Trio Montserrat German Counterpoint
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ARCD 014 TRIO MONTSERRAT GERMAN COUNTERPOINT Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91)/ Heinz Schubert (1908–45) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Kammersonate für Streichtrio (1934/37) 3 Fugen aus Bachs Wohltemperierten Klavier, 14 Un poco maestoso e sostenuto – Poco von Mozart für Streichtrio arrangiert und mit adagio – Tempo primo – Un poco allegro – langsamen Einleitungen versehen (KV 404a, 1782) Più sostenuto – Più largo 7’14” 1–2 I Adagio – Fuga. Allegro moderato 15 Chaconne [„Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh (BWV 853) 8’32” darein…“]. Adagio – Molto sostenuto – 3–4 II Adagio – Fuga. Allegro Allargando 5’49” attacca: (BWV 583) 6’09” 16 Fuga. Allegro, ma un poco tenuto – 5–6 III Adagio – Fuga. Vivace Sempre più animando e crescendo – (BWV 882) 5’38” Poco ritenuto – Sostenuto – Allegro – Sempre molto vivace e leggiero – Paul Büttner (1870–1943) Accelerando e crescendo molto – Largo Triosonate für Streichtrio [Kanons mit tenuto – Allargando al fine 8’09” Umkehrungen im doppelten Kontrapunkt der Duodezime (ca. 1930) Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling (1904–85) 7 I Grave – Allegro 2’05” Streichtrio (1983) 8 II Andante grazioso 2’18” 17 I Rhapsodie 5’56” 9 III Adagio sostenuto 3’48” 18 II Notturno. Larghetto con intimo 10 IV Vivace 0’39” espressione 4’15” 11 V Andante cantabile 3’13” 12 VI Largo 1’30” Bonus 13 VII Finale. Presto – Coda più 19 Ein Zeitlupen-Blick in Heinz Schuberts animato 2’43” hochverdichtete Harmonik 1’02” Total Time: 70’15” LC 28016 2 Joel Bardolet Miquel Córdoba 3 Bruno Hurtado 4 pedantry the composer must bring forth a flow MAXIMUM of inspiration and not attempt to hide its ab- sence behind a wealth of attractive sounds and CONCENTRATION luxuriant superficialities. ON THE THE DRAMATIC STRUCTURE OF THIS ALBUM ESSENTIAL The powerful Chamber Sonata by Heinz Schubert, a composer who fell in battle far too young It need hardly be said that the string quar- near the end of the war, was written in 1934 tet, the royal genre of chamber music, has and revised in 1937. It has been on my list received the largest number of contributions of favourites for many years, and our pro- from the great composers. Yet the string gramme is structured around it in its pre- trio, although eclipsed, is no less demand- mier recording. It was only natural to combine ing and attractive for players and listeners it with the ravishingly serene two-movement alike. On the contrary, a three-part texture String Trio from the late period of Reinhard for three instruments, each with its own vi- Schwarz-Schilling, since both composers were brant articulation and melodic writing, is the outstanding pupils of Heinrich Kaminski. the most that any well-versed listener can It would also be only natural to include mu- follow while still perceiving the individual- sic by Kaminski himself, the founder of a ity of the parts. Once this texture is joined novel ‘constantly flowing’ counterpoint that by a fourth instrument, either one part will creatively prolonged the German contrapun- sacrifice its independence by adapting to tal tradition from Bach via late Beethoven and suit the others, or the musicians must con- Bruckner into the modern era. But although sciously decide which part should slip into his output includes a String Quintet and a the background so that a coherent tissue will Quintet for clarinet, horn and string trio, remain perceivable. it has nothing for string trio alone. In sum, the string trio confronts us with the From the very outset it was clear that we potential of maximum textural density. In this would find a fitting work to illustrate the concentration on the essential, it challeng- conscious ties between these composers and es composers to maintain the flux of a gen- the contrapuntal art of Johann Sebastian uine three-part texture, demanding supreme Bach and his forerunners. Our glance fell on compositional skill with no loopholes for the six Bach fugues (the sixth is by Wilhelm makeshifts. This means that writing truly con- Friedemann Bach) that Wolfgang Amadé Mozart tinuous counterpoint for string trio presup- arranged for string trio and supplied with poses a consummate mastery of resources, and slow introductions of the same sort that open to prevent it from congealing into academic his symphonies. True, there is no air-tight 5 proof of his authorship, for no autograph on disc. In contrast, the Bach fugue arrange- scores or authentic references (e.g. in the ments with Mozart’s introductions belong to correspondence) have survived. But the intro- the standard repertoire for this combina- ductions are so characteristic and of such tion of instruments, and are thus especial- high quality that there is little reason to ly well-suited to display the extraordinary doubt their authenticity. In contrast, the prowess of the Trio Montserrat. fugue arrangements have come down to us in various contemporary copyists’ manuscripts with no shortage of scribal slips. It is even THREE BACH FUGUES, highly questionable whether the expression marks and dynamics in the introductions were ARRANGED BY MOZART taken intact from Mozart’s original. FOR STRING TRIO We have selected three fugues that Mozart chose from the two volumes of the Well-Tem- WITH SLOW INTRO - pered Clavier. To round off this well-con- ceived programme I decided to include the DUCTIONS (1782) Trio Sonata by Paul Büttner, a Dresden com- poser as masterly as he is forgotten. This In early 1782 Mozart met Baron Gottfried van piece comprises seven ingenious miniatures Swieten (1733–1803) at the gatherings in the of splendid intricacy, musicianly humour, magnificent hall of the Vienna Court Library, yet extreme variety and profundity. Perhaps where the Baron, an imperial emissary and no music in the string trio format is more prefect of the Court Library, launched a se- resoundingly successful in illuminating such ries of performances of Baroque works. Mozart a broad range of diverse characters within seized the opportunity to immerse himself in such narrow confines. Büttner’s Trio Sonata a study of fugue, particularly those by Bach is virtually the prototype of a string trio and Handel, and was commissioned by van Swi- calling-card, one of the few works of unal- eten to produce, among other things, a new loyed romanticism after Beethoven and Brahms adaptation of Handel’s Messiah. It was in the that satisfies the loftiest structural and wake of this, probably in 1782, that he ar- intellectual standards in its genre. At the ranged six Bach fugues (five by Johann Se- same time it shows us that Büttner, a master bastian, one by Wilhelm Friedemann) and of large symphonic form, was also a gifted supplied them with slow introductions in his miniaturist. own style. It is amazing how smoothly these introductions fit the fugues, and they nat- The works by Paul Büttner and Heinz Schubert urally served as preliminary studies for appear here in world premier recordings, the original compositions of his own, above all Schwarz-Schilling piece for the second time the Adagio and Fugue in C minor for strings, 6 K. 546. (This famous innovative fugue was composed for two pianos one year later, in PAUL BUTTNER: 1783, and arranged for string quartet with a slow introduction in 1788.) Mozart’s comments TRIO SONATA (1930) to his sister, in a letter of 20 April 1782, are especially pertinent: ‘I composed the Paul Büttner was born into modest circum- fugue first and wrote it down while conceiv- stances, lived for ordinary people and died ing the prelude’ (a further indication that in solitude in Dresden. He was the most sig- the fugue usually came first and the suitable nificant pupil of the great symphonist and slow introduction grew out of it). He contin- sacred composer Felix Draeseke (1835–1913), a ues: ‘Baron van Swieten, to whom I go every consummate master of counterpoint who served Sunday, gave me all the works of Handel and as professor of composition at Dresden Con- Sebastian Bach to take home with me (after servatory, where he was both sought-after and I’d played them to him)’, adding that Con- feared in equal measure. At first Büttner stanze wanted to hear nothing but the fugues went completely unnoticed as a composer: he of Bach and Handel and urged him to compose was already 45 years old and at work on his some of his own. There now follows a crucial Fourth Symphony when Arthur Nikisch premièred note on performance practice, one that also the Third at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 21 raises general doubts as to the authenticity January 1915. The success was overwhelming, of the expression marks in the trio arrange- and in the midst of war Büttner became the ments on our recordings: ‘I have purposely great white hope in the symphonic tradition written above it Andante maestoso, so that it of Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner. In rapid won’t be taken too fast. For unless a fugue succession the Third and its three compan- is played slowly the ear cannot clearly dis- ions were soon being performed in many other tinguish the entrances of its subject, and cities. Walter Dahms, writing in 1917, pro- consequently it loses its effect.’ nounced him an outright ‘genius’: “What distinguishes Büttner from so many Our programme features the three fugues that other composers of today is the intrin- Mozart chose from the Well-Tempered Clavier, sic verity of his music, its overflowing which, in combination with their variegated wealth of inspiration, its tension, ve- preludes, form a dramatically convincing hemence, buoyancy, and lilt, the gran- whole. deur of its ideas. Here far-reaching arcs of melody are constructed, and the iron rhythms have the unbroken prime- val strength of a force majeur.