Johann Christoph PEPUSCH (1667 - 1752)
Concertos and Overtures for London
Overture to The Beggar's Opera in B flat [3:22]
Concerto à 5 for oboe, strings and bc in g minor
[7:24]
Concerto for violin, strings and bc in A [7:48]
Concerto grosso à 6 for trumpet, strings and bc in D
[10:07]
Concerto for violin, strings and bc in a minor [8:31]
Concerto grosso for violin, strings and bc in B flat [9:15]
Concerto à 6 for cello, bassoon, strings and bc in F
[7:07]
Overture to Venus and Adonis in F [5:12]
Mark Baigent (oboe), Crispian Steele-Perkins (trumpet), Sally Holman
(bassoon), Tassilo Erhardt (violin), Kinga Gáborjáni (cello)
The Harmonious Society of Tickle-fiddle Gentlemen/Robert Rawson
rec. July 2010, Church of All Saints, Tooting, London, UK. DDD
RAMÉE RAM 1109 [59:16]
The name of Johann Christoph Pepusch appears regularly on discs devoted to
the
music scene in England, and in particular in London, in the first decades of
the
18th century. He played a quite important role in English musical life of
the
time. To my knowledge this is the very first disc entirely devoted to his
oeuvre.
Pepusch was born in Berlin and was employed at the Prussian court in
Dresden from age 14. Little is known for sure about his musical education,
but as later in England he directed performances from the harpsichord it is
likely that he was educated as a keyboard player, probably by an organist
from Saxony. There are conflicting reports about the time he arrived in
England. According to Charles Burney it was "soon after the [1688]
revolution", others mention 1697. His activities after the turn of the
century are well documented.
It is certain that he frequented the public concerts which were
organised by the coal merchant Thomas Britton. Many compositions by English
composers, but also by Italians and Germans, were performed during these
concerts. Not only Pepusch took part in the performances, but also the likes
of Handel, Banister and Dubourg. Britton's neighbour was the satirical
writer Ned Ward who described the musicians of these concerts as "the
harmonious society of tickle-fiddle gentlemen". This has inspired Robert
Rawson to choose the name of this ensemble. The programme includes the only
composition from Pepusch's pen which can be associated with these
performances with certainty, the Concerto grosso in B flat. It is
probably the earliest concerto in England to survive complete. It is largely
a reworking of an earlier sonata for violin and bc; only the first of the
five movements is original.
In 1716 Pepusch came into contact with the Duke of Chandos at
Cannons where Handel was also present in 1718, composing his Chandos
Anthems. Pepusch was appointed director of music in 1719 until some time in
the mid-1720s. Two compositions can probably be connected to his time at
Cannons. The inventory of the Duke's collection of music of 1720 includes an
oboe concerto which could be the Concerto à 5 in g minor, an
example of a pre-Vivaldian concerto in four movements, following the model
of the sonata da chiesa. The inventory also includes seven trumpet
concertos, apparently inspired by the arrival of the trumpeter A.G. Lemon.
Only one trumpet concerto by Pepusch has survived in Rostock in Germany, the
Concerto grosso à 6 in D. It is in five movements, and it is
not so much a solo concerto but rather - as the title suggests - a piece in
which the trumpet part is fully integrated in the ensemble.
The German origins of Pepusch come to the fore in the two violin
concertos. They are in three movements, and follow the Vivaldian pattern.
Their German character is reflected by the frequent use of multistopping
which is a feature of the German violin school. Although Pepusch was active
in England from a relatively young age he was well-known and highly
respected in his native country. In a poem from 1725 he is mentioned in one
breath with the likes of Kuhnau, Keiser and Handel. Several of his
compositions are listed in the inventory of the court in Zerbst where Johann
Friedrich Fasch was Kapellmeister until 1758. Fruits from his pen
have also been found in the archive of the court of Dresden whose orchestra
in the first half of the 18th century was generally considered the best in
Germany. From this archive comes the Concerto à 6 in F, a
piece largely in galant idiom with some elements of counterpoint.
Lastly, Pepusch was active in the world of the music theatre. His
most famous contribution was the overture to The Beggar's opera; for
the arias he composed the basso continuo part. The programme on this disc
opens with the overture, and closes with the overture of another theatrical
piece, Venus and Adonis. It dates from 1715 and, according to Robert
Rawson, it is "the earliest English 'opera' with a (nearly) complete set of
original parts". The overture is scored for two oboes, bassoon, strings and
bc. With this overture the circle is closed as it were. It had been more
logical to swap the two overtures, as the music for the Beggar's opera was
virtually the last he wrote for the theatre. In the following years he
gradually withdrew from public performances and concentrated on studying
music of the past.
This is a most enjoyable disc. The programme documents the various
stages and aspects of Pepusch's musical activities. This way we get a fairly
good portrait of the composer and his style. Pepusch's music is well worth
exploring, and there is no dull moment here. The orchestra explores the
qualities of his music to the full, with lively playing and expressive
performances of the slow movements. The ensemble is excellent, and the solo
parts are given fine accounts. Without undervaluing the efforts of the other
soloists I would like to single out Thilo Erhardt for his wonderful playing
of the violin parts. This orchestra's purpose is the exploration of English
music life in the early 18th century. This is their first disc, and a very
fine one it is. May many more follow.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
A most enjoyable disc.