A1

VAŇHAL Keyboard Capriccios, opp. 31 and 36 • Michael Tsalka (pn) • GRAND 680 (79:58)

This recording is part of Grand Piano’s admirable series of largely undiscovered keyboard repertoire. It is a source of continual amazement that much of this repertoire—all by distinguished with significant reputations during their period of activity—has languished unheard for several centuries. In the case of Johann Baptist Vaňhal (1739–1813), the obscurity has persisted for nearly a quarter of a millennium. Vaňhal was a leading figure among Viennese musicians during the second half of the 18th century, enjoying patronage from the Schaffgotsches and producing 73 and 100 quartets. The six keyboard capriccios on this disc were written during the 1780s among many other small- scale works marketed to amateur performers, and have not been recorded previously. At their best, the capriccios are highly elegant and refined, with deeply-felt arioso passages and playful virtuoso figuration. The final capriccio of each set is particularly well composed, with thoroughly engaging material that is carefully and interestingly developed. The general effect is somewhat like that of Haydn, filtered through a more formal, somewhat restrained sensibility. Vaňhal’s writing is not as quirky as Haydn’s, nor as adventurous as Franz Anton Hoffmeister’s. He stays solidly within structural and harmonic convention, introducing an occasional surprising harmonic progression or unexpected melodic twist only as a means of contrast with more familiar material rather than as an independent object of interest. This is not to say that his music is predictable or lacks interest. Vaňhal’s writing exhibits complete mastery of the form and a wealth of melodic ideas, if not the unmistakably unique profile of a truly world class . Highlights of the series include the serene, stately introductory passage of op. 36/2, which Michael Tsalka plays with considerable sensitivity and conviction; the charming repeated-note theme of op. 31/2’s slow movement; and the interesting syncopations that permeate the furious opening movement of op. 36/3. Where Vaňhal falls short is in a tendency to repeat material more times than is welcome, both locally and structurally, and in an occasional overreliance on sequences and unvaried patterns of figuration. The music is never less than attractive at such moments, but does not reward close attention. Michael Tsalka clearly understands Vaňhal’s music. He effectively communicates the humor of the faster movements and plays the more lyrical passages with a singing tone and subtle flexibility of tempo and phrasing. Moreover, he ornaments repeated sections in ideal style. His passagework occasionally suffers from slight unevenness, and he does not always get to the bottom of the keys during quieter sections, but these are quibbles. Of more concern is that he appears to misread the score at several points, changing some snap rhythms to dotted rhythms and altering accidentals. I might attribute this to divergence between editions, though he misses a clef change toward the end of op. 36/1’s first movement, resulting in an audibly peculiar passage. The engineering is live and articulate, though a bit dry for my taste. The slight twang of the strings during several of the pedal releases would be ameliorated with just slightly more room ambience. This is not a perfect recording, but it is a good one, and strikes me as a fair representation of Vaňhal’s work. Any reader interested in Vaňhal or, more broadly, in the neglected composers of past eras, will be glad to have it. Myron Silberstein

This article originally appeared in Issue 38:6 (July/Aug 2015) of Fanfare Magazine.

VANHAL : in C for Bassoon and Orchestra;1 in C for Clarinet and Orchestra;2 in F for Oboe and Strings;3 in F for 2 Bassoons and Orchestra4 • Michel Lethiec, cl 2; Piet Van Bockstal, ob 3; François Baptiste, bn 4; Luc Loubry, bn 1, 4; Hans Rotman, cond; Prussian CO. • TALENT 2910 75 ( 67:38)

Elsewhere, I have had occasion to mention Vanhal in connection with a review of symphonies by Josef Mysliveček and a series of recordings of music by Mozart's contemporaries undertaken by Matthias Bamert on Chandos. I suspect “Mozart Contemporaries“ is more likely to arouse more curiosity than it would if one said, “Haydn Contemporaries,“ but the fact of the matter is that these approximately contemporaneous purveyors of early Classical style are closer, both chronologically and musically, to Haydn than they are to Mozart. Jean-Baptiste (or, if one prefers, Jan Křtitel) Vanhal (1739-1813), as you can see, was just seven years Haydn's junior, and outlived him by only four years. Mozart wasn't born until 1756 and died prematurely in 1791. So much for chronology. But musically too, Vanhal's style is very close to the mature Haydn, with occasional glances at Boccherini. In this regard, it can be said that Vanhal's classicism is a bit later and somewhat more advanced than that of Mysliveček. The point, however, is that there is much of the rustic, peasant robustness one hears in Haydn, and almost none of the Italianate curvaceous voluptuousness one hears in Mozart. Distilled to its simplest, if not simplistic, formula (and I don't mean this in a deprecating way), it's the difference between down-home country cookin' and haute cuisine. Vanhal was the country bumpkin (quite literally), Mozart, the refined urbanitě. Born in Bohemia (what is now the Czech Republic) and growing up in a rural village, Vanhal had little formal training. It wasn't until his violin-playing attracted the attention of a countess that things began to look up for him. She took him with her to and arranged for him to study composition with Dittersdorf. In Vienna, he rubbed elbows with both Haydn and Mozart, and was held in such high regard that his fame spread as far as the US, where some of his symphonies were played. He was quite prolific, producing some 100 string quartets, 73 symphonies, nearly 100 sacred vocal and choral works, and countless instrumental pieces. Three of the four concertos on this disc tell us that Vanhal was a skilled composer who knew how to write a good tune, turn a good phrase, and entertain an audience. But one of them, the in F for two bassoons, is a knockout. It is clear from the very beginning that this work stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Its first movement alone is more than double the length (13:05) of its companions. This may well be to Vanhal's concerto output what the D-Major Cello Concerto was to Haydn's concerto output, his crowning achievement in the medium. It is a glorious affair, and one could easily be excused for believing it is by the elder master himself. The second movement, marked Andante grazioso, is exquisitely beautiful. The two bassoons, embracing each other with overlapping suspensions, like two lovers entwining, made me think of that gorgeous slow movement from Bach's Concerto in C Minor for violin and oboe, where the two instruments interlace in a similar way. What a riotous romp the last movement is, with the two bassoons huffing and puffing away as fast as they can. I don't know, folks—this may be better than Haydn. I recommend this CD enthusiastically. All of the participants are excellent, but the bassoonists, Luc Loubry and François Baptiste, stand out especially. May we have more Vanhal, please.

Jerry Dubins

This article originally appeared in Issue 29:1 (Sept/Oct 2005) of Fanfare Magazine.

VANHAL Violin Concertos: in G; No. 3 in G; in B♭ • Takako Nishizaki (vn); Helmut Müller-Brühl, cond; Cologne CO • NAXOS 8.557815 (70:33)

Today, for those who ply their respective crafts as independent contractors or freelancers, the employment and economic climates are problematic. They face an unknown and ever-changing market that can be our best friend on Monday and our worst enemy by week’s end. We may go for days or perhaps weeks without a ring of the telephone or that awaited e-mail signalling another opportunity to replenish our faltering bank accounts. But this scenario is nothing new. It was much the same in 18th-century Europe, especially with regard to the arts in general and music in particular. Most composers sought the relative security (such as it was) of an appointment to a court. Even with such a post, problems would arise. For example, a composer might be forced to compromise his talent by creating trite and meretricious meringue for a patron with only a peripheral musical interest. Or, when a ruler died, the musicians in his employment might have their salaries reduced to a pension by a less-enlightened successor or even be dismissed and find themselves again in search of gainful employment. One composer who elected to brave the prevailing trend was Bohemian-born Jan Křtitel Vaňhal (1739—1813), also known as Jan Ignatius Wanhal and . Since it was not uncommon for agents or publishers to alter the spelling or language of a composer’s name, Vanhal’s has appeared in various corrupted forms, including “van Hal,” suggesting the possibility of a distant Dutch or Flemish ancestry. Germanic or Italian names were adopted by two other prominent Bohemian-born composers of the era, Johann Stamitz (Jan Stamic) and Antonio Rosetti (Anton Rössler). The son of a bonded Czech servant, Vanhal rose far above his humble origins in an obscure village and during his 74 years had become one of Vienna’s most respected musicians and composers. Vanhal claimed among his colleagues and students some of the most brilliant minds in musical history, and his music had achieved immense popularity with performers and audiences alike because he kept his finger on the musical pulse of the public. In 1814, Friedrich Rochlitz, writing in Allgemeine musicalische Zeitung, astutely observed that Wanhal would not be remembered for “beginning a revolution, ushering in a new era or founding a new school (of musical composition).” “Rather,” Rochlitz said, “Wanhal’s legacy lay in his being in tune with the times, in the best sense of the word.” A large number of Vanhal’s 70-plus symphonies form the anchor in a joint project by Naxos and its corporate partner, Editions of Wellington, New Zealand, to document the emergence and progression of the in 18th-century Europe. To date, three CDs of Vanhal’s symphonies have been released, and this CD marks the first in what appears to be a foray into the Bohemian’s concerto repertoire as well. First, let me state that as gifted and prolific as he was, Vanhal was no Mozart, but he was possessed of a keen sense of what worked and what didn’t work in the musical sense. He also knew his strengths and weaknesses, exploiting the former and avoiding the latter as much as possible. Vanhal composed over a dozen violin concertos and the three released on this Naxos CD do much to underscore his contemporary reputation as well as demonstrate his familiarity with the instrument. When compared to the fistful quilled by Mozart and the 14 of Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Vanhal fares well, but like Saint-Georges, he remains firmly ensconced in the second echelon of composers. The Concerto in B♭ was known to Mozart, performed by him in 1777, and was, according to contemporary accounts, well received by those in attendance. The scoring of the Vanhal concertos is modest; the orchestra consists of the customary four-part string ensemble with the cello line doubled by a bass and continuo (in this case, a harpsichord). No. 3 includes a pair of horns, but their parts are generally rudimentary and they are used primarily for color and to reinforce the tonic and dominant harmonies. These works are indicative of Vanhal’s ability to write generally memorable melodies that descend gracefully upon one’s ear, but one also encounters numerous opportunities where Takako Nishizaki displays her technical skills. Like the Saint-Georges concertos released by Naxos (8.555040 and 8.557322), the Vanhal concertos aid in broadening our awareness and appreciation of the Classical-era concerto repertoire, but also like the Saint-Georges releases, they are held back to a degree by the lack of a truly stunning soloist. Not that there’s anything wrong with Nishizaki’s execution here or her work and that of Chinese violinist Qian Zhou in the Saint-Georges discs, but it simply doesn’t grab me by the ears and elicit the requisite “Wow!” Also, the tempos in the outer movements of No. 3 seem more than a tad flaccid and after a bit my interest begins to wane, where my attention to the other two concertos didn’t wander as frequently. There are moments in the slow movements where I would have liked an approach that was a bit less dreamy, but that’s just an opinion—and you know the old saw about one’s opinion and a certain part of the human anatomy! The orchestral playing is somewhat low key; and at times it lacks what I view as the energy necessary for the music to unfold successfully. That said, the ensemble playing is what one has come to expect from Helmut Müller-Brühl and his band of many years: a middle-of-the-road approach that should not offend those still tethered to modern instruments, but as for the period-instrument enthusiast . . . Aurally, this is right in the middle of the scale with suitable but not exceptional sonics and acceptable presence. Michael Carter

This article originally appeared in Issue 30:5 (May/June 2007) of Fanfare Magazine.

Johann Baptist VAŇHAL (1739-1813) - MusicWeb Review Violin Concerto in G major (Weinmann IIb:G3) (by 1772) [27:26] Violin Concerto in G major (Weinmann IIb:G1) (by 1770) [20:31] Violin Concerto in B flat major (Weinmann IIb:Bb1) (by 1775) [22:36] Takako Nishizaki (violin) Cologne Chamber Orchestra/Helmut Müller-Brühl rec. 12-15 May, 2005 Deutschlandfunk, Sendesaal DLR, Cologne, Germany. DDD NAXOS 8.557815 [67:38]

Naxos continues to explore lesser known Classical repertoire.

My 1922 complete edition of Grove’s ‘Dictionary of Music and Musicians’ does not even have an entry for Vaňhal which goes to demonstrate how for many years his music fell out of favour. However, interest in Vaňhal and his contemporaries has clearly increased greatly as a quick check in the latest edition of ‘Grove Music Online’ reveals a substantial amount of biographical information including a works list.

Vaňhal was born in Nechanice, Bohemia in 1739 out of Czech peasant stock who were indentured to the Schaffgotsch estates. Despite his unprivileged beginnings He was taught to sing and to play various string, keyboard and wind instruments. Soon he was able to provide for himself by working as an organist and as a choirmaster in local townships. Vaňhal found himself a wealthy sponsor when the Countess Schaffgotsch became aware of his talents and persuaded him to move to Vienna around 1760.

In Vienna he obtained lessons from the eminent violinist and composer Karl von Dittersdorf, who as an associate of the distinguished composers Haydn and Gluck, was extremely well connected. A highly prolific composer it was said that Vaňhal was the first composer to earn his living entirely from writing and performing music and eventually his music became much admired was widely performed. Around the 1760s to 1780s he had become established as one of the foremost composers in the important musical centre of Vienna.

It is said that Vaňhal was an accomplished violinist but not of a virtuoso standard such as his contemporaries Dittersdorf and Hoffman. For a time Vaňhal toured extensively around Europe and moved in the most exalted of musical circles.. This is born out by the popular anecdote that at a recital in Vienna in 1784, that was organised by the composer Stephen Storace, Vaňhal played the cello in a true ‘superstar’ string quartet line-up, with Haydn as the first violin; Von Dittersdorf as second violin and Mozart on .

Having had the financial resources to break free from the indentures of his families serfdom and to achieve considerable fame in his chosen vocation, for the final thirty or so years of his life, it seems that Vaňhal progressively withdrew from public life and died in Vienna in 1813.

Vaňhal wrote an extremely large number of compositions, in a wide range of genres, many of which have not survived. To give an indication of the extent of his substantial output, he has been attributed with writing around 34 symphonies; 94 string quartets; over 100 trios; 48 masses, 20 keyboard concertos, as well as 17 violin concertos plus a large amount of other works. Evidently Alexander Weinmann in 1988 managed to catalogue Vaňhal scores. However, the challenging nature of the sources is such that it seems rare to obtain exact composition dates.

In addition to his renowned prowess on the violin and also, I understand, the cello Vaňhal evidently played several other instruments. He wrote a substantial amount of concertos, including many for woodwind, and it seems highly likely that he was able to play many of the various wind instruments to a reasonable standard. An attractive recent release on Talent Records DOM 2910 75 of Concertos for Clarinet; Oboe; Bassoon and two Bassoons demonstrates Vaňhal’s clear understanding and predilection for woodwind writing, as well as that for the violin.

In October 1777 Mozart wrote to his father that he had given a performance of Vaňhal’s Violin Concerto in B flat in the Heilig-Kreuz church at Augsburg to “universal applause”. Mozart knew the violin well and had by 1775 composed five violin concertos. It seems inconceivable that Mozart would have played a concerto that he considered to be less than an excellent in standard.

The three violin concertos contained on this disc were all thought to have been composed earlier than 1775. All three follow a similar pattern in a three movement layout that contains an opening Allegro moderato; a central Adagio and a closing Allegro. The motifs are reasonably attractive and the composer develops them with skill and imagination. It seems an unfair comparison to make but when compared to the genius of his younger contemporary Mozart, Vaňhal’s music is without the same warmth, the depth of expression, the variety and memorability, with orchestral accompaniment that tends to be rather spare.

The opening work on the release is the Violin Concerto in G major which at 27 minutes is the longest of the three. One is immediately struck by the virtuosic writing that Takako Nishizaki takes in her stride. The music takes the listener in its slipstream giving the illusion that it should be played with a quicker tempo.. I experienced the slow movement as stylish, passionate and tender in character.. The closing movement is given a rather measured pace and in the virtuosic passages at 2:18-2:44 and 9:10-9:51 one feels that the music needs to propel itself forward.. Placed towards the conclusion of the movement at 9:59-10:56 the cadenza is delightfully played by Nishizaki.

Vaňhal uses the same key of G major in the next Violin Concerto on the release. One notices the attractiveness of the main subjects and the melodic and fluid cadenza at 5:57-6:45 is impressively performed by Nishizaki.. The slow central movement, similar in nature to that of the opening concerto, is in Nishizaki’s hands affectionate and yearning. I found the playing in final movement Allegro light and high spirited. Here Nishizaki’s tempo is reasonably swift and her dexterity in the extended passagework between 3:54-4:53 is exemplary. I thoroughly enjoyed the spirited, robust and highly virtuosic cadenza at 5:02-5:52.

The final score on the release is the exhilarating and lyrical Violin Concerto in B flat major. With the exception of the orchestral opening Vaňhal makes his soloist work hard being almost fully occupied. The first and second motifs are attractive and extensively developed and the main subject is featured in the cadenza at 7:22-8:13. Vaňhal has lost all sense of high spirits in the rather serious disposition of the Adagio movement that is given a graceful and languid reading by Nishizaki. A swift and stately pace in the closing movement Allegro from Nishizaki in melodies that have a certain Vivaldi-like character. There are some excellent bravura episodes but nothing to overtax a soloist of Nishizaki’s standard. The brief cadenza at 7:00-7:35 is highly appealing.

Helmut Müller-Brühl and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra provide Takako Nishizaki with high quality accompaniment throughout using modern instruments with period performance practice. The sound quality from the Naxos engineers is vivid with just a hint of sharpness evident with the horn. As an expert on late 18th and early 19th century music and a specialist of Vaňhal’s Viennese contemporaries: Haydn; Mozart and Beethoven, Allan Badley’s credentials are impeccable and his booklet notes are most authoritative.

I can’t imagine Vaňhal being anything other than overjoyed by the superb playing of Takako Nishizaki on this captivating and invigorating disc..

Michael Cookson