Joseph GEHOT (1756 - c.1795)
Six Trios , Op. 5
Sonata No. 1 in C [17:33]
Sonata No. 2 in F [19:51]
Sonata No. 3 in d minor [6:24]
Sonata No. 6 in D [14:48]
Bacchanalia Baroque Ensemble (Laura Thompson (transverse flute),
Louise Schulman (viola), Myron Lutzke (cello))
rec. July 2009, Lefrak Concert Hall, New York, USA. DDD
EROICA JDT3466 [58:39]
You may wonder why a disc of less than 60 minutes playing time comprises
only
four of the six Opus V trios. The answer is that these trios were not
originally
written for this scoring. Joseph Gehot composed them for two violins and
cello.
"Here, we offer the listener four of the Six Trios best suited to the
flute.
The principal violin part is played on the flute; the second violin part is
played
on viola by Louise Schulman; and the cello part is played as written by
Myron
Lutzke".
Who was Joseph Gehot? He was born in Brussels and educated as a
violinist. He seems to have been a child prodigy. At the age of just 11 he
was presented to Prince Charles of Lorraine who was staying in Brussels at
the time. Pierre Van Maldere briefly took care of Gehot; he died in 1768.
Charles de Lorraine continued to support him until 1780. He then started to
make concert tours through Germany and France. With concert-giving in
England he seems to have found the protection of the Duke of Pembroke. His
compositions were printed in several cities and also wrote some treatises.
Moreover he was active as teacher; he taught the violin at the Opera House,
Hanover Square.
In 1792 he decided to move to the United States, together with some
of his colleagues, among them James Hewitt. Their first concert in New York
found an enthusiastic reception, but a concert series which he organised
soon after turned out to be a failure. At the instigation of Alexander
Reinagle he moved to Philadelphia where he became first violinist at the New
Theatre. Nothing is known about his activities thereafter, and it seems he
died in poverty some time after 1795.
Gehot's oeuvre is rather small and consists almost exclusively of
chamber music for strings. The six trios op. 5 date from 1781. They belong
to the category of diverting music which was produced in large amounts in
the second half of the 18th century. The trios 1, 2 and 6 are in three
movements, all ending with a rondo. The middle movements have the tempo
indication andante; here they could have been taken rather more swiftly.
This kind of music is characterised by quick repetition of notes and by
parallel movement. There are very few passages in which all three
instruments have independent parts: mostly one instrument has a kind of solo
passage with the other two instruments moving in parallel. The first treble
part - here the flute - often has the lead. The other instruments are
certainly not reduced to an accompanying role. Several movements include
notable solo episodes for the cello, especially the opening allegro of the
Trio No. 6. Harmonically these trios are unremarkable as one would expect in
such music. Only in the andante of the Trio No. 2 do we hear a short passage
with some chromaticism.
The Trio No. 3 in d minor is an exception in that it has two
movements: andante cantabile and fugue. The first movement leads to the
second, and one gets the impression that this sonata is a kind of prelude
and fugue.
This is definitely not 'great' music, but that doesn't mean it
should be overlooked. These trios are nice to listen to on a quiet
afternoon. That is probably the purpose for which they were intended.
The ensemble's name is intriguing; it probably shouldn't be taken
too literally. "The musicians of Bacchanalia strive to offer performances as
expressive and lively as those heard in the 18th century (...)", its
biography says. I wonder whether that has been realised here. True, these
pieces don't give much opportunity for musical fireworks. Even so, I could
imagine a little more flamboyance, especially in regard to dynamics. I am
curious to know what this music would sound like if played in the original
scoring. The recording is somewhat disappointing: it is lacking in presence
and the volume is rather low. The booklet tells us everything that is known
about Gehot - which isn't very much - but omits any analysis of the music.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Nice music to listen to on a quiet afternoon.