RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Otto NICOLAI (1810 - 1849)
Herr, auf dich traue ich - Psalms
Liturgie Nr. 1:
Herr, sei uns gnädig/Kyrie eleison [1:13]
Ehre sei Gott/Und Friede [3:58]
Heilig, heilig, heilig [2:33]
Herr, ich habe lieb [2:22]
Der 100. Psalm (Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt) [4:49]
Der 31. Psalm (Herr, auf dich traue ich) [9:32]
Der 84. Psalm (Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen) [5:34]
Der 97. Psalm (Der Herr ist König) [6:38]
Offertorium in Assumptione Beatae Mariae Virginis, op. 38 [2:03]
Psalmus 54 (Deus, in nomine tuo) [11:12]
Kammerchor Stuttgart/Frieder Bernius
rec. 3-4 October 2009, Immanuelskirche, Wuppertal; 16 February 2010, 18-19
October
2011, Evangelische Kirche, Gönningen, Germany. DDD
CARUS 83.299 [50:30]
To most music-lovers Otto Nicolai is exclusively known for his comic opera
Die
lustigen Weiber von Windsor. It is one of just five operas from his
pen.
In comparison his output in other genres, in particular sacred and secular
vocal
music, is much larger. Historically his importance lies in particular in
the
fact that he founded the Vienna Philharmonic Concerts which would lead
later
to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. At an early age he came into contact
with
Carl Friedrich Zelter, who was the director of the Berlin Singakademie. He
received
an education in singing, piano and composition. At that time he composed
his
first works, songs for voice and piano and choral music.
The closeness to the Singakademie - to which Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
also
belonged - had a considerable influence on his development as a composer.
So
had his stay in Rome, where from 1834 to 1836 he acted as organist of the
chapel
of the Prussian embassy. He took lessons in counterpoint with Giuseppe
Baini,
director of the papal chapel. This brought him into contact with the
polyphonic
tradition, and in particular the music of Palestrina. He was appointed as
maestro
compositore onorario of the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna, after
having
submitted his Psalmus 54. For several years he worked as opera
conductor
in Italy and in Vienna, where in 1842 he took the initiative with the
Vienna
Philharmonic Concerts. In 1847 he became Kapellmeister of the Royal
Opera
House and director of the cathedral choir in Berlin, as successor to
Mendelssohn.
In the latter capacity he composed many sacred choral works, some of which
have
been recorded here.
The disc opens with three extracts from the Liturgie Nr. 1 which
dates
from 1847 and was the result of a request of the Prussian King Friedrich
Wilhelm
IV who wanted to see the Prussian liturgy renewed. Nicolai composed the
complete
choral settings in the order of service; here only three of the twelve
have
been recorded. Herr, ich habe lieb sets verses from Psalms 26 and
95:
"Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house". It is a gradual motet
which
was part of the liturgy since its reform of 1843. However, this piece was
written
for the birthday of the King and may have been performed only in his
private
rooms.
In 1848 the newly-built Friedenskirche in Sanssouci was consecrated. For
that
occasion Nicolai composed Psalms 84 and 100. The latter begins in five
parts
and is extended to eight parts in two choirs on the words "Enter into his
gates
with thanksgiving", to be sung after the great doors had been opened by
the
Bishop. The setting of Psalm 84 which is recorded here, was not sung on
this
occasion; Nicolai had replaced it at short notice with a piece on the same
text
for choir and wind. The a capella setting is largely homophonic,
and
so is Psalm 31. This is again for eight voices, albeit not split into two
choirs.
As in many choral works it includes passages for solo voices. Psalm 97 is
for
six solo voices, whereas the tutti are in four parts. It is a mixture of
polyphony
and homophony, and includes some striking examples of text expression.
These
are effectively emphasized in this performance; "Feuer" (fire) and
"Blitze"
(lightnings) are examples. In the middle we find an 'aria' for four
voices,
but in fact it is the soprano who has the main role here, with the three
other
voices providing harmonic support.
The Offertorio Assumpta est Maria is the only piece of sacred music
which
was ever published in Nicolai's lifetime. It dates from 1846 and was
written
for the anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral in Raab in
Hungary.
Nicolai was a Protestant, but that was no obstacle to him composing pieces
for
the Catholic liturgy now and then, although all his other compositions on
a
Latin text have an orchestral accompaniment.
I have already mentioned Psalmus 54; it is on a Latin text as well,
and
- as we have seen - composed during Nicolai's stay in Italy. It was not
written
for the Catholic liturgy, though. In fact, it had no liturgical purpose at
all,
but was to be sung by the Berlin Singakademie. It was intended for a large
choir,
more likely in concert than in church. The scoring for ten voices is
remarkable;
stylistically it is strongly influenced by the polyphonic tradition with
which
Nicolai had become acquainted in Rome.
Frieder Bernius is an adventurous conductor who is always on the look-out
for neglected repertoire. That is certainly the case here: all but two of
the compositions on this disc have never been recorded before. Moreover, Nicolai's
choral music has been almost completely neglected. It is telling that in the
article on the composer in New Grove hardly any attention is paid to
this part of his oeuvre. That is unfair: this disc proves that his choral
writing should be taken very seriously. If you like 19th-century choral music
and can, for instance, appreciate the motets of Mendelssohn, you certainly
will enjoy this disc.
The Kammerchor Stuttgart is one of the best of its kind in the world. It
has
a large repertoire, ranging from the renaissance to contemporary music. I
have
heard many of their recordings and every one of them is a winner, whether
Bach
or Zelenka, Mendelssohn or Brahms. This disc is another. We hear a
beautifully-balanced
ensemble of fine voices, whose delivery is astonishing: the text is always
clearly
audible which cannot be taken fr granted with choral recordings. Most
members
of the choir sing the solo passages in various pieces, and they do so very
well.
Adventurous programming, superb singing: need I say more?
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Adventurous programming, superb singing: need I say more?
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