CDXXV. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz: Adieu

CDXXV. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz (1928-2007)

Adieu (1966)
Sidnei Maia, flute
Lucas de Cunha, oboe
Félix Alonso, clarinet
Anderson Sabino, French horn
Radan Slivensky, bassoon
Jorge Lisbõa Maia, cond.
(11:52)

Piet Mondrian
Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow

Stockhausen's magnificent first wind quintet -- Zeitmaße (1955-56) -- replaced the French horn with an English horn. After Adieu, he wrote a third quintet: Rotary Wind Quintet (1997).

**

After seeing the Mondrian (above) at The Hague, Stockhausen was inspired to begin work on Adieu, even though he was in the middle of completing Hymnen [see Post CDXIX].

Also, Stockhausen was aware of the impermanence of time, when the oboist Wilhelm Meyer -- who had asked Stockhausen to write a new quintet for his group's Asian tour -- lost his son, an organist, in a car crash.

Again (inspired by the painting), he used Fibonacci numbers to determine the length of each section.

The piece reveals feelings of separation and bereavement, through the use of long-held chords with microtonal fluctuations and gestures of interrupted movement -- unfinished cadences, abrupt changes in the sound. The musicians  -- as required in all of Stockhausen's work -- must be able to experience deeply, and form into notes, the sense of closeness to death that vibrates in this music.

Each Fibonacci duration is associated throughout with a particular type of articulation. The value 13, for example, is associated with trills. However the value 34 (13+21) takes on the trills plus the 34 value, which is "repetition of notes." Another example would be the 21 value (13+8), where in addition to trills the character of 21 would mean that the players include crescendi ...

CDXXIV. BACH, J.S.: Sonata #2 in D Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1028

CDXXIV. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

Sonata #2 in D Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1028 (1730-40)
1. [Adagio]
2. [Allegro]
3. Andante
4. Allegro
Mieneke van der Velden, viola da gamba
Benjamin Alard, harpsichord
(15:54)

First movement

A stately Adagio.

Second movement

A lively 2/4 Allegro. The harpsichord complements the gamba, either with parallel harmony or weaving scalar figures ...

Third movement

12/8, siciliano rhythm. Again, the keyboard compliments what the gamba is doing ...

Fourth movement

A sweeping movement in 6/8 ...

Near the end, Bach gives the gamba a fast-moving couple of bars:

Bach used parts of this sonata in the St. Matthew Passion [see Post I].

CDXXIII. BACH, J.S.: French Suite #6 in E Major, BWV 817

CDXXIII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

French Suite #6 in E Major, BWV 817 (1722-25)
1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Gavotte
5. Polonaise
6. Bourrée
7. Menuet
8. Gigue
Magdalena Baczewska, harpsichord
(15:15)

1. Allemande

2. Courante

3. Sarabande

4. Gavotte

5. Polonaise

6. Bourrée

7. Menuet

8. Gigue

CDXXII. BARBARINO, Bartolomeo: Audi dulcis amica mea

CDXXII. BARBARINO, Bartolomeo (c. 1568-c. 1617)

Audi dulcis amica mea
Sven Schwannberger, transverse flute
Thomas Leininger, organ
Masako Art, double harp
Brigitte Gasser, lyre
(4:25)

CDXXI. BOULEZ, Pierre: Dialogue de l'ombre double

CDXXI. BOULEZ, Pierre (1925-2016)

Dialogue de l'ombre double (dialogue of the double shadow) (1985)
Alain Damiens, clarinet
Andrew Gerzso, electro-acoustic realisation
[scrolling score]
(18:13)

An awesome piece of music.

Boulez based the piece on the "double shadow" of Paul Claudel's 11-hour play The Satin Slipper. The clarinetist dialogues with his/her shadow, represented by a part of clarinet pre-recorded on magnetic tape and spatialized by means of loudspeakers dispersed around the audience.

CDXX. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz: Mikrophonie II

CDXX. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz (1928-2007)

Mikrophonie II (1965)
(14:52)

For choir, Hammond organ, and four ring modulators.

The work is composed of 33 "moments," duration according to the Fibonacci series.

The text is from Helmut Heißenbüttel's "nonsense" poem, Einfache grammatische Meditationen. Stockhausen redistributes its 44 lines over the 33 moments "in a manner congenial to the poetic principal of the text."

The choir consists only of high and low voices: two sections each of sopranos and basses, who sit in an arc with their backs to the audience, facing the Hammond organ player at the back of the stage. Each section is picked up by a microphone and the signal is fed into one side of a ring modulator; the organ's outputs are played back over four groups of loudspeakers, but the degree of modulation is controlled by potentiometers in order to produce gradations of transformation. Occasionally there are transitions from natural to artificial sound, or the reverse, at which points "sound windows" open, through which recorded excerpts from three of Stockhausen's earlier vocal compositions are played over a fifth loudspeaker group. These include Gesang der Jünglinge [see Post CXVIII), Carré and Momente.

Stockhausen remodels Heißenbüttel's text still further by the addition of interpretive directions for the singers, such as "solemn Levite chant," "à la jazz, cool, almost like a plucked double-bass, gradually tranformed into: like a conceited snob," "like a baby," "like drunkards, sometimes bowling, with hiccups."

CDXIX. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz: Hymnen

CDXIX. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz (1928-2007)

Hymnen (1966-67)
(1:53:47)

The work that turned my 15-year-old head inside-out!

I have a deep feeling for this composition, which I probably share with 1 out of 1,000 folks out there.

If you want to have a profound experience of what the best and most daring of 20th-century music had to offer, here it is.

Musique concrète

Region I is dedicated to Pierre Boulez and uses The Internationale and La Marseillaise.

Region II is dedicated to Henri Pousseur and uses the Deutschlandlied and a group of African anthems, the beginning of the Russian anthem, and a fragment of the Horst-Wessel-Lied.

Region III is dedicated to John Cage and uses the continuation of the Russian anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, and the Marcha Real.

Region IV is dedicated to Luciano Berio and uses the Swiss Psalm.

**

I personally dedicate Region IV to my old listening buddy, the late great John (Harpo) Whittington.

CDXVIII. KREISLER, Fritz: Liebeslied

CDXVIII. KREISLER, Fritz (1875-1962)

Liebesleid (1905)
Janine Jensen, violin
Antonio Pappano, piano
(3:45)

CDXVII. BACH, J.S.: Cantata #29: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29

CDXVII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

Cantata #29: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 (1731)
1. Sinfonia
2. [Coro]: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir
3. Aria (Tenore): Halleluja, Stärk und Macht
4. Recitative (Basso): Gottlob! es geht uns wohl!
5. Aria (Soprano): Gedenk an uns mit deiner Liebe
6. Recitativo (Alto, Coro): Vergiß es ferner nicht
7. Aria (Alto): Helleluja, Stärk und Macht
8. Choral (Coro): Se Lob und Preis mit Ehren
Netherlands Bach Society
Jos van Veldhoven, cond.
(24:54)

Composed for Ratswechsei, the inauguration of a new town council -- a ceremonial transfer of office -- and thus not part of any liturgical cycle.

1. Sinfonia

Bach was a great arranger of his own music. Here was have the Preludio from the E Major Partita for solo violin, BWV 1006 [see Post L] arranged for orchestra and organ:

2. [Coro]: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir

from Psalm 75; motet-style:

 

We thank Thee, Lord, we thank Thee
And we marvel at all Thy wonders

3. Aria (Tenore): Halleluja, Stärk und Macht

In this Da Capo aria, the tenor is accompanied only by a solo violin and continuo. Notice how the violinist (Shunsuke Sato) -- by tradition -- ornaments his part the second time through!

Halleluja, Strength and Might
May Thy name be high-exalted
Zion in Thy chosen site
There hast Thou Thy dwelling place
There will we and our descendants
Know the Father's loving grace

4. Recitative (Basso): Gottlob! es geht uns wohl!

Praise God, for all is well
God, our Preserver, true and tried
Our Light, our Hope, our Guide
Protector He of high and low
Our very lives to Him we owe
He blesses those of ev'ry station
Here Righteousness is met with Peace
And Truth and Mercy on a firm foundation
What people is there anywhere
To whom God gives such constant care?

5. Aria (Soprano): Gedenk an uns mit deiner Liebe

A prayer in siciliano tempo; notice how the continuo drops out when the soprano enters, producing a feeling of quiet tenderness:

Remember us in Thine affection
Uphold us in Thy mercy still!
Bless the rulers who direct us
Do Thou guard us, guide us, protect us
Bid us all obey Thy will

6. Recitativo (Alto, Coro): Vergiß es ferner nicht

A prayer for protection, with an Amen from the chorus:

Forget us not, O Lord, stretch out Thy Hand
Thy bounty rich bestow
They folk in thankful praise thro'out the land
Come here to honor Thee
To pay in thanks the debt they owe
All joining us in singing: Amen!

7. Aria (Alto): Helleluja, Stärk und Macht

The first two lines of the text for #3; the organ replaces the solo violin as the obligato instrument:

Hallelujah, strength and might
May Thy Name be high exalted!

8. Choral (Coro): Se Lob und Preis mit Ehren

The usually a cappella chorus is accompanied by the orchestral force, including trumpets:

Be glory, praise and honor
To all the Holy Trinity
In Faith will God uphold us
For as He promised, must it be
That we may trust Him wholly
To his direction resigned
Rely upon Him solely
With heart with will and mind
Hold fast to Him forever, so sing we all today
Amen! for this is our portion
That naught can take away

CDXVI. GLAZUNOV, Alexander: Scènes de Ballet

CDXVI. GLAZUNOV, Alexander (1865-1936)

Scènes de Ballet (1894)
1. Préambule
2. Marionnettes
3. Mazurka
4. Scherzino
5. Pas d'action
6. Danse Orientale
7. Valse
8. Polonaise
USSR Symphony Orchestra
Yevgeni Svetlanov, cond.
(32:19)

Intended solely as an orchestral suite, Glazunov nevertheless obviously had the ballet in mind in this richly orchestrated work. Delightful music from start to finish.

1. Préambule

2. Marionnettes

3. Mazurka

4. Scherzino

5. Pas d'action

 

6. Danse Orientale

7. Valse


 

8. Polonaise