expression is underexposed. The approach chosen by Mertens and his colleagues is a little different, but that makes their recording a most interesting complement of Ms Otto's recording. The inclusion of other parts of Telemann's oeuvre, such as organ pieces and hymn settings, lends this disc an additional dimension; it opens the door to a part of the musical and spiritual life of his time which has largely remained under the radar. Mertens is not only a fine singer, but his reading of the dicta is also first class, and his outstanding diction guarantees that both the texts from Neumeister's collection and the texts of the arias and the hymns are fully intelligible. Mertens also rightly differs in his treatment of the arias and the hymns, as the first belong among the category of art music, whereas the second are much more independent of the style of the time, and should not be the subject of, for instance, sophisticated ornamentation.
This disc is not the first in which Mertens and his colleagues shed light on the above-mentioned collection of chorale settings by Telemann. In 2013 Carus released a disc which in entirely devoted to this edition. Obviously Telemann, both by education and in his position as director musices in Hamburg, who was responsible for the liturgical music in the main churches in the city, was very well acquainted with the hymns, which root in the ideals of Martin Luther, who wanted the faithful to sing in their own language, not only in church, but also in schools and at home. The hymn collection of 1730 is more than a practical edition for daily use. "Telemann took a historian's approach: using the 'Psalmis Eleri' (Canticis sacris, Hamburg 1588) as well as current hymnals both in print and in manuscript form, he reconstructed the original melodies ("Uhr-Melodien") of the old chorales and documented numerous supplementary additional variants, and such "now usual deviations" as had come to his knowledge" (Thomas Fritzsch). The edition includes a basso continuo part for four-part settings and instructions for the performance of the basso continuo and the composition in four parts. It was Telemann's ideal to create a Lutheran hymnal which could be used across the German-speaking world. To that end he invited the users to send him additional material, which could be included in a second volume. As was so often the case with editions of songs or hymns, Telemann's publication only includes the titles and the melodies. For the lyrics the performers have turned to a collection of hymns, sung in Hamburg, which was printed in 1753 by Conrad König, preserved in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig.
Klaus Mertens is responsible for almost all the hymns in the Carus recording. His singing is excellent, but I would have liked to hear the very fine voice of the treble Vincent Frisch more often. Gott Lob, der Sonntag kommt herbei is a hymn devoted to the various days of the week: every day has two stanzas, and there the two singers share the various days. In Puer natus in Bethlehem/Ein Kind gebor'n zu Bethlehem Frisch sings the stanzas in German, Mertens those on a Latin text. Erstanden ist der heilig Christ is a hymn for Easter; some of the stanzas are allocated to Mary (sung here by Frisch), others to the Angel (sung by Mertens). Jesaja, dem Propheten, das geschah is Luther's German version of the Sanctus; here the role of the seraphs ("Heilig ist Gott, der Herre Zebaoth") is taken by Frisch. In O Wonn, o Freud, o Herrlichkeit the stanzas are allocated to the vox terra (the earthly voice) and the vox caelis (the heavenly voice); these are sung by Mertens and Frisch respectively. I needs to be added that not always all the stanzas are performed, and at the Rondeau disc we mostly get a single stanza from a hymn (not always the first).
Even so, this part of the recordings under review here are of great importance and deserve the same welcome as the arias from Telemann's 1727 collection. Most of the material on these three discs has never been recorded before. They are substantial additions to our knowledge of Telemann's compositional activities and of musical and spiritual life of his time. Add to that the outstanding performances and one may understand that these discs deserve an emphatic recommendation.
Johan van Veen (© 2018)
Relevant links:
David Erler
Klaus Mertens
Gudrun Sidonie Otto
Aleksandra Grychtolik
Caroline Kang
Karl Nyhlin