musica Dei donum
Concert reviews
Bach (JChr, JS & CPhE), Böhm, Eberlin, Fischer (JCF), Krebs, de Nebra, Pachelbel
Gustav Leonhardt, clavichord
concert: Utrecht, Feb 15, 2003
JChr Bach: Prelude and fugue in C; Böhm: Partite sopra Ach wie
nichtig, ach wie flüchtig; Pachelbel: Fantasia in E flat; Aria Sebaldina,
con partite; Böhm: Suite in f minor; JS Bach: 4 Little Preludes;
Preludes and fugues in f sharp minor (BWV 859) and in E (BWV 878) (from WTC);
Suite in f minor (BWV 823); Fischer: Chaconne in G; Eberlin:
Toccata in F; Krebs: Jesu, meine Freude; Von Gott will ich nicht lassen;
Jesu, meine Zuversicht (from Clavierübung); De Nebra: Sonata nr 4; CPhE
Bach: Abschied von meinem Silbermannischen Claviere in einem Rondo in e
minor (Wq 66/H 272)
It isn't very often that the clavichord can be heard in public concerts. It is
basically an instrument most suited to be played in private rooms, where a small audience
can sit around the instrument and enjoy its exquisite and subtle sound. So I
don't know how much those in the audience have heard who weren't seated close
to the instrument. The concert took place in the small auditorium of the Utrecht
Muziekcentrum, but it is still too large a space for such an instrument. It was
a nice experience, though, in particular since Gustav Leonhardt was playing. He
hasn't played the instrument very often in concerts, and even on CD there isn't
that much proof of his skills in clavichord playing. The concert was part of a
series, entitled "Masters of the keyboard". That Gustav Leonhardt is a master of
the harpsichord is universally acknowledged. Saturday night he amply demonstrated
his great skills on the clavichord as well.
The programme was very well put together and played in the order as given above.
It started and ended with Bach. First Johann Christoph, the elder brother of
Johann Sebastian, and a typical representative of the German baroque with the
characteristic form of prelude and fugue, written in the rhetorical style
dominant in Germany around 1700. He was followed by two important composers
who can be linked to Johann Sebastian: Johann Pachelbel, who was Johann Christoph
Bach's teacher and through him influenced Johann Sebastian, and Georg Böhm, direct
teacher of Johann Sebastian, who brought him into contact with the North German
keyboard style, but also with the French tradition. The first part ended with
Johann Sebastian himself. After the interval it was Johann Caspar Ferdinand
Fischer, whose Ariadne Musica, a collection of preludes and fugues, was
a direct model for Johann Sebastian's Wohltemperirtes Clavier, from which
two preludes and fugues were played in the first part. Johann Ernst Eberlin is
a typical representative of the 'Empfindsamkeit', whose works were closely
studied by Mozart. Then Johann Ludwig Krebs, Bach's favourite pupil, whose
keyboard works are strongly influenced by his teacher, but nevertheless has
developed a style of his own. Manuel Blasco de Nebra is not exactly a household
name: living from 1750 to 1784 he was a contemporary of Haydn and Mozart,
stylistically close to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Very appropriately it was with
him that the concert ended, his Rondo 'Abschied von meinem Silbermannischen
Claviere' being one of the most striking examples of his very personal style and
the 'Empfindsamkeit' in general.
The style of playing of Gustav Leonhardt is well known. And everything was there:
the strong sense of rhythm resulting in astonishingly swinging interpretations
of fast movements of the keyboard suites, the subtle rubato which hardly can
be measured, but only 'felt' and which creates a strong tension, the brilliant
structure of the musical argument which reflects a thorough knowledge of the
musical rhetorics. He used the dynamic possibilities of the clavichord very
effectively. Only in the pieces by De Nebra and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach he
used the effect of the 'Bebung', rightly so, I think, being a typical feature of
the 'Empfindsamkeit'.
A couple of observations. As far as the programme is concerned: a number of pieces
are most often played on the organ, like the partita by Böhm, the Aria
Sebaldina by Pachelbel, and the chorales from the Clavierübung by
Krebs. But they all worked extremely well on the clavichord. There were some
little known pieces which were quite interesting, like the Toccata by
Eberlin, with strong chromaticism, and the sonata by De Nebra, consisting of two
movements: a very expressive adagio, very reminiscent of CPhE Bach, and an
allegro which is a kind of showpiece to demonstrate the skills of the player,
with many repeated notes.
As far as the performance is concerned, Leonhardt was more generous in the use
of ornaments than he usually is, quite striking here for example in the partita
by Böhm. And although he always will be most at home in baroque music, his
performance of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's piece was full of tension and passion.
It was a worthy conclusion of a highly remarkable night, showing the unique
qualities of music, instrument and performer.
Johan van Veen (© 2003)