GCD 920410 New release information December 2008 The Drexel Manuscript

NOTES (ENG) NOTES (FRA)

The fame that he enjoyed in his lifetime clearly L’excellente réputation que s’était forgée Carl hasn’t served Carl Friedrich Abel well in the Friedrich Abel s’estompa au cours des deux two centuries since his death. He was fêted all siècles qui suivirent sa mort. L’Europe entière over Europe both for his supreme skills as a avait en effet, durant toute sa vie, célébré son performer of the viola da gamba as well as for génie, en tant que gambiste et compositeur. the quality of his compositions, and was Présent sur toutes les scènes, il fonda en responsible (along with JC ) for setting up compagnie de J. C. Bach les Bach-Abel-Concerts, arguably the first series of subscription concerts la première série de concerts en souscription in the history of Western , the “Bach- de l’histoire de la musique ; son talent de Abel-Concerts”. Even the prodigy that was pédagogue était connu au point qu’un prodige Mozart benefited from Abel’s teachings (and de la taille de Mozart étudia avec lui (de fait, was claimed as the of one Abel’s own Mozart fut longtemps considéré comme l’auteur ). de l’une des symphonies d’Abel). Carl Friedrich Abel The Drexel Manuscript All this was known by keen minds of the time L’art de C. F. Abel était reconnu par des such as , JF Reichardt and Goethe personnalités aussi importantes que Charles Paolo Pandolfo, viola da gamba and fortunately also, in the 21st century, by Paolo Burney, J. F. Reichardt ou Goethe, et bien Pandolfo, who delivers here a scintillating rendition heureusement, en ce début de XXIe siècle, Glossa GCD 920410 of Abel’s ever-inventive music which ranges Paolo Pandolfo reprend le relai et nous offre un 1 CD – digipak across Preludes, Adagios and sundry dance forms. brillant recital de cette musique si inventive, Where to place this “late” music for the viola da qui comprend des préludes, des adagios et des gamba? Not Baroque and definitely heading in danses diverses. Comment classifier cette Programme the direction of the classicism of Mozart, Haydn musique « tardive » pour viole de gambe ? Il and even Beethoven. Or as Paolo Pandolfo – who ne s’agit pas de musique baroque ; elle semble Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) adds dabs of his own highly-advanced viser le monde classique, celui de Mozart, Haydn The Drexel Manuscript improvisatory skills here and there – says, “Simply et jusqu’à Beethoven. Ou plutôt, comme Paolo put, it is Music!” Pandolfo – qui fait montre dans certaines œuvres 01-10 de sa haute technique d’improvisation – le dit I. Suite in D major dans son texte: « C’est simplement de la (Prélude) – Allegro – Vivace – Andante – Musique! ». (Allegro) – Adagio – (Tempo di Minuetto) – (Aria) – Tempo di Minuet – (Minuetto)

11-16 II. Suite in D minor NOTAS (ESP) NOTIZEN (DEU) (Arpeggiata) – (Minuetto) – Allegro – Adagio – (Allegro) – Tempo di Menuet (D major) La fama que Carl Friedrich Abel disfrutó en vida Der Ruhm, den Carl Friedrich Abel zu Lebzeiten 17-26 no tuvo continuidad en los dos siglos genoss, hat ihn in den zwei Jahrhunderten nach III. Suite in D major transcurridos desde su muerte. En su tiempo, seinem Tod leider verlassen. In ganz Europa (Prélude) – Allegro – (Allegro) – (Aria con tanto sus extraordinarias cualidades como wurde er sowohl wegen seiner herausragenden Variazioni) – Fuga – Adagio – Tempo di Minuet intérprete de la viola da gamba como el nivel Fähigkeiten als Gambist als auch wegen der – (Petit Prélude) – Tempo di Menuet – (Minuetto) de sus composiciones fueron celebradas en Qualität seiner Kompositionen gefeiert. Er hat toda Europa, y junto con J. C. Bach fue zusammen mit die wohl 27-28 responsable de poner en marcha los Bach-Abel- erste Reihe von Abonnementkonzerten in der IV. Two pieces in A major Concerts, la primera serie de conciertos por Geschichte der westlichen Musik ins Leben Allegretto – Allegro suscripción de la historia de la música. Incluso gerufen, nämlich die Bach-Abel-Concerts. Selbst un prodigio de la talla de Mozart se benefició das Wunderkind Mozart profitierte von Abels Total playing time 79:28 de las enseñanzas de Abel (y fue durante mucho Unterricht (und wurde lange für den Urheber tiempo considerado el autor de una de las einer der Sinfonien Abels gehalten). sinfonías del propio Abel). Production details All dies war den kundigen Geistern seiner Zeit Todo esto era bien sabido por personalidades (wie etwa Charles Burney, J. F. Reichardt und Recorded at Église de Franc-Waret, Belgium, de la época como Charles Burney, J. F. Reichardt Goethe) sehr wohl bekannt - und zum Glück in February 2008 o Goethe, y afortunadamente ahora, en el siglo im 21. Jahrhundert auch Paolo Pandolfo, der Engineered and produced by Manuel Mohino XXI, Paolo Pandolfo recoge el testigo y nos hier eine strahlende Wiedergabe der unglaublich Executive producer: Carlos Céster ofrece un brillante recital de la música siempre erfindungsreichen Musik Abels liefert, die Design: Valentín Iglesias inventiva de Abel, que incluye preludios, adagios Präludien, Adagios und verschiedene Tanzsätze Booklet essay: Paolo Pandolfo y diversas formas de danza. ¿Y cómo clasificar umfasst. Wie soll man diese »späte« Musik für English - Français - Deutsch - Español esta música «tardía» para la viola da gamba? die Viola da gamba einordnen? Sie ist nicht Desde luego, no es música barroca, y apunta barock und entwickelt sich schon in die gleiche más bien en la dirección clasicista, la de un Richtung wie die klassische Musik eines Mozart, Mozart, un Haydn o incluso un Beethoven. O Haydn und sogar Beethoven. Oder wie es Paolo mejor, y como dice Paolo Pandolfo –que añade Pandolfo (der hier und da Belege für seine aquí y allá una pincelada de su avanzadísima eigenen außerordentlichen improvisatorischen técnica improvisatoria– en las notas, Fähigkeiten hinzufügt) es formuliert: »Es ist - «Simplemente, ¡es Música!». schlicht und einfach - Musik!«.

8 424562 20410 2 www.glossamusic.com Paolo Pandolfo on Abel, improvisation and the role of music...

viola da gamba virtuoso, for whom Johann deepest respect for the old and noble nature It seemed that the music of Carl Friedrich Abel Sebastian had written the Six Suites) and of the instrument and for its lutenistic origins, was proving singularly impervious to modern very soon he must have become an and made the change into the “perfect performance initiatives. More is known about unbelievable virtuoso himself. And in 1758, at classical instrument”! the age of 33, as a consequence of the Seven the life and times of this Köthen-born composer Years War, he walked his way out of the tottering You make reference in your booklet notes than about his actual music (he can be placed world of the ancien régimes “...on foot, with to the “middle-class ritual of the concert” as a pupil of JS Bach and as someone who died three Thaler and six Simphonies...” to arrive starting with the Bach-Abel concerts in in the year of the 17 year-old Beethoven’s first in the modern ambience of , where he London. Are the connotations of “middle- visit to Vienna). Yet it was as a virtuosic was to spend most of the rest of his life. There class” and “ritual” creative or restrictive improviser on the by then (surely?) outdated he recreated (in some way) a part of that for you as an artist in the 21st century? familiar warmth that he had grown up with in instrument of the viola da gamba that Abel was Köthen, dividing friendship and professional This involves the crucial, existential questions equally known for by his contemporaries. So, collaboration with Johann Christian Bach. for any artist of any age: “What am I here for?” the most suitable candidate in the 21st century “What role can my art have within the society for bringing back Abel’s music to its rightful And as a musical figure? I am living in?” “Can I, with my art, properly place needs to be not only a supreme interpreter ‘serve’ it, but also at the same time, ‘improve’ on the viola da gamba and steeped in its On this new CD I have played a part of what it?” In Abel’s time, the higher arts were moving Abel has left as music for the viol, but it would out of the palaces of the aristocrats to enter repertory but one capable of understanding the be a mistake to consider Abel simply as a viola the middle-class concert rooms and the homes almost lost art of improvisation. da gambist. In fact, as well as being the of such people as well. And this “new” format astonishing viol player and improviser that we is basically what we have all grown up with. Justifiable claims to fit those somewhat elevated can read about in many of the sources, he was The changing circumstances in Abel’s day and demanding conditions can be made on fundamentally an extremely well-respected required all the arts to change in a radical way, behalf of Paolo Pandolfo. Amongst his recordings composer. He wrote a significant amount of in order to be able to speak to the new instrumental music, symphonies, quartets, audiences. Our own time is bringing with it for Glossa can be counted interpretations of an so on. I have yet to play his other new and radical changes within the world’s some of the most challenging compositions that music but after this experience with the Drexel societies. I believe that all arts have to move can be played on the gamba (including his own Manuscript, I strongly feel the need to do so: and develop once more in order to play an transcription of the Bach Six Cello Suites written, helping an , for example, in the active role within those societies in which we it is believed, for Carl Friedrich Abel’s father). performance of Abel’s symphonies, or his live; in order to “serve” them properly in one And Pandolfo has turned his mental skills also concertos for instrument and orchestra. I do sense, but also to “improve” them in other, to hope there will soon be the occasion, and Basle bring beauty, dialogue and peace into them. to the activity of improvising: this can be is definitely the right place for this. As an artist I cannot say where we are going: vouchsafed by listening to such discs as Travel today’s world seems too complex - huge Notes and Improvisando as well as through the What have been the experiences for you migrational streams, vast economic changes, work he is achieving with students in the Schola of playing the pieces from the Drexel scary environmental changes - I simply feel Cantorum Basiliensis and elsewhere. It was in Manuscript? that we should be ready to move on, as Abel that Swiss musical hothouse of Basle that did “on foot, with three Thaler and six Immersing myself in deep contact with Abel’s Simphonies”, bringing respect and love wherever Pandolfo was to be tracked down to talk about music has been a great experience for me. I life will bring us. his new recording; for more about the chequered felt I was thrown into a completely different history of CF Abel and how his manuscript world from the one we “viol players” tend to How have your efforts at developing containing solo works for the viola da gamba inhabit: no more Baroque suites, no more courses in improvisation been progressing? came to reside in the library of the painter majestic allemandes or refined courantes, no , Pandolfo’s booklet essay court gossips chattering away between For the last couple of years I have been saying sarabandes and gavottes... This is music for that I do think that improvising is a skill that is a compelling read. the pure pleasure of the listeners: music for a all musicians should start mastering again. Abel paying public which likes to spend an evening was clearly a great improviser, as were Mozart, forgetting about their daily problems, their ears Brahms, or indeed, John Coltrane! I do my best How would you describe the personality caressed with sweet sounds. Indeed, music for in order to work in that direction, doing “field of Carl Friedrich Abel? a rich middle class which has achieved that work” within my own research, as well as state of wellbeing which not long before only including improvising in my teaching in Basle. I believe that Carl Friedrich Abel holds an the aristocrats could afford... And what sounds Recent experiences also include exciting extremely important place within the repertoire all this is... ... on the viola da improvising master classes at the Conservatory of the viol, one which should be understood gamba! The instrument I most had to think of, in Amsterdam. much more clearly by modern music lovers as while I was recording, was, in fact, the well as by scholars. I believe also that he . The long resonating sounds building In your teaching in Basle, particularly, represents the perfect point of connection suspended phrases, whose notes drop pure as what are you looking for from your pupils? between Baroque and Classical music. In the crystal tears as one finds in Mozart’s concertos first instance one should consider his deep for piano, the harmonies which one only I look for artistic and human stimulation. I rootedness in the world of the Baroque. Johann understands once the resonance of more notes hope that the students learn from me - at least Sebastian Bach must have been for Abel a is fulfilled… Playing Abel’s music has taught me as much as I learn from them. There is an idea crucial influence: something between a close a lot about how an active and lively imagination clearly taking shape also with Glossa, where family friend (first in Köthen) and a kind of - along with new artistic and social needs mixed we would (and should) make use of the unique father figure (in the years after the with a true love for the viol - can transform opportunity of bringing together such good death of Abel’s own father), as well as a teacher the instrumental and musical vocabulary one musicians who are in Basle, maybe on a yearly in both periods. Thus Abel has imbibed at the has grown up with. Abel respected the viol as basis, taking them out of the lecture hall and richest source of music knowledge and of artistic a true lover respects his beloved. There was putting them in front of two good Glossa deepness that the western world has probably no question of forcing the instrument into the microphones. We’ll see! ever offered, in addition at a source of deep new musical idioms. Nor any sense of humanity - that provided by these two close competition with the violin or the cello (as we families, the Bachs and the Abels. He was a feel in other early Classical era for son of Christian Ferdinand (one of Johann the viol such as Graun). Abel’s is the most by Mark Wiggins Sebastian Bach’s closest friends, a cello and natural of the approaches: his embodies the © 2008 Glossa Music / MusiContact www.glossamusic.com