DCCXXIX. BACH, J.S.: Prelude in C Minor, BWV 921

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

Prelude in C Minor, BWV 921 (1707-13)
Violaine Cochard, harpsichord
(2:48)

DCCXXVIII. ZELENKA, Jan Dismas: Sinfonia à 8 Concertanti in A Minor

DCCXXVIII. ZELENKA, Jan Dismas (1679-1745)

Sintonia à 8 Concertanti in A Minor (1723)
1. (Allegro)
2. Andante
3. Capriccio: Tempo di Gavotta
4. Aria di Capriccio: Andante -- Allegro -- Andante -- Allegro
5. Minuetto I -- II -- I
Chamber Chapel Russian Conservatory
Nikolai Khondzinsky, cond.
(7:38)

DCCXXVII. KAPUSTIN, Nikolai: Eight Concert Études for Piano: No. 3 in E Minor "Toccatina"

DCCXXVII. KAPUSTIN, Nikolai (1937-2020)

Eight Concert Études for Piano: No. 3 in E Minor ("Toccatina") (1984)
Shan-Shan Sun, piano
(1:59)

DCCXXVI. BRESNICK, Martin: Caprichos Enfáticos

DCCXXVI. BRESNICK, Martin (1946-       )

Caprichos Enfáticos (2007)
1. Farandole simple
2. Farandole of charlatans -- They don't know the way
3. Ravages of war
4. Farandole of politicians -- Against the common good
5. Farandole of the rabble
6. Strange devotion!
7. Farandole of believers -- Nothing. That is what it says
8. Farandole double
Lisa Moore, piano, percussion
Yale Percussion Group
(33:01)

The accompanying images are based on Goya's book of etchings Los Destastres de la Guerrra (The Disasters of War).

The way the musicians "replace and rotate" is uniquely ingenious.

DCCXXV. PROKOFIEV, Sergei: The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33

DCCXXV. PROKOFIEV, Sergei (1891-1953)

The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33 (1921)

Like most operas, the libretto comes from an earlier source, which itself comes from an even earlier source ...

Thus, Love is based on on the 1761 Italian play L'amore delle tre melarance by Carlo Gozzi, which itself was based on a collection of fairy tales (Pentamerone) from a century earlier by Giambattista Basile.

Gabriel Baquier, The King of Clubs
Jean-Luc Viala, The Prince
Helene Perraguin, Princess Clarissa
Vincent le Texier, Leandro
Georges Gautier, Truffaldino
Didier Henry, Pantaloon/Farfarello/Master of Ceremonies
Gregory Reinhart, Tchelio
Michele Lagrange, Fata Morgana
Catherine Dubosc, Ninetta
Brigitte Fournier, Nicoletta
Consuela Caroli, Linetta
Jules Bastin, The Cook
Beatrice Uria-Monzon, Smeraldina
The Lyon Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Kent Nagano, cond.
(1:44:56)

in French, beautiful production

Mark Glanville, The King of Clubs

Andrew Shore, Leander
Paul Harrhy, Truffaldino
Alan Oke, Panthalon
Roger Bryson, Celi
Maria Moll, Fata Morgana
Stephen Dowson, Herold
Peter Jeffes, The Prince
Patricia Payne, Clarissa
Maria Jagusz, Smeraldina
Richard Angas, The Cook
Mark Lufton, Farfarello
Lesley Roberts, Linetta
Victoria Sharp, Nicoletta
Juliet Booth, Ninetta
Terry Whan, Acrobat
Chorus Opera North
English Northern Philharmonia
David Lloyd-Jones, cond.
(1:58:33)

in English, with scratch-and-sniff cards (I kid you not)

Mikhail Kit, The King of Clubs
Evgeny Akimov, The Prince, his son
Larissa Diadkova, Princess Clarissa, the King's niece
Alexander Morozov, Leander
Konstantin Pluzhnikov, Truffaldino
Vassily Gerello, Pantaloon
Vladimir Vaneev, Chelio the Magician
Larissa Shevchenko, Fata Morgana
Zlata Bulycheva, Linetta
Lia Shevtsova, Nikoletta
Anna Netrebko, Ninetta
Grigory Karasev, The Cook
Fyodor Kuznetsov, Farfarello
Olga Korzhenskaya, Smeraldina
Fyodor Kuznetsov, Herald
Yuri Zhikalov, Master of Ceremonies
Opera and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre
Valery Gergiev, cond.
(1:41:00)

in Russian, on Spotify

DCCXXIV. BOULANGER, Lili: D'un matin du printemps

DCCXXIV. BOULANGER, Lili (1893-1918)

D'un matin du printemps (1919)
Seattle Symphony
Cristian Măcelaru, cond.
(5:54)

Originally for violin and piano; then a Piano Trio; a duet for Flute and Piano, and finally orchestrated just months before her tragic death in 1918.

DCCXXIII. ANTHEIL, George: Ballet Mécanique

DCCXXIII. ANTHEIL, George (1900-1959)

Ballet Mécanique (1925-26)
Philadelphia Percussion + Piano Project
Phillip O'Banion, cond.
(15:24)

• Grew up in Trenton, NJ. Flunked out of high school in 1918.
• He was so crazy about music that his mother sent him to the countryside where no pianos were available. George found a local music store that delivered a piano to him.
• In the early 20's, his first teacher -- Constantine von Sternberg -- introduced him to Louise Curtis Bok (founder of Curtis Institute), who gave Antheil a monthly stipend of $150.
• He married Boski Markus -- a Hungarian and niece of the Austrian playwright Arthur Schnitzler -- in 1925.
• They lived in Paris, above Sylvia Beach's bookshop Shakespeare and Company. She introduced George to Satie, Ezra Pound, Joyce, Virgil Thomson and Hemingway. Pound introduced him to Cocteau, and his name and revolutionary music became known in the French capital.
• Antheil described the Ballet Mécanique:
• "scored for countless number of player pianos. All percussive. Like machines. All efficiency. No LOVE. Written without sympathy. Written cold as an army operates. Revolutionary as nothing has been revolutionary."
• Originally conceived as a ballet to be accompanied by a film by Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy, with cinematography by Man Ray:

• In 1936, he went to Hollywood, where he wrote over 30 scores for such directors as Cecil B. DeMille and Nicholas Ray.
• He described most film scores as "unmitigated tripe."
• Scored Ray's In a Lonely Place (1950) with Bogart.
• Confident in his ability to "save" a weak film, staged:
• "If I say so myself, I've saved a couple of sure flops."
• Wrote a novel in 1930 (as "Stacey Bishop") -- a murder mystery called Death in the Dark with a character based on Pound
• Was a key figure in the pre-war Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, putting on exhibits of artwork banned in Nazi Germany, such as Käthe Kollwitz.
• Wrote a book The Shape of the War to Come where he predicted virtually everything that would come to pass.
• Was an expert on female endocrinology.
• Hedy Lamarr came to him for advice on how she might -- er -- "enhance her upper torso." Their discussion eventually moved on to the subject of torpedoes:
• During the war, Lamarr realized that a single radio-controlled torpedo could easily be detected and jammed.
• Antheil and Lamarr developed the idea of using frequency hopping: by using a player piano roll to randomly change the signal sent between the control center and the torpedo at short burst within a range of 88 frequences (the keys of a piano). This basically encrypted the signal.
• The Navy was too dumb to realize the possibilities, and it wasn't implemented until 1962.
• It wasn't until 1997, when Lamarr was given a belated award for her contributions.
• Their invention shares some concepts with modern spread-spectrum tech such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connections, etc.
• Died of a heart attack in NYC.

DCCXXII. BACH, J.S.: Cantata #93: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 93

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

Cantata #93: Wer nun den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 93 (1724)
1. Coro: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
2. Recitativo/Choral (Basso): Was helfen uns die schweren Sorgen
3. Aria (Tenore): Man halte nur ein wenig stille
4. Aria/Duetto (Soprano, Alto): Er kennt die rechten Freudenstunden
5. Recitativo/Choral (Tenore): Denk nicht in deiner Drangsalshitze
6. Aria (Soprano): Ich will auf den Herren schaun
7. Choral (Coro): Sing, bet und geh auf Gottes Wegen
J.S. Bach Foundation
Rudolf Lutz, cond.
(24:21)

Readings: 1 Peter 3:8-15 and Luke 5:1-11.

1. Coro: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten

Cantus firmus in the soprano:

Whoso will suffer God to guide him
And day by day in Him confide
A wondrous ally has beside him
When sore distress and ill betide
He Who with Mighty God can stand
Has builded on no shifting sand

2. Recitativo/Choral (Basso): Was helfen uns die schweren Sorgen

How profitless our dreary sorrow!
It wracks our very hearts
A hundredfold with agony untold
How useless all our woe and pain
Our misery they but sustain
What do we gain each gloomy morrow
With sighing, up from sleep to rise
With hopeless mien and teary eyes, to seek our beds again?
We thus but magnify distress
By gloom and grieving make it greater
The Christian's way is better
He bears his cross as Christ would do without complaint

3. Aria (Tenore): Man halte nur ein wenig stille

Patient be thou, bear thine affliction
Firm as the hour of trial draws near
God will bestow His benediction
Help will he give and counsel clear
God chooses well and knows His own
God as our Father would be known
Finally all our troubles ending
Help us His faithful children sending

4. Aria/Duetto (Soprano, Alto): Er kennt die rechten Freudenstunden

He knows the time when joy is seemly
He well knows when the hour may be
When He has found us true and faithful
Seen in us naught of perfidy
Then God, tho' we be unaware
Bestows on us His bounty rare

5. Recitativo/Choral (Tenore): Denk nicht in deiner Drangsalshitze

Think not when hot affliction presses
When flesh and thunder clap
And stifling air has brought thy spirit low
That God has then forgotten thee
God holdeth true in direst need
Yea, even unto death
He showeth mercy to His servants
Do not then fancy
That he whom hunger ne'er distresses
Can like the wealthy ever live
'Mid rare delights which riches give
Can gorge himself, from worries free
However great his pleasures
Yet in the end
When he has emptied bare the pleasure pots
Then death is at the bottom
In God's time all will be disclosed
Tho' Peter, tolling all the night
With futile labor at his nets
Had taken nothing
At Jesus' Word he took a multitude of fishes
Place then thy faith in trial, want, and pain
On Jesus' loving kindness
With trusting heart relying
For sunshine always follows rain
And each one's lot will be disposed

6. Aria (Soprano): Ich will auf den Herren schaun

In my God will I confide
Steadfast in the Lord abide
The Mighty Wonderman is He
Rich He brings to low estate
Makes the poor man rich and great
As He has willed, so must it be

7. Choral (Coro): Sing, bet und geh auf Gottes Wegen

Sing, pray, and walk in God's own pathway
And do your part with purpose true
By confidence in His rich blessing
Will you, thru Him, be born anew
Whoso on God his faith has set
Him never will his God forget

DCCXXI. SAARIAHO, Kaija: Verblendungen

DCCXXI. SAARIAHO, Kaija (1952-2023)

Verblendungen (1984)
Avanti! Chamber Orchestra
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, cond.
(13:23)

DCCXX. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds, K. 297b

DCCXX. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds, K. 297b (1778)
1. Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Andantino con variazioni
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, cond.
(32:11)

In April 1778, Mozart wrote his father about the sinfonia concertante he was composing for performance at the Concert Spirituel. At the last minute, Mozart's work was removed from the program in favor of a similar work by Giuseppe Cambini. The Mozart was never played and the score was lost.

This work didn't come to light until 1869 as an anonymous copy manuscript in the collection of Otto Jahn, who wrote the first scholarly biography of Mozart. The debate about its authenticity grew out of concerns of different orchestration, and errors in copying and composition.

Is this new version really Mozart?

Probably

Alfred Einstein: "Genuine."
Robert Levin: "While the orchestral part and the first movement cadenza were spurious, the soloists' roles were based on the Mozart originals, but had been modified by an unknown hand to substitute a clarinet for the oboe, and to change the flute to an oboe. This unknown arranger probably had the four original Mozart solo parts for reference so had composed the orchestral parts and cadenzas afresh."

General opinions: There are some striking similarities to some wind writing in Idomeno, Così fan tutte, and the Oboe Quartet.

Probably not

Tovey: "Blundering and inept."
Sadie: "Not Mozart. The solo clarinet cannot be directly back-transcribed to a supposed oboe part."
Staehelin: "Inconceivable that Mozart wrote a homotonal concerto (although several symphonies and divertimenti are)."

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

DCCXIX. BACH, J.S.: Das walt mein Gott, BWV 291

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

Das walt mein Gott, BWV 291 (<1750)
Augsburg Cathedral Boys' Choir
Reinhard Kammler, cond.
(0:48)

DCCXVIII. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri: Aphorisms, Op. 13

DCCXVIII. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (1906-1975)

Aphorisms, Op. 13 (1927)
1. Recitative
2. Serenade
3. Nocturne
4. Elegy
5. Funeral March
6. Étude
7. Dance of Death
8. Canon
9. Legend
10. Lullaby
Emura Natsuki, piano
(12:43)

Aphorism: A pithy observation that contains a general truth.

On the heels of the First Piano Sonata (1926), the 21-year-old Shostakovich wrote these 10 short pieces, full of wit and sarcasm, but they contain a general truth.

1. Recitative

2. Serenade

3. Nocturne

4. Elegy

5. Funeral March

6. Étude

7. Dance of Death

8. Canon

9. Legend

10. Lullaby

DCCXVII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Lied zur Gesellenreise, K. 468

DCCXVII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Lied zur Gesellenreise, K. 468 (1785)
Lothar Odinius, tenor
Ulrich Eisenlohr, piano
(2:24)

Masonic music written for the "installation of new journeymen."

A higher state of knowledge

You are now approaching,

Wandering firmly on your path,

Knowing that it is the path of wisdom.

Only the serene man

May approach the source of light.

Take, o Pilgrim, as an escort

Your brother's blessing.

Let caution be always on your side,

And curiosity guide your steps!

Constantly test yourself and never become

Dependent on the insanity of lazy blindness.

The journey of life is certainly rough,

But sweet is also its reward,

Which the wanderer does await, wisely knowing

That his journey will increase it.

Happy is he who can say:

There is a light upon my life's road!

DCCXVI. WOLFE, Julia: Fountain of Youth

DCCXVI. WOLFE, Julia (1958-       )

Fountain of Youth (2019)
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Dalia Stasevska, cond.
(10:40)

"People have searched for the fountain of youth for thousands of years. The thought was that if you bathed in or drank from the fountain of youth you would be transformed, rejuvenated. My fountain of youth is music, and in this case I offer the orchestra a sassy, rhythmic, high energy swim. -- JW

DCCXV. BACH, J.S.: Magnificat, BWV 243

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

Magnificat, BWV 243 (1733)
1. Magnificat anima mea Dominum
2. Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari mea
3. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent
4. omnes generationes
5. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est et sanctum nomen ejus
6. Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum
7. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo dispersit superbos mente cordis sui
8. Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles
9. Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes
10. Suscepit Israel puerum suum recordatus misericordiae suae
11. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros Abraham et semini ejus in saecula
12. Gloria Patri, et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Netherlands Bach Society
Jos van Veldhoven, cond.
(28:29)

 

In 1723, after taking up his post as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, Bach set this text in 12 movements for Christmas in the key of E-Flat Major.

A decade later, Bach revised the work, dropping the Christmas hymns, altering or expanding some instrumentation, and changing the key to D Major for the trumpets -- their natural key. The probable date for the first performance of this version was July 2, 1733, for the feast day of Visitation (although some scholars believe it wasn't until the following Christmas). That year there had been a period of mourning (February to June) after the death of Augustus the Strong, during which no concerted music was allowed in the churches.

The choir is in five voices: SSATB.

The arch symmetry is magical:

• Mvmnts 1/2 & 11/12 in tonic
• Mvmnts 3 & 10 in relative minor
• Mvmnts 5 & 9 in major keys other than D
• Mvmnts 6 & 8 minor key
• Mvmnt 7 tonic

1. Magnificat anima mea Dominum
Luke 1:46

Motif 1

Motif 2

Motif 1 (Magnificat)

Motif 2 (Magnificat)

2. Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari mea
Luke 1:47

All arias are non-da capo. This is sung by Soprano II, with string accompaniment, continuing the joyful feeling of the opening.

3. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent
Luke 1:48

Soprano I -- accompanied only by an oboe d'amore and continuo -- sings this magnificent aria. Spitta:

"Scarcely ever has the idea of virgin purity, simplicity, and humble happiness found more perfect expression than in this picture of the Madonna, translated, as it were, into musical language."

4. omnes generationes

The completion of the sentence (all generations) is given to the chorus.

5. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est et sanctum nomen ejus
Luke 1:49

This short aria for bass is accompanied only by the continuo.

6. Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum
Luke 1:50

This exquisite duet (alto/tenor) is accompanied by muted strings and flute doubling, in a gentle 12/8 ... the vocalists frequently pause for instrumental sections.

7. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo dispersit superbos mente cordis sui
Luke 1:51

He shows Strength! All five voices repeat a melisma on the word potentiam, from tenor, alto, soprano II, bass and soprano I. The conclusion (mente cordis sui) is adagio, illustrated by long chords, with trumpet accents.

8. Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles

Luke 1:52

Tenor aria accompanied by unisono violins and continuo only.

9. Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes

Luke 1:53

Alto aria, accompanied by two flutes and continuo. Stretch out your imagination and you can almost hear a jazz bass player, as the continuo plucks out notes in a steady on-the-beat rhythm! The flutes decorate the alto with compassionate word-painting (he has filled the hungry with good things) ...

10. Suscepit Israel puerum suum recordatus misericordiae suae
Luke 1:54

Here, Bach shows his mastery of composing just the right amount of orchestration -- this is a trio for the two soprani and alto, accompanied only by an oboe and a continuo of only cello.

What is of primary interest here is the oboe part, which is a cantus firmus of Luther's German translation of the Magnificat: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren (My soul exalts the Lord) -- from the original plainchant in the Aeolian mode (today's minor scale). Note how the chant starts on F-Sharp (dominant) and ends on B (tonic):

11. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros Abraham et semini ejus in saecula

Luke 1:55

All five voices enter in a fugato from bottom to top. The complex part-writing is typical of Bach's genius in weaving the main motif in and out of a flowing accompaniment that is musical perfection.

12. Gloria Patri, et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Doxology

The complete ensemble concludes the work with a glorious fugato and then -- changing to a 3/4 meter, the second part of the text (Sicut erat ...) repeats material from the opening movement.