Simon MAYR Concerto bergamasco Keyboard Concerto in C • Trio Concertante Natalie Schwaabe • Andrea Steinberg Antonio Spiller • Yi Li • David van Dijk Bavarian Classical Players • Franz Hauk Simon Mayr (1763–1845) Simon Mayr’s Concerto in C major is usually described movements are by Mayr himself. Concerto bergamasco • Keyboard Concerto in C major • Trio Concertante as a piano concerto. The autograph score, which is housed Mayr probably wrote the Trio Concertante for Three in the Library of the Donizetti Institute in Bergamo, refers to Violins and Orchestra around 1820, although it is not known Simon Mayr, who was born in Mendorf near Ingolstadt, appreciated throughout Italy and especially here [in Naples] the solo instrument as a harpsichord. It goes without saying for what occasion. What is certain is that the work was first received his early music education from his father, a and in all respects he deserves to be so, yet as a man he that performances of it on a fortepiano, an instrument which heard under the auspices of the Lezioni Caritatevoli di schoolteacher and organist. The young Simon received is still a virtuous, modest and humble German. He is very was gaining ground in the last decades of the eighteenth Musica or of the Unione Filarmonica which was founded in further encouragement at the Weltenburg monastery and fond of his fatherland and seems only to regret the fact that century, and which gradually displaced the harpsichord, 1823. The Trio begins with an introduction in A minor, from the Jesuits in Ingolstadt, before going to Italy around fate did not allow him to make a career as a composer in cannot be ruled out. The work was probably written around sluggishly at first, and interrupted by pauses, rather like an 1790 with the help of Thomas von Bassus and his son Germany. In his adopted Bergamo, where he is maestro di 1800, possibly in Venice. Unfortunately, no title-page has operatic scena. The following Andantino gives the three Dominicus. Carlo Lenzi in Bergamo and Ferdinando Bertoni, cappella, he wants now (1817) to retire completely and write survived, but it can certainly be presumed that the work, like soloists the opportunity to introduce themselves one after maestro di cappella at St Mark’s in Venice, who was famous only for his church.” Mozart’s Piano Concertos K. 413, 414, 415 and 449, can be another in an expressive manner. A variation movement at that time, taught the young Bavarian composition and The Concerto per Flauto, Clarinetto, Corno bassetto ed performed with a string quartet or with oboes and horns as follows, whose theme is introduced by the soloists in a furthered his career. Mayr became so well known in Venice Ottavino, as the title on the autograph score has it, dates ad libitum instruments. The solo part plays along in the bright A major. In the following variations each of the through his oratorios, opera and countless works for the from 1820. An original feature of this work is that the four solo orchestral ritornelli, in the style of a basso continuo, and soloists is allowed to shine with his own individual virtuoso church that he was regarded as a “celebrated maestro”. In instruments take it in turns to play. Mayr wrote this concerto Mayr has written out the relevant parts. Something similar figures before they all embark on the Finale and indulge 1802 he was appointed maestro di cappella at Santa Maria “for Sig. Gio:[vanni] Sangiovanni”, who evidently was able to occurs, for example, in Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C major, once more in a communal and entertaining dialogue. Maggiore in Bergamo. He founded a music school there, the play all four instruments and with this work took the K 246. Stylistically however Mayr’s concertos are closer to Lezioni Caritatevoli di Musica, based on the model of the opportunity publicly to show his versatility. The work first those of Haydn, whom Mayr, especially in his early years, Franz Hauk monastery conservatories which had been largely dissolved, appeared in print in 1978 under the title Concerto berga- much revered. The cadenzas in the first and third English translation by David Stevens and he attracted distinguished musicians and teachers to masco, with some retouching by Heinrich Bauer. The first Bergamo, which became his adopted city. His most movement, which begins in D minor but ends in D major, is celebrated pupil was Gaetano Donizetti. About seventy devoted to the flute alone. Time and again the music-lover operas, which were heard in major opera houses throughout can hear in Mayr’s music thematic allusions to the work of Europe, established Mayr’s reputation as “the father of other composers, for example Beethoven. The second Italian opera”. In addition to opera, he produced an movement, which begins with atmospheric string pizzicati, enormous body of music for the church, Lieder and also is given to the clarinet, which is joined from time to time by several larger-scale instrumental compositions including a cheerfully sighing solo cello. After an introduction in D two completed piano concertos, the Concerto in D minor for minor, which is extended by the solo basset horn, the brief Flute, Clarinet, Basset Horn, Piccolo and Orchestra and a third movement presents a folk-like theme in the relative Terzetto in A minor for Three Violins and Orchestra. major before leading with barely a pause into the last In his memoirs the violinist, music director and composer movement, Tema con variazioni. The basset horn takes the Louis Spohr, one of the leading representatives of early lead up to the second variation and again in the fifth variation. German romanticism, gives a personal view of Simon Mayr. In the second, fourth and seventh variations the basset horn Mayr was certainly: “… deeply immersed in the Italian soloist takes a breather while the remaining orchestral manner and disowned the German almost completely. His instruments divide up the music between them-selves. In way of highlighting and orchestrating the singing line is pure the third variation the flute makes a return with boisterous Italian. One really should not be surprised at this, since he trills and leaping figures while the clarinet takes the sixth lived in Italy from the age of fourteen [in fact from the age variation con espressione in a sombre F minor. Finally the of 24] and wrote solely for Italian listeners. I believe that, piccolo also joins in with the abbreviated and, as it were, notwithstanding his inborn talent, he merely thereby raised impatient seventh variation and introduces the Finale with a himself above the others, that he sought always to get hold variant of the original variation theme. All the solo instruments of superior German works, studied and used them, and appear once again, playing in order, in a lively 6/8 rhythm indeed the last very often too much. He is much loved and while the orchestra follows and joins in dialogue. Natalie Schwaabe David van Dijk The flautist Natalie Schwaabe was born in Tokyo and grew up in Hong Kong, where she began her musical training. After David van Dijk was born in 1976 in Dirksland (The Netherlands), where he had his first violin lessons from the age of eight. finishing her secondary education at the Purcell School, London, she studied with Paul Meisen at the Munich He studied in Utrecht with Viktor Liberman, in Hamburg with Mark Lubotsky and in Rotterdam with Ilja Grubert, and won Musikhochschule where she completed her master-class diploma in 1993. She won an honorary prize in the 1996 various first and second prizes in national competitions. In 1995 he was awarded the Zilveren Vriedenskrans of the Prague Spring Competition and was a prize-winner in the Odense Carl Nielsen Flute Competition. She began her Amsterdam Concertgebouw. David van Dijk has collaborated with the pianist Léon Bak throughout The Netherlands and orchestral career in 1991 as principal flute in the Munich Symphony Orchestra. In 1993 she moved to the Munich Radio played in Paris, London and Nice. He was a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Orchestra and since 1996 has served as flautist and piccolo-player in the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. In Youth Orchestra. From 2001 to 2003 he held a scholarship from the Academy of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, autumn 1999 she was appointed to teach piccolo at the Munich Musikhochschule. of which he has been a member since 2004. He has served as a coach for the Bavarian Regional Youth Orchestra and in 2010, together with musicians from the Radio Symphony Orchestra and free-lance early music players, established Andrea Steinberg the baroque ensemble L’accademia giocosa. The Munich-born Andrea Steinberg had her first musical instruction at the age of five, first on the violin and then on the piano. She was taught the clarinet by Hans Schöneberger, principal clarinet of the Bavarian State Opera. She won a Franz Hauk regional prize in the 1995 Jugend musiziert Competition and in 1997 continued her studies with Hans-Dietrich Klaus at Born in 1955 in Neuburg on the Danube, Franz Hauk first studied church and school music, and piano and organ at the the Detmold Musikhochschule, going on to study with Martin Spangenberg at the Weimar Musikhochschule. She started Music High Schools in Munich and Salzburg, with teachers including Aldo Schoen, Gerhard Weinberger, Franz Lehrndorfer her orchestral career as clarinettist in the regional Rheinland-Pfalz Youth Orchestra and was later a member of the and Edgar Krapp. In 1981 he took his master-class diploma at the Munich Musikhochschule, followed by further German Youth Philharmonic. From 2002 to 2004 she was engaged as acting principal clarinet in the North West German distinctions. In 1988 he was awarded his degree by the Faculty of Musicology with a work on Munich church music at Herford Philharmonic and from 2007 to 2008 as principal clarinettist in the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra. She received the beginning of the nineteenth century, and as a scholar has been involved in issues of sources, editions and performance an award from the Academy of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, with which she appeared as a guest on various practice. Since 1982 he has served as organist, and since 1995 as choirmaster, at the Cathedral in Münster. He has been occasions. involved in the foundation of various concert series in Ingolstadt, including the Ingolstadt International Organ Days and the Organ Matinée at Twelve at the Asam church of Maria de Victoria. He has done much to foster a revival of interest Antonio Spiller in the composer Johann Simon Mayr. Franz Hauk has served on the juries of music competitions and given master- Born in Argentina, Antonio Spiller had his first violin and viola lessons with his father, Ljerko Spiller, professor of violin classes at international festivals. Since 2002 he has taught historical performance practice and church music at the Munich and chamber music in Buenos Aires. He made early appearances in chamber music in the United States, South America State Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München. and Europe, and, supported by the Argentine Mozarteum, made regular appearances as a soloist and chamber musician in South America, after winning several competitions in his native city. After his father, he owes much to Max Rostal, Bavarian Classical Players with whom he studied in Cologne for two years on a German government scholarship. In 1978 he was appointed leader The Bavarian Classical Players bring together leading members of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. He has collaborated with the Joachim Koeckert Quartet, the The orchestra itself was established in 1949 under Eugen Jochum, who held the position of Principal Conductor until Munich String Trio and with the pianist Silvia Natiello-Spiller and cellist Wen-Sinn Yang in the Spiller Trio. He was a co- 1960 and brought in leading players from the Koeckert and Freund Quartets as principals. From 1961 to 1979 he was founder of Ingolstadt Orchestra Academy, making it possible for young musicians to play under conductors such as Sir followed by Rafael Kubelík. Kirill Kondrashin was appointed Principal Conductor for the 1982/1983 season, but in 1981 Colin Davis, Kurt Sanderling and Lorin Maazel, as part of a joint foundation with the Academy of the Bavarian Radio died in Amsterdam of a heart-attack. After a two-year search Sir Colin Davis became Principal Conductor from 1983 to Symphony Orchestra. 1993, followed, from 1993 to 2002, by Lorin Maazel. Mariss Jansons took over at the beginning of the 2003/2004 season. The orchestra enjoys a reputation as one of the best in Germany and in 2006 won a Grammy® for best orchestral Yi Li performance. Yi Li, born in 1978, studied from 1996 to 2000 at the China Central Conservatory of Music, taking her Bachelor of Music Degree with Zhenshan Wang, from 2000 to 2003 at the Université de Montréal for a Master of Music Degree with Eleonore Turovsky, and from 2003 to 2005 at the Munich Musikhochschule, where she completed her master’s diploma with Gottfried Schneider. From 2001 to 2003 she served as concertmaster of the FACE Symphony Orchestra in Canada. From 2003 to 2005 she was a scholar of the Academy of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, of which she has been a member since 2005. Simon Mayr (1763–1845) vorgeführt, das Orchester sekundiert und dialogisiert. Virtuos stilistischen Gestus nähert sich Mayr den Konzerten von Concerto bergamasco • Cembalokonzert in C-Dur • Trio concertante beschließt das Ottavino den unterhaltsamen Reigen. Joseph Haydn an, den er, zumal in seinen früheren Jahren, Als Klavierkonzert wird in der Regel Simon Mayrs hoch verehrte. Die Kadenzen im ersten und dritten Satz Simon Mayr, in Mendorf bei Ingolstadt geboren, erhielt vom manchmal ein wenig zu sehr. Er wird in ganz Italien und Concerto C-Dur bezeichnet. Die autographe Partitur, die in stammen von Mayr. Vater, einem Schulmann und Organisten, den ersten be sonders hier [in Neapel] sehr geschätzt und geliebt und der Bibliothek des Istituto Donizetti in Bergamo aufbewahrt Das Trio concertante a tre Violini mit Begleitung des Musikunterricht. Im Kloster Weltenburg und bei den verdient es auch in jeder Hinsicht und ist als Mensch noch wird, nennt freilich als Soloinstrument das Cembalo. Damit Orchesters dürfte Mayr um 1820 geschrieben haben, der Jesuiten in Ingolstadt erfuhr der junge Simon weitere immer der rechtschaffene, schlichte und bescheidene ist natürlich die Interpretation auf einem Hammerflügel nicht Anlaß ist unbekannt. Auszugehen ist, daß das Werk Anregungen, ehe er um 1790 durch die Vermittlung von Deutsche. Sein Vaterland liebt er sehr und scheint nur zu ausgeschlossen, der in den letzten Jahrzehnten des 18. erstmals im Rahmen von Konzerten der Lezioni Caritatevoli Thomas de Bassus und wohl auch dessen Sohn Dominicus bedauern, daß ihn das Schicksal nicht seine Karriere als Jahrhundert auf dem Vormarsch war und das Cembalo di Musica oder der 1823 gegründeten Unione Filarmonica nach Italien gelangte. Carlo Lenzi in Bergamo und der Komponist in Deutschland machen ließ. In seinem Berg- allmählich an den Rand drängte. Das Werk ist wohl um erklang. Das Trio beginnt mit einer Introduktion in a-Moll, damals berühmte Ferdinando Bertoni, Markuskapellmeister amo, wo er Kapellmeister ist, will er sich jetzt [1817] ganz 1800 entstanden, möglicherweise in Venedig. Ein originales zunächst stockend, von Pausen unterbrochen, ganz im Stile in Venedig, unterwiesen den Bayern in der Komposition zur Ruhe begeben und nur noch für seine Kirche schreiben.” Titelblatt ist leider nicht erhalten, zu vermuten ist allerdings, einer Opernszene. Das folgende Andantino gibt den drei und förderten seine Karriere. Oratorien, Opern und zahl- Wohl um 1820 entstand das Concerto per Flauto, daß das Werk ähnlich wie die Mozartschen Klavierkonzerte Solisten Gelegenheit, sich ausdrucksvoll und im Wechsel- reiche Kirchenmusiken entstanden in der Lagunenstadt und Clarinetto, Corno bassetto ed Ottavino, so der Titel auf der KV 413, 414, 415 und 449 alternativ auch mit Begleitung spiel einzuführen. Ein Variationssatz schließt an, das Thema machten Mayr bekannt, er galt als „celebre Maestro“. 1802 autographen Partitur. Originell an diesem Werk ist, daß die eines Streichquartetts aufgeführt werden kann, Oboen und im lichten A-Dur stellen die Solisten vor. Jeder von ihnen wurde er zum Kapellmeister an Santa Maria Maggiore in vier Soloinstrumente ausschließlich im Wechsel musizieren. Hörner also ad-libitum-Instrumente darstellen. Das kann in den folgenden Variationen zunächst einzeln mit Bergamo gewählt. Er begründete dort eine Musikschule, Mayr schrieb dieses Konzert “pel Sig. Gio:[vanni] Soloinstrument spielt in Anlehnung an eine Basso continuo- virtuosen Figuren glänzen, ehe sie im Finale wieder in einen die Lezioni Caritatevoli di Musica nach dem Vorbild der Sangiovanni”, der offenbar alle vier Instrumente beherrschte Praxis die Orchesterritornelle mit, Mayr hat die ent- gemeinsamen und unterhaltsamen Dialog treten. weithin aufgelösten Klosterkonservatorien und holte her- und mit diesem Werk die Gelegenheit erhielt, seine sprechenden Partien ausnotiert. Ähnliches findet sich vorragende Musiker und Pädagogen in die Stadt, die seine Vielseitigkeit öffentlich herauszustellen. Im Druck erschien beispielsweise in Mozarts Klavierkonzert C-Dur KV 246. Im Franz Hauk Wahlheimat wurde. Gaetano Donizetti war sein Schüler. das Werk erstmals 1978 unter dem Titel „Concerto Etwa 70 Opern, die an den prominenten Opernhäusern in bergamasco“, von Heinrich Bauer mit einigen Retouschen ganz Europa erklangen, begründeten Mayrs Ruf als „Vater versehen. Der erste Satz, der in d-Moll beginnt und in D-Dur der italienischen Oper“. Daneben schuf er ein gewaltiges schließlich endet, gehört der Flöte. Der Kenner mag immer kirchenmusikalisches Werk, Lieder und auch einige größere wieder thematische Anspielungen Mayrs heraushören, auf Instrumentalkompositionen, darunter zwei vollständig Beethoven beispielsweise. Der zweite Satz, der stim- überlieferte Klavierkonzerte, das Concerto d-Moll für Flöte, mungsvoll über Streicherpizzicati anhebt, ist der Klarinette Klarinette, Bassetthorn, Piccolo und Orchester und ein gewidmet, bisweilen darf ein Solocello sich dazugesellen, Terzetto a-Moll für drei Violinen und Orchester. heiter nachseufzend. Der dritte Satz bringt nach einer Der Geiger, Kapellmeister und Komponist Louis Spohr, orchestralen d-Moll-Einleitung eine weitgespannte, reich einer der hervorragenden Vertreter deutscher Frühromantik, ornamentierte Kantilene des Bassetthorns, ehe der vierte gibt in seinen „Erinnerungen“ eine persönliche Charakter- Satz in der Durparallele anhebt mit einem volksliednahes istik von Simon Mayr. Mayr sei allerdings “tief in die Thema, das variiert wird. In der ersten, dann wieder in der italienische Manier hineingeraten und verleugnet fast ganz fünften Variation führt das Bassetthorn. In der zweiten, vierten den Deutschen. Seine Art, den Gesang zu führen und zu und siebten Variation verschnauft der Solist, die übrigen instrumentieren, ist rein italienisch. Verwundern darf man Orchesterinstrumente teilen sich die Aufgaben. In der dritten sich darüber freilich nicht, da er seit seinem vierzehnten Variation kehrt die Flöte mit übermütigen Trillern und [recte: vierundzwanzigsten] Jahre in Italien lebt und nie für Sprungfiguren zurück, die Klarinette gestaltet die sechste andere als italienische Zuhörer geschrieben hat. Ich glaube, „con espressione“, in trübem f-Moll. Schließlich fällt auch daß er sich, seinem angebornen Talent unbeschadet, bloß das Ottavino ein, verkürzt gleichsam ungeduldig die siebte dadurch über die andern emporgehoben hat, daß er sich Variation und eröffnet das Finale mit einer Variante des von jeher alle vorzüglichen deutschen Werke zu verschaffen ursprünglichen Variationsthemas. Im heiteren 6/8-Rhythmus suchte, sie studierte und benutzte, und zwar letzteres wohl werden, der Reihe nach, nochmals alle Soloinstrumente Though revered as ‘the father of Italian opera’, Simon Mayr also wrote large-scale instrumental and orchestral music. His 1820 Concerto in D minor has an ingenious trick up its sleeve: it introduces each of the four soloists in turn with the flute, for example, soloing in the first movement and the clarinet in the second. This elegant, lyrical work hints at Beethoven but also at folklore in a winning way. The assured Keyboard Concerto reveals the influence of Haydn on the German-born Mayr whilst the Trio Concertante is imbued with Mayr’s vivid operatic impulses.

Simon MAYR (1763–1845) Concerto in D minor for flute, Keyboard Concerto in clarinet, basset horn, piccolo C major 16:17 and orchestra, 5 Allegro 8:18 ‘Concerto bergamasco’ 24:57 6 Andantino 3:48 1 Allegro 6:56 7 Rondò 4:06 2 Andantino 4:39 8 Trio Concertante in A minor 3 Largo – 2:14 for three violins and 4 Tema con variazioni 11:05 orchestra 12:09 Natalie Schwaabe, Flute 1, 4 and Piccolo 4 Andrea Steinberg, Clarinet 2, 4 and Basset Horn 3, 4 Antonio Spiller, Yi Li and David van Dijk, Violins 8 Bavarian Classical Players Franz Hauk, Harpsichord 5–7 and Conductor Main picture: Bavarian Classical Players (private) • Top, from left to right: Natalie Schwaabe (Astrid Ackermann), Andrea Steinberg (private), Franz Hauk (Katrin Eberhardt) • Bottom, from left to right: David van Dijk (Matthias Schrader), Recorded at Neues Schloss, Fahnensaal, Ingolstadt, Germany, 19–22 September 2007 Yi Li (private), Antonio Spiller (Georg Thum) Producer & Engineer: Michael Grobe • Editors: Michael Grobe, Franz Hauk • Booklet notes: Franz Hauk Editions prepared by: Franz Hauk (tracks 1–4 & 8); Fabrizio Capitaneo (tracks 5–7) Sponsored by Internationale Simon Mayr-Gesellschaft, Bezirk Oberbayern Cover photo: Bergamo, Italy (© Guagui / Dreamstime.com)