Birth of the Violin
Johann Paul VON WESTHOFF (1656-1705)
Suite in A major [8:54]
Heinrich Ignaz Franz BIBER (1644-1704)
Passacaglia in G-minor [9:02]
Johann Georg PISENDEL (1687-1755)
Sonata in minor [14:26]
Francesco GEMINIANI (1687-1762)
Etüde [1:43]
Nicola MATTEIS (c.1670-c.1698)
Fantasia [8:00]
Louis-Gabriel GUILLEMAIN (1705-1770)
Amusement pour le violon seul La Furstemberg [7:59]
Friedrich Wilhelm RUST (1739-1796)
Partite in D minor [17:05]
Rebekka Hartmann (violin)
rec. 11-13 April 2011, Holzmühle, Seeshaupt, nr. Munich, Germany
SOLO MUSICA SM 151 [67:02]
This release is part of the ‘Birth of …’ series from Solo Musica.
It aims to present some of the oldest known compositions of music for solo
instruments and groupings played on the oldest available and still viable
instruments. Notable is that all seven composers that make up this programme
lived during the lifetime of J.S. Bach. The booklet notes state that all the
scores apart from the Biber and Pisendel are receiving their world première
recordings.
Clearly an important feature of the disc is the instruments used. Munich-born
and bred soloist Rebekka Hartmann has chosen to play two baroque violins from
Cremona. The first instrument is an early Antonio Stradivari (1675) and the
second an Nicolò Amati ‘Rethi’ (1669). She uses modern stringing and
a period bow for all the scores except her modern bow on the Rust Partite.
The opening score is Westhoff’s five movement Suite in A major published
in 1683. From Dresden, for over twenty years Westhoff was a member of the
Dresden Hofkapelle. According to Wikipedia the suite is the earliest
known multi-movement score for solo violin. I was most impressed by the variety
of moods that Hartmann produced in Westhoff’s Suite. The Prelude
switches between a sorrowful atmosphere and the need for virtuosity, contrasted
with the determined stance of the Allemande. Next comes a stately Courante,
the yearning character of the Sarabande and finally a sparkling Gigue.
Biber was born in Wartenberg, Bohemia (now Stráž pod Ralskem, Czech Republic)
in 1644. From 1670 he settled in Salzburg in the service of Maximilian Gandolph
the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg. One of the most important violinists and
composers in the history of the violin Biber is probably the best known of
all seven composers on the disc. By far the most famous score Biber wrote
was his remarkable set of Mystery Sonatas (or Rosary Sonatas)
from around 1676. The final piece of the Mystery Sonatas is a Passacaglia
for solo violin which Hartmann has chosen to play for this project. Primarily
a meditative score the substantial G minor Passacaglia is performed
with utmost concentration and assurance.
A Bavarian from Cadolzburg, Pisendel had met the great masters: J.S. Bach,
Telemann and Vivaldi. He is best remembered for leading the Dresden Court
Orchestra for over thirty years. Represented here by the three movement A
minor Sonata I enjoyed the moody pleadings and intensity of the opening
movement and the swirling sounds of the Allegro. At nearly nine minutes
the substantial final Giga - Variatione abounds in variety and appealing
melody.
A pupil of Alessandro Scarlatti and Corelli, Francesco Geminiani was born
in Lucca, Italy. Living in London for a number of years, it seems that in
1715 he performed one of his scores at the London court of George I with the
keyboard played by Handel. Geminiani is represented here by his very brief
Etüde an engaging and virtuosic piece here played so adeptly.
It is thought that Nicola Matteis was born in Naples and came to England around
the 1670s. Towards the end of the seventeenth century Matteis became a leading
violin virtuoso in London. Lasting eight minutes in performance the Fantasia
is reasonably agreeable if designed within a rather uneventful dynamic
range and with little in the way of variety.
Parisian by birth Guillemain studied in Turin. Returning to Paris in 1737
Guillemain became a musicien ordinaire to Louis XV of France. Published
in 1762 the single movement score Amusement pour le violon seul La Furstemberg
lasts nearly eight minutes and is inventive, melodic and highly memorable.
The final score is the Partite in D minor by Friedrich Wilhelm Rust.
Born in Wörlitz, Germany in 1739 Rust certainly had an impressive roster of
tutors. He studied the keyboard with Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Phillip
Emanuel Bach, and the violin with Höckh and F. Benda, G. Benda, Tartini and
Pugnani. From 1766 he made his home in Dessau, Saxony becoming established
as music-director of the town’s theatre. The modern bow that Hartmann uses
on the Rust Partite adds considerable weight to the instrument’s tone.
Cast in five movements the Partite in D minor is an attractive score
opened by a thickly-textured Grave. A buoyant Fuga precedes
the lively and melodic Gigue; the Ciacona-Gigue feels especially
confidently played and the concluding movement Courante-Gigue is briskly
taken requiring significant virtuosity. Hartmann plays brilliantly
and extremely sympathetically throughout. Her personality is engaging and
I was especially impressed with the range of colours and textures she drew
from these early scores.
Recorded at the Holzmühle, Seeshaupt deep in the countryside some forty km
south west of Munich, the recording studio is located in what looks like the
loft of a converted farm house. I found the sound quality impressive with
the richly honeyed timbre of the chosen instruments most agreeable. The release
on Solo Musica is nicely presented in a gatefold sleeve with an interesting
and informative essay.
In reality the exposed nature of these rare baroque pieces for solo violin
should appeal mainly to the specialist listener. However, the attraction of
five world première recordings combined with such impressive playing makes
this a valuable release.
Michael Cookson
Should appeal mainly to the specialist listener.