Welcome to Harmonia…I’m Angela Mariani.
“Isn’t there anything else you’d like to do?” Just as they do today, parents of musicians of the past pressured their children to study in practical fields. Several historical figures who are now known for their day-jobs were avid composers as well. This week on Harmonia, we’ll explore music by lawyers, philosophers, and even a king! Plus, our featured release is Johann C. F. Fischer: Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini performed by Exultemus and Newton Baroque.
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MUSIC TRACK
Le Devin du village
Les Nouveaux Caractères / cond. Sébastien d'Hérin
Château de Versailles Spectacles 2018 / B07HRRC1NY
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Tr. 23 Scene 8: Pantomime (excerpt of 6:39)
“Pantomime,” [French] or “Pantomime,” [English] from Le Devin du village by Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Sébastien d'Hérin led Les Nouveaux Caractères.
The University of Leipzig has a shockingly long list of law school attendees who decided to practice musical composition rather than the law. Graupner, Heinichen, Kuhnau, Telemann, and two of JS Bach’s sons, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedmann, are all affiliated with law at the university!
Johann David Heinichen enrolled at the University of Leipzig as a law student in 1702. He practiced law in the town of Weißenfels for several years, until his music career took over his time and attention in 1709. Here are the Larghetto and Allegro movements from Heinichen’s Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major.
MUSIC TRACK
Dresden
Ensemble Zefiro
Arcana 2017 / B075L6BG5B
Johann David Heinichen
Tr. 11 Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major: III. Larghetto (2:41)
Tr. 12 Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major: IV. Allegro (2:27)
Ensemble Zefiro performed Larghetto and Allegro from Heinichen’s Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major.
One of Heinichen’s teachers was Johann Kuhnau. When Kuhnau started as a law student at the University of Leipzig, he also applied to be organist at St. Thomas Lutheran Church. His application failed, so he practiced law while also working towards improving his organ skills, eventually becoming organist and music director at St. Thomas. JS Bach succeeded Kuhnau at St. Thomas; Bach’s cantata writing is modeled after Kuhnau’s. We’ll hear the final aria and chorale, “How sweetly does the death knell toll,” and “With peace and joy I go on my way” from Kuhnau’s 1717 cantata “Ich habe Lust abzuscheiden,” I wish to depart.
MUSIC TRACK
Einsamkeit O Stilles Wesen
L' Arpa festante / cond. Christoph Hesse
Christophorus 2019 / B07TMRRNFN
Johann Kuhnau
Tr. 23 Ich habe Lust abzuscheiden: Aria: Wei lieblich klingt ihr Sterbeglocken (4:56)
Tr. 24 Ich habe Lust abzuscheiden: Chorale: Mit Fried und Freud … (1:50)
The Chorale, “With peace and joy do I go on my way,” preceded by the aria, “How sweetly does the death knell toll.” Christoph Hesse led L’Arpa festante.
Although JS Bach ultimately succeeded Kuhnau at St. Thomas, Telemann was the first choice for the job. Telemann arrived in Leipzig in 1701, supposedly to study law. However, he immediately turned to musical pursuits: Telemann wrote for the Leipzig opera and set up a 40-member collegium musicum that pulled away many able musicians from Kuhnau’s choir at St. Thomas. Here is an aria whose title translates as “Nowadays it is only money which makes friends in the world.” This is from Telemann’s opera The Laughing Democritus, premiered in Leipzig in 1703. The aria is an adaptation of a love aria by Italian baroque composer Giovanni Bononcini, which compares a lover’s kisses to the scent of violets. In Telemann’s satirical version, however, which is in both French and German, the kisses are compared to a hearty meal that includes roasted meat, beer, and wine.
MUSIC TRACK
Telemann and the Leipzig Opera
United Continuo Ensemble / dir. Jan Kobow
Pan Classics 2011 / B005LE95KG
Georg Philipp Telemann
Tr. 11 Der lachende Democritus, TWV 21:1 Heutzutage macht des Gelt nur die Freunde in der Welt (1:22)
FromTelemann’s opera The Laughing Democritus: “Nowadays it is only money which makes friends in the world.”
Though Telemann eventually turned down the St. Thomas Cantor post, he remained connected to Johann Sebastian Bach’s Family. Telemann was godfather to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. When Telemann died, CPE Bach took over his posts in Hamburg. Like Telemann, CPE Bach entertained the idea of a law career and enrolled at the University of Leipzig. It was apparent from a young age, however, that Bach would become a musician. We’ll hear the opening movement of CPE Bach’s Viola da Gamba Sonata in C Major, published in 1745.
MUSIC TRACK
Gamba Sonatas
Krzysztof Firlus, viola da gamba and Anna Firlus, harpsichord
Pan Classics 2011 / B005LE95KG
DUX 2018 / B07CQL33RR
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Tr. 12 Viola da Gamba Sonata in C Major, Wq. 136, H. 558: I. Andante (4:26)
The Andante movement from CPE Bach’s Viola da Gamba Sonata in C Major. Krzystof and Anna Firlus performed on gamba and harpsichord.
You can hear highlights from recent and archival concert recordings of early music on Harmonia Uncut -- our biweekly podcast, curated and hosted by Wendy Gillespie. Listen online at harmonia early music dot org and through iTunes.
You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.
[:59 Midpoint Music Bed : Harry our King: Music for King Henry VIII Tudor, Capella de la Torre / dir. Katharina Bäumal, Carpe Diem 2012 / B00929NFZW, Claude Gervaise, Excerpt of Tr. 18: Livre de danceries, Book 3: Pavan, “La Battaglia” (excerpt of 2:05)]
“I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery,” said Genevan Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau-- famous for political theory, arguing for personal liberty and absolute democracy. In Rousseau’s educational writings, he advocated for children to learn through experience and nature rather than solely through books. Rousseau preferred Italian music to French music, arguing that melody should be always audible rather than having complex harmonies muddying the understanding of a beautiful tune. His opera The Village Soothsayer, however, comes across as very French—ornaments, complex harmonies, and all! Here is a pastorale and aria, “I am going to see my charming girl” by Rousseau.
MUSIC TRACK
Le Devin du village
Les Nouveaux Caractères / cond. Sébastien d'Hérin
Château de Versailles Spectacles 2018 / B07HRRC1NY
Jean-Jacuqes Rousseau
Tr. 12 “Je vais revoir ma charmante maîtresse” Air de Colin (3:43)
Tr. 20 Pastorelle pour les villageois (2:03)
Music from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s opera The Village Soothsayer. That was “Pastoral for the villagers.” Before that, we heard the aria “I am going to see my charming girl,” featuring tenor Cyrille Dubois. Conductor Sébastien d'Hérin led Les Nouveaux Caractères.
When he wasn’t ruling the country, breaking from the Catholic church, or getting his wives executed, Tudor monarch Henry VIII of England wrote music in his “spare time.” He was also a passionate supporter of music—an embarrassment of riches is listed in Henry’s inventory including: shawms, bagpipes, recorders, crumhorns, viols, cornetts, several keyboard instruments, and many more. Next, its music fit for a king, and written by a king: “Pastyme with good company” and “Helas madam” by Henry VIII.
MUSIC TRACK
Harry our King: Music for King Henry VIII Tudor
Capella de la Torre / dir. Katharina Bäumal
Carpe Diem 2012 / B00929NFZW
Henry VIII (Tudor, King of England)
Tr. 19: Pastyme with good companye (3:22)
Tr. 20: Helas madam (2:52)
“Pastyme with good companye” and “Helas madam,” music by king Henry VIII. Tenor Charles Daniels performed with Capella de la Torre, led by Katharina Bäumal.
From England, we move to Bohemia, where Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer lived and worked. Although Fischer is today known for his keyboard works, he left behind a rich collection of sacred music for small choir and chamber ensembles. Our featured release, Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini, focuses on these sacred works of Fischer and his contemporaries. Here’s music from the title piece, Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini.
MUSIC TRACK
Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini, Op. 3
Exultemus (dir. Shannon Canavin, artistic director) / Newton Baroque (Andrus Madsen, organ and director)
Tocatta Classics 2016 / B01ETY95AS
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
Tr. 1 Praeludia et Fugae per 8 tonos ecclesiaticos (Blumen-Strauss): Praeludium VIII
Tr. 2 Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini, Op. 3: Domine ad adjuvandum
Tr. 19 Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini, Op. 3: Magnificat (6:29)
Music for Vespers, from the Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini by Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer. Vocalists were from Exultemus, directed by Shanon Canavin. Instrumentalists were Newton Baroque, led from the organ by Andrus Madsen. These two Boston area ensembles teamed up to make this, the first recording of Fischer’s vespers. Next, we’ll hear “Lauda Jerusalem” from Fisher’s Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini.
MUSIC TRACK
Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini, Op. 3
Exultemus (dir. Shannon Canavin, artistic director) / Newton Baroque (Andrus Madsen, organ and director)
Tocatta Classics 2016 / B01ETY95AS
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
Tr. 11 Vesperae, seu Psalmi vespertini, Op. 3: Lauda Jerusalem (5:19)
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Harmonia is a production of WFIU. Support comes from Early Music America which strengthens and celebrates early music by supporting the people and organizations that perform, study, and find joy in it....on the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-DOT-org.
Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. And, you can follow our Facebook page and our updates on Twitter by searching for Harmonia Early Music.
The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Sarah Huebsch Schilling.
Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: Aaron Cain, Wendy Gillespie, LuAnn Johnson and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia.
[Theme Music Bed: Ensemble Alcatraz, Danse Royale, Elektra Nonesuch 79240-2 [ASIN: B000005J0B], T.12: La Prime Estampie Royal]
