Very few will be able to name any Danish composers from the time
before Niels Wilhelm Gade, who was one of the most important pupils
of Felix Mendelssohn. The composers represented on this disc don't
sound very Danish - both were of German origin. Nevertheless they
spent a considerable part of their lives in Denmark. In fact,
they were only two of many German-born composers who worked in
Denmark in the 17th and 18th centuries. Until well into the 19th
century Scandinavia had been strongly under influence of German
culture. Religion also played a part: both northern Germany and
the Scandinavian countries were predominantly Lutheran.
The
best-known of the two composers on this disc is Johann Abraham
Peter Schulz. Today he is mainly known for his songs. One
of them, 'Der Mond ist aufgegangen', is still extremely popular
in Germany and frequently sung by amateur choirs. His heroes
were Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann Philipp Kirnberger.
It is probably through Kirnberger that he became acquainted
with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, who was Kirnberger's
teacher. This is reflected in the first of the keyboard pieces
recorded here, the Preludio, which stylistically is very close
to the preludes from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. The others
are more modern: the second, Andante sostenuto, is a divertimento-like
piece, whereas the third (Allegro maestoso), fifth (Allegretto)
and sixth (Larghetto con variazioni) are connected to the
style of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. In particular the sudden
musical ideas and the unexpected pauses in the latter work
are very characteristic of Carl Philipp Emanuel's style. The
most modern piece is the fourth, which - as Knut Ketting writes
in the booklet - is very close to Mozart. He adds that it
is best suited to the fortepiano, which one can only agree
with. Why then is it played here on the harpsichord, especially
as it contains crescendo markings which can't be realised
on the harpsichord? Even so this sequence of pieces - some
of which have been recorded before, among others by Christopher
Hogwood - gives a very good idea about Schulz's qualities
as a composer. It shows that he was more than just the composer
of - rather simple - solo songs. He had a pretty good reputation.
He had connections with some of the best composers of his
time. Kirnberger even asked him to assist in writing his treatise
on harmony. He was an advocate of modern music, promoting
Gluck, Piccinni and Sacchini. During his time in Denmark he
wrote an influential essay on music education, reflecting
his attachment to the ideas of the Enlightenment.
Johann
Gottfried Wilhelm Palschau is much lesser known, and there
is much less information about him. It is not known for sure
where he was born, but it is unlikely that it was Copenhagen,
as New Grove says, as his father only arrived in Copenhagen
in 1747, where he worked as violinist in the court orchestra.
Palschau seems to have been a child prodigy at the keyboard,
and at an early age father and son travelled through Europe
to exploit the boy's talent. In the 1750s and 1760s public
performances in London and several German cities are documented.
In 1768 he seems to have returned to Copenhagen, as a public
performance there was announced. In the 1770s he went to Riga
to study with Johann Gottfried Müthel, and then went to St
Petersburg where he became an important figure in musical
life. There he died in 1813 or 1815.
His
two harpsichord concertos, recorded here both date from 1771,
and therefore a performance on the harpsichord is definitely
right. These two compositions show great stylistic affinity
with the style of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Typical is the
hyper-sensitive, sometimes nervous solo part, the sudden interventions
of the orchestra and the seemingly irregular shaping of these
concertos. The second concerto is not only the longest, but
also the most virtuosic. Here we find passages where the strings
are reduced to playing pizzicato. In particular the adagio
of the second concerto is very expressive, and a perfect example
of the 'Empfindsamkeit'.
Lars
Ulrik Mortensen and Concerto Copenhagen give splendid performances
of these two concertos. I don't know how much Palschau specified
in his score, and the booklet doesn't tell either. There are
lots of crescendos and diminuendos, much in the style of the
Mannheim School. Whether or not the score contains such dynamic
markings this is definitely the way to play the orchestral
part. Mortensen is excellent in the solo part, and several
movements end with pretty virtuosic cadenzas. Were they written
down by Palschau or are they of Mortensen's own making? Anyway,
they sound very good and are also highly appropriate in this
context.
Likewise
the solo pieces by Schulz are given very good performances
by Mortensen, the choice of the harpsichord in the fourth
notwithstanding. The many twists and turns in the pieces which
reflect the style of the 'Empfindsamkeit' are well realised.
There
are still many pieces of music which are hidden under the dust
of history. Some people believe they should be left there. But
history isn't always a fair judge. The two concertos by Palschau
fully deserve to be performed and recorded. They are an important
and exciting addition to the repertoire for keyboard and orchestra.
Johan van Veen
Concerto Copenhagen/Lars
Ulrik Mortensen (harpsichord) 
