A Night at the Opera Arrangements for Winds 1791–1821

Melbourne Windpower A Night at the Opera arrangements for winds 1791–1821 MOZART The Marriage of Figaro • The Magic Flute ROSSINI The Barber of Seville BEETHOVEN Fidelio directed by Richard Runnels directed by RICHARD RUNNELS Oboes — Stephen Robinson and Kazimierz Gorzadek Clarinets — Kate Stockwin (first in Barber and Figaro) and Judy Neutze (first in Fidelio and Magic Flute) Bassoons — Lucinda Cran, Wendy Cooper and Stephen Black Contra Bassoon — Stephen Black Horns — Philip Hall and Linda Hewett THE BARBER OF SEVILLE – Gioacchino Rossini, 1816 / Wenzel Sedlak, THE MAGIC FLUTE – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791/ Joseph 1821 Heidenreich, 1792 1 Overture 6’44” 16 Overture 4’28” 2 Largo al factotum 2’04” 17 Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja 2’03” 3 La Calunnia e’un Venticello 4’10” 18 Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen 2’54” 4 Di si felice innesto 2’43” 19 Das klinget so herrlich 1’20” 20 Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden 0’44” THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786 / Johann 21 Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen 3’35” Nepomuk Wendt, 1791 22 Papageno! Bist du mir nun ganz gegeben? 1’49” 5 Overture 3’43” 6 Se a caso madama 2’24” Produced by: Martin Wright and Richard Runnels 7 Voi che sapete 2’08” Digital recording and editing: Martin Wright 8 Dove sono i bei momenti 4’26” Production Assistant: Richard Kerr 9 Ecco la marcia 2’36” Recorded: May/June 1991 in the Melbourne Concert Hall Program notes: © 1991 Richard Runnels FIDELIO – Ludwig van Beethoven, 1804 and 1814 / Wenzel Sedlak, 1815 Costumes: Victoria State Opera 10 Overture 6’05” Photography: John Ingham, in the State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, 11 O war’ ich schon mit dir 2’03” Me1bourne 12 Mir ist so wunderbar 3’40” Performing editions prepared by Richard Runnels 13 Hat man nicht auch Gold 1’15” 14 Marsch 1’17” © 1991 MOVE RECORDS, AUSTRALIA move.com.au 15 O namenlose Freude! 2’45” Suddenly the Harmonie, a wind consisted of transcriptions of operas and The Harmonie ensemble consisting of pairs of oboes, ballets currently being performed in clarinets, bassoons and horns became Vienna, played by the Harmonie as part and Opera the most favored form for music outside of the Kaiser’s dinner music. They rarely the opera house. Austrian nobility quickly performed in what we would today think arrangements in followed the example of Kaiser Joseph of as a concert. The performance of opera II – Princes Esterhazy, Grassalkowitz, music on wind instruments suprised a Vienna Schwarzenberg, Lobkowitz and the visitor to Vienna who heard the Harmonie Kaiser’s brother, Maximillian Franz all perform in 1783 – isiting Vienna in 1772 while soon patronised their own wind groups “They even perform pieces which compiling ‘The Present and competed to obtain the services of are in fact intended only for voices, such State of Music in Germany’, the finest wind as choruses, duos, trios and Englishman players. Shortly even arias taken from the best Charles after his arrival operas; the place of the vocal VBurney passed judgement to take up lines is taken by the oboe and on a new instrumental residence in clarinet. One of this Harmonie combination he heard – Vienna in 1782 (the Kaiser’s), the virtuoso “There was music every Mozart wrote to and composer, Wehend (sic), day during dinner ... but it his father – has arranged them.” was usually bad, particularly “I have Johann Nepomuk Wendt that of a band of wind my eye here on played second oboe in the instruments. This consisted three sources. Harmonie. Born in Bohemia of horns, oboes, clarinets and The first is in 1745, he joined the Imperial bassoons, all so miserably out young Prince Opera Orchestra in Vienna of tune that I wished them a Liechtenstein, in 1777. He arranged most hundred miles off.” who would of the music for the Kaiser’s Little more than like to collect Harmonie as well as working ten years later another a Harmonie, for Prince Schwarzenberg. visitor recorded a startling for which I He also composed original development and rise in should write the works for the groups. Some standard – music.” of his opera arrangements were even “Among all kinds of musical news The members of the Kaiser’s published during his life, showing the which has been related to me, one piece Harmonie performed primarily in the popularity of wind ensembles at the time that was to me especially remarkable Imperial Opera Orchestra; for this they and the demand for music for them. Mozart concerned a group of musicians organised were paid 350 Gulden per annum. For seemed well aware of the commercial side by the Kaiser, the sound of whose wind their duties in the Harmonie they received of this art when he wrote to his father in instruments has achieved a new high level an extra 400 Gulden per annum, an 1782 – of perfection. It is known in Vienna as the indication of the level of importance of “Well, I am up to my eyes in work, for kaiserlich-königlich Harmonie. This group this ensemble. But what exactly were their by Sunday week I have to arrange my opera consists of eight persons, it performs by duties? In another musical development, it for Harmonie. If I don’t someone else will itself as a complete and full ensemble.” appears that most of the group’s repertoire anticipate me and secure my profits.” The ‘someone else’ was most likely attendance. The Wiener Zeitung noted in Wendt: he arranged Mozart’s Abduction 1786 – from the Seraglio, Cosi fan Tutte, Marriage “On Tuesday the Kaiser gave a Fête at ❄ of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Magic Flute! Schönbrunn. While His Majesty, together with the distinguished foreigners and Wenzel Sedlak (1776-1851), a guests, partook of the meal, the musicians clarinetist, was to become the most ❄ of the Harmonie were heard performing on important transcriber for Harmonien in wind instruments.” Vienna in the early 1800s. Kapellmeister There can be no doubt that the Count Zinzendorf recorded in his to Prince Liechtenstein, he was engaged musicians involved in the courtly diary of 1787 – by the publishing firm Artaria in 1814 to Harmonien were performers of the highest “Dined with Prince Schwarzenberg, work on an important new arrangement. stature. Visitors to Vienna music from Cosa Rara Ludwig van Beethoven himself had placed constantly remarked on divinely played the following notice in the their quality of performance. by the wind Wiener Zeitung on 1 July, Reichardt, Kapellmeister to instruments.” 1814 – the King of Prussia, recorded – and again “The undersigned, at during his visit to Vienna in in 1794 – the request of the Herren 1783 – “Dined Artaria and Co., herewith “The discussion finally at Princess declares that he has given turned to Harmoniemusik, Schwarzenberg’s the score of his opera Fidelio which was beginning ... pretty music to the aforesaid music at that time with great from The Magic establishment for publication perfection ... This afforded Flute.” under his direction in a a wholly delightful pleasure. Perhaps complete pianoforte score, The atmosphere and the arrangement quartets or arrangements performances alike were he heard was for Harmonie ...” pure and harmonious; some that of Joseph Beethoven was a fierce movements by Mozart were Heidenreich protector of his creations also exquisite.” (1753-1821). and at this same time wrote As late as 1790 wind As early as 14 to his publisher – music was still the subject of conversation – January, 1792, shortly after Mozart’s death, “I will not suffer that any man – “Kaiser Joseph II was a great Heidenreich himself had advertised in the no matter who he may be – change my supporter of wind instrument music. Wiener Zeitung – compositions.” He had himself selected eight virtuosi “Since several music lovers have We can therefore assume that on instruments of this kind and whose expressed the wish to own a Harmonie he supervised Sedlak’s authorised performances were executed in so masterly arrangement of the popular opera, The transcription of Fidelio. There are many a fashion that through them they must have Magic Flute, the last work of the great cuts and alterations to the original which satisfied even connoisseurs who were hard Mozart, the undersigned flatters himself must have had Beethoven’s approval. to please.” that he will not be giving unwelcome news Sedlak’s Fidelio appeared on 27 January, Not a dinner or royal function when he says that the aforesaid opera set 1815. was complete without a Harmonie in for eight parts will be issued ...” ❄ Wenzel Sedlak made over 60 opera transcrlptions from composers such as Melbourne Windpower brings the late-18th Bellini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer and Weber. But Rossini seems to have been his favorite century tradition of wind ensemble music to – he arranged The Barber of Seville, The Italian Girl in Algiers, Elizabeth, Queen the present day. The members of Melbourne of England, Semiramide, The Siege of Corinth, Tancredi, William Tell, Zelmira, Windpower perform with the State Orchestra Othello, The Thieving Magpie, Corradino, of Victoria. Melbourne Windpower’s first CD and probably others. Sedlak expanded the original octet Harmonie with contra has evoked excellent reviews: bassoon, trumpets, even flutes and trombones. Sedlak’s final transcriptions (Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and “Melbourne Windpower continues to Meyerbeer’s Les Hugenots) date from 1837 and 1839. It appears that this marks the end impress with its stylish interpretations ... of both the Kaiser’s Harmonie and that of Prince Liechtenstein. Economic and social excellent performances ... sonorities and conditions had changed to such an extent that nobility could no longer maintain tunings between instruments almost ideal.” large numbers of servants and musicians. (The Age). Opera itself had changed, becoming more grand, complex, and difficult to transcribe for a small wind group.

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