Notes and Editorial Reviews
HAMMERSCHMIDT
Sacred Vocal Music; Suites
•
Heinz Hennig, cond; Hannover Boys’ Ch; Spirit of Gambo; Ecco la Musica
•
ARS MUSICI 232268 (75:33
Text, no Translations)
Jauchzet, ihr Himmel. Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein reines Herz. Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied. Herr, mein Gott, wie groß sind deine Wunder. O Vater aller Frommen. Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe. Freude, Freude, große Freude. Das ist je gewißlicher wahr. Alleluja! Freuet euch, ihr
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Christen alle. Das Wort war Fleisch. Deutsches Magnificat.
Suite à 5 in a; in g
I trust that
Fanfare
readers will pardon me here for a preliminary stroll down Memory Lane. In 1975, when I was 17 years old and just beginning to discover classical music all on my own (I had virtually no exposure from family, friends, or school), I scrounged $1.79 out of my paper route earnings to buy a budget LP with an extremely colorful and busy gatefold jacket, titled
A Nonesuch Christmas
. The album was a sampler, with contents drawn from several other LPs in the Nonesuch catalog, and featuring names with which to conjure—though I didn’t know them at the time—such as Konrad Ruhland, Wilhelm Ehmann, Helmut Rilling, and Joshua Rifkin (who wrote the liner notes). It immediately became one of the most treasured and often-played albums in my collection (then about 20 items, now several thousand); I still think it is possibly the finest medieval/Renaissance/Baroque Christmas album I’ve ever heard.
One of the selections in that album was a sacred aria for alto, brass sextet (two trumpets and four trombones), and organ,
Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ
, by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611/12–75). This was musical catnip to me as a trombone player, but I also was immediately struck by the simple yet powerful declamatory style of the aria. A few years later I acquired the original Rifkin-conducted Nonesuch LP from which this work was drawn,
Baroque Fanfares and Sonatas for Brass
, which also contained a second Hammerschmidt piece with virtually identical forces (substituting a soprano for the alto) penned in a similarly powerful style. Not knowing of anything else by Hammerschmidt readily available, my familiarity with his music rested there for more than 20 years until the present CD arrived at my door. (Even now I can locate only three other CDs devoted entirely or primarily to Hammerschmidt: two discs of vocal music on cpo and Rondeau, and one of instrumental suites on Ars Musici.)
I am delighted to report that it is a wonderful renewed and expanded acquaintance. Born in Bohemia, Hammerschmidt belonged to a Protestant family that fled the Counter-Reformation in 1626 and settled in Freiberg. There he received his early musical training and held his first positions before moving to Zittau in 1639, where he spent the remainder of his days, apparently attaining some degree of prosperity and renown from his activities and publications. Unfortunately, much information regarding him was lost when the Austrian army destroyed town records during the Seven Years’ War in 1757. Hammerschmidt was a leading exponent of the
concertato
style that Heinrich Schütz brought back to Germany from his studies with Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice, albeit in a simplified form. Back in 1947 musicologist Manfred Bukofzer patronizingly wrote that Hammerschmidt “watered down the achievements of Schütz for the multitude”; while there is perhaps some truth in that, it is awfully darned good watering down of a sort that one wishes would reach the multitude today. While devoid of polyphony or antiphonal effects and comparatively unsubtle in its harmonies and use of imitative counterpoint, it is music of great solemnity and power that, despite lesser forces, consistently achieves a celebratory grandeur just shy of that accomplished by the Gabrielis and is always deeply satisfying. It also has a very distinct and immediately identifiable voice.
From a photo in the booklet, the Hannover Boys’ Choir would appear to be at least 50 strong. It is one of the best such ensembles I have heard, singing with exact intonation, scrupulously clear diction, and the fullness of tone as well as technical polish needed to project these pieces. Spirit of Gambo is a five-member instrumental ensemble consisting of a Baroque violin, viola da gamba, violone, chitarrone, and organ; it is partnered here by the six-member brass ensemble (two cornetti and four trombones) Ecco la Musica. Both play superbly, the strings with velvety tone, the brass with a ringing yet sweet power. The recorded sound is well-nigh ideal, clear and rounded without undue reverberance and with an expert balancing of the various performers. Vocal texts are provided in German only, though booklets notes are also in English translation. While there is little overlap in the contents of this CD with the aforementioned cpo and Rondeau discs, I would give this one clear preference for an introduction to Hammerschmidt’s art. As with the Platti CD reviewed by me elsewhere in the issue, this is at least an outside candidate for the 2011 Want List, though in this case even more for the repertoire than the performance, as fine as that is. If you’ve not previously encountered Hammerschmidt’s music, delay no longer; urgently recommended.
FANFARE: James A. Altena
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Works on This Recording
1.
Jauchtzet ihr Himmel, for voice & ensemble by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Performer:
Jan Kobow (),
Sebastian Hennig ()
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 6 Minutes 24 Secs.
2.
Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein reines Herz, motet for 6 voices by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 3 Minutes 38 Secs.
3.
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Musicalische Andachten, 1638) by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 1638
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 3 Minutes 19 Secs.
4.
Herr, mein Gott, wie groß sind deine Wunder, motet (Musicalische Andachten, 1641) by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 1641
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 2 Minutes 2 Secs.
5.
O Vater aller Frommen by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 2 Minutes 51 Secs.
6.
Deutsches Magnificat ("Meine Seele erhebt den Herren") by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 16th Century
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 6 Minutes 52 Secs.
7.
Suite for 5 voices in A minor (Erster Fleiss allerhand Paduanen..., 1639) by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 1639
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 13 Minutes 53 Secs.
8.
Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; Germany
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 3 Minutes 52 Secs.
9.
Freude, Freude, grosse Freude by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; Germany
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 5 Minutes 4 Secs.
10.
Das ist je gewißlich wahr, Christmas motet by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 16th Century
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 4 Minutes 8 Secs.
11.
Das Wort ward Fleisch by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; Germany
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 3 Minutes 44 Secs.
12.
Suite for 5 voices in G minor (Erster Fleiss allerhand Paduanen..., 1639) by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 1639
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 10 Minutes 36 Secs.
13.
Alleluja! Freuet euch by Andreas Hammerschmidt
Performer:
Michael Jackel (),
Arndt Schmöle (),
Torsten Gödde ()
Conductor:
Heinz Hennig
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Spirit of Gambo,
Ecco la musica
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; Germany
Venue: Evang.-luth. Kirche St. Osdag, Mandelslo
Length: 4 Minutes 57 Secs.
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