3 Viennese Arias; For Soprano, Obbligato Clarinet in B Flat and Piano by G. B. Bononcini; Emperor Joseph; Colin Lawson; Due cantate: Augellin vago e canoro; Filli, ti sai s'io t'amo; per soprano, 2 flauti dolci contralti e basso continuo by Alessandro Scarlatti; Hans Wilhelm Köneke; Waldemar Döling Review by: Janet Sullivan Notes, Second Series, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Jun., 1988), pp. 833-834 Published by: Music Library Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/941063 . Accessed: 15/06/2014 03:12 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. . Music Library Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Notes. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 185.2.32.110 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 03:12:21 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=mulias http://www.jstor.org/stable/941063?origin=JSTOR-pdf http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp Music Reviews Music Reviews mentum of both fast movements, serving at the same time as a unifying aural device. Although intended by Zwilich as a vir- tuoso trumpet work, the Concerto's tech- nical demands are surprisingly reasonable. The most glaring impediments to perfor- mance are the brief appearances of high d"' three times in the first movement, along with e"' and f"' in the cadenza of the last movement. Endurance will not be a prob- lem because the composer generally pro- vides adequate rest between the solo pas- sages. The full range of the trumpet, from ft to f"', is exploited, but excursions into either extremity are brief. The overall tes- situra of the solo part is, however, in the high register (from c" upwards), and de- mentum of both fast movements, serving at the same time as a unifying aural device. Although intended by Zwilich as a vir- tuoso trumpet work, the Concerto's tech- nical demands are surprisingly reasonable. The most glaring impediments to perfor- mance are the brief appearances of high d"' three times in the first movement, along with e"' and f"' in the cadenza of the last movement. Endurance will not be a prob- lem because the composer generally pro- vides adequate rest between the solo pas- sages. The full range of the trumpet, from ft to f"', is exploited, but excursions into either extremity are brief. The overall tes- situra of the solo part is, however, in the high register (from c" upwards), and de- mands for dynamic control require a ma- ture performer. Zwilich's Concerto would make excellent fare on solo-trumpet-and-piano recitals, where it would provide welcome relief from the monotonous trumpet-piano sound. The clever scoring for bass clarinet, vibra- phone, and contrabass provides a refresh- ing aural experience within a conservative twentieth-century context. Certainly this delightful score should be available in li- braries serving composers, trumpeters, and students of twentieth-century music. NORBERT CARNOVALE University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg mands for dynamic control require a ma- ture performer. Zwilich's Concerto would make excellent fare on solo-trumpet-and-piano recitals, where it would provide welcome relief from the monotonous trumpet-piano sound. The clever scoring for bass clarinet, vibra- phone, and contrabass provides a refresh- ing aural experience within a conservative twentieth-century context. Certainly this delightful score should be available in li- braries serving composers, trumpeters, and students of twentieth-century music. NORBERT CARNOVALE University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg VOCAL AND CHORAL MUSIC VOCAL AND CHORAL MUSIC G. B. Bononcini and Emperor Joseph I. 3 Viennese Arias; for soprano, ob- bligato clarinet in B flat and piano. Ed. by Colin Lawson. London: Nova (E. C. Schirmer), 1984. [Set of 3 perfor- mance scores; $12.00.] Alessandro Scarlatti. Due cantate: Augellin vago e canoro; Filli, ti sai s'io t'amo; per soprano, 2 flauti dolci con- tralti e basso continuo. A cura di Hans Wilhelm Koneke, in collaborazione con Waldemar Doling. Rome: Societa It- aliana del Flauto Dolce, 1984. [Score, 30 p., and parts.] Nova Music has recently issued the latest in a series of editions for voice and obbli- gato instrument. This volume includes three Viennese arias for soprano, clarinet, and keyboard, one by Emperor Joseph I and two by Giovanni Battista Bononcini. Emperor Joseph was a musician as well as a music patron. During his brief reign, new operas, often by Italian composers, were produced every season. Marc Anto- nio Ziani, one of a late-seventeenth-cen- tury generation of Venetian composers, wrote Chilonida in 1709; the aria "Tutto il piante il cor struggete" was written by Em- peror Joseph to be inserted, in accordance with the common practice of the time, into the work. An interesting feature of the bass line is that it was originally conceived with- G. B. Bononcini and Emperor Joseph I. 3 Viennese Arias; for soprano, ob- bligato clarinet in B flat and piano. Ed. by Colin Lawson. London: Nova (E. C. Schirmer), 1984. [Set of 3 perfor- mance scores; $12.00.] Alessandro Scarlatti. Due cantate: Augellin vago e canoro; Filli, ti sai s'io t'amo; per soprano, 2 flauti dolci con- tralti e basso continuo. A cura di Hans Wilhelm Koneke, in collaborazione con Waldemar Doling. Rome: Societa It- aliana del Flauto Dolce, 1984. [Score, 30 p., and parts.] Nova Music has recently issued the latest in a series of editions for voice and obbli- gato instrument. This volume includes three Viennese arias for soprano, clarinet, and keyboard, one by Emperor Joseph I and two by Giovanni Battista Bononcini. Emperor Joseph was a musician as well as a music patron. During his brief reign, new operas, often by Italian composers, were produced every season. Marc Anto- nio Ziani, one of a late-seventeenth-cen- tury generation of Venetian composers, wrote Chilonida in 1709; the aria "Tutto il piante il cor struggete" was written by Em- peror Joseph to be inserted, in accordance with the common practice of the time, into the work. An interesting feature of the bass line is that it was originally conceived with- out continuo and for "basson de chalu- meaux." The chalumeaux was the Baroque antecedent of the clarinet, and the basson de chalumeaux was to it as the modern bassoon is to the modern clarinet. Thus the aria would originally have been performed by soprano, string ensemble, obbligato chalumeaux, and the continuo chalu- meaux; what a fascinating sonority that must have been! Bononcini, a prolific composer of can- tatas as well as operas, had his works pro- duced all over Europe and was, for a while, Handel's rival in London. "L'adorata gen- itrice" from Muzio Scevole (1710) and "E sempre inquieto quel cor infelice" from Endimione (1706) both use the soprano chalumeaux as an obbligato instrument, the latter aria containing the earliest use of the instrument for obbligato purposes. The edition is very clear and easy to read, and the editors must be commended for is- suing this lovely, relatively obscure music and providing both good translations and helpful editorial notes. However, it is un- fortunate that the keyboard part is clearly labeled "piano"; the label gives young mu- sicians (or anyone who is not knowledge- able about the period) false information, both about current performing choices and about historical context. Also, all the or- naments are needlessly written out. Surely, performers now know enough about Ba- roque performance practice to make their own choices. Finally, continuo lines are re- out continuo and for "basson de chalu- meaux." The chalumeaux was the Baroque antecedent of the clarinet, and the basson de chalumeaux was to it as the modern bassoon is to the modern clarinet. Thus the aria would originally have been performed by soprano, string ensemble, obbligato chalumeaux, and the continuo chalu- meaux; what a fascinating sonority that must have been! Bononcini, a prolific composer of can- tatas as well as operas, had his works pro- duced all over Europe and was, for a while, Handel's rival in London. "L'adorata gen- itrice" from Muzio Scevole (1710) and "E sempre inquieto quel cor infelice" from Endimione (1706) both use the soprano chalumeaux as an obbligato instrument, the latter aria containing the earliest use of the instrument for obbligato purposes. The edition is very clear and easy to read, and the editors must be commended for is- suing this lovely, relatively obscure music and providing both good translations and helpful editorial notes. However, it is un- fortunate that the keyboard part is clearly labeled "piano"; the label gives young mu- sicians (or anyone who is not knowledge- able about the period) false information, both about current performing choices and about historical context. Also, all the or- naments are needlessly written out. Surely, performers now know enough about Ba- roque performance practice to make their own choices. Finally, continuo lines are re- 833 833 This content downloaded from 185.2.32.110 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 03:12:21 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp MLA Notes, June 1988 MLA Notes, June 1988 alized in such a way as to make the com- posers' original intentions indistinguisha- ble from editorial decisions. Alessandro Scarlatti, the most prolific major cantata composer of the Baroque, wrote over six hundred works in this genre. Perhaps what appealed to him was the pos- sibility of concentrating all the drama of the text within purely musical constraints since, of course, these cantatas were never acted out. The elimination of the flamboyant conventions of the Baroque stage seems often to have inspired Scarlatti and his contemporaries to music of heightened in- tensity. Since the pieces were performed for select and often sympathetic audiences, composers could display harmonic audac- ity and melodic inventiveness in treating their texts. As always, when studying or using edi- tions of early music, one is struck by both the need for and the difficulty of balancing scholarship and practical considerations. With this awareness in mind, I have several objections. From a strictly visual point of view, I question the editor's decision to print, in the full score, both the recorder parts and the vocal line in a size smaller than that of the keyboard part. This was done, I sus- pect, to save space, but the problem could perhaps have been solved in another and better way. I wonder about the size dis- crepancy: are these parts of spurious attri- bution? An editorial explanation, if not a better visual plan, would have been in or- der. A similar objection comes to mind upon seeing a continuo line fully written out. Would it not give the knowledgeable con- temporary keyboard player more options if the figured bass had been presented either alone or together with its realization? These questions aside, the two cantatas, appar- ently previously unpublished, constitute valuable additions to the performing li- brary of chamber musicians seeking out new jewels in the Baroque crown. JANET SULLIVAN New York Bernhard Lewkovitch. Deprecations; for tenor/high baritone, horn and bass trombone, 1984. Copenhagen: Han- sen (Magnamusic-Baton), 1984. [Score, 9 p., and parts; $6.75.] alized in such a way as to make the com- posers' original intentions indistinguisha- ble from editorial decisions. Alessandro Scarlatti, the most prolific major cantata composer of the Baroque, wrote over six hundred works in this genre. Perhaps what appealed to him was the pos- sibility of concentrating all the drama of the text within purely musical constraints since, of course, these cantatas were never acted out. The elimination of the flamboyant conventions of the Baroque stage seems often to have inspired Scarlatti and his contemporaries to music of heightened in- tensity. Since the pieces were performed for select and often sympathetic audiences, composers could display harmonic audac- ity and melodic inventiveness in treating their texts. As always, when studying or using edi- tions of early music, one is struck by both the need for and the difficulty of balancing scholarship and practical considerations. With this awareness in mind, I have several objections. From a strictly visual point of view, I question the editor's decision to print, in the full score, both the recorder parts and the vocal line in a size smaller than that of the keyboard part. This was done, I sus- pect, to save space, but the problem could perhaps have been solved in another and better way. I wonder about the size dis- crepancy: are these parts of spurious attri- bution? An editorial explanation, if not a better visual plan, would have been in or- der. A similar objection comes to mind upon seeing a continuo line fully written out. Would it not give the knowledgeable con- temporary keyboard player more options if the figured bass had been presented either alone or together with its realization? These questions aside, the two cantatas, appar- ently previously unpublished, constitute valuable additions to the performing li- brary of chamber musicians seeking out new jewels in the Baroque crown. JANET SULLIVAN New York Bernhard Lewkovitch. Deprecations; for tenor/high baritone, horn and bass trombone, 1984. Copenhagen: Han- sen (Magnamusic-Baton), 1984. [Score, 9 p., and parts; $6.75.] Ralph Shapey. O Jerusalem; for so- prano and flute. Bryn Mawr: Presser, 1985. [Set of two performance scores; $9.00.] Two Old Testament settings demon- strate how wide is the expressive and qual- itative reach of the twentieth century's learned style. Bernhard Lewkovitch crosses Schiitz with Stravinsky in an aptly-titled trilogy of songs which seem to disappear into their own shadows. Ralph Shapey's O Jerusalem recalls the fervor of his Praise and Songs of Ecstasy, reaffirming the favorite epithet of both his admirers and critics- "uncompromising." Deprecations was composed in 1984 and features excerpts in Latin from Exodus, Daniel, and Job. In each instance the un- derstated supplication of the verses is met with constrained, rigidly undifferentiated recitation from the tenor. Descending thirds and stressless octave leaps are about the only features, pervasively repeated, of these melodic landscapes. The brass underneath play linear polytonal dissonances, occasion- ally quite harsh, adding some harmonic in- terest but still more rhythmic sameness. Whatever Middle Eastern flavor Lewko- vitch might have intended is lost in the ho- mogeneity; if only he had attended to the genuine melodic and rhythmic subtleties of his models! With slight vocal dynamics and frequent, evenly placed instrumental rests, Depreca- tions should pose no problem to perform- ers. Readability and layout are both excel- lent in the score and parts. Lewkovitch's relatively large output has generated only one other review in these pages over the last thirty-two years; while it remains for future music historians to assess whether the neglect is justified, the work at hand must be considered a disappointment. 0 Jerusalem dates from 1975, near the end of Shapey's self-imposed moratorium on publication and performance. Comprised of three Biblical evocations of Jerusalem followed by a mantric tribute to Shalom Aleichem, this duet is a fierce musical statement that will challenge technical and interpretive limits. The vocal handling be- trays an instrumental conception: violent contoural displacements are aligned with graceful dynamic and rhythmic curves. The accompaniment is equally spectacular; from the tersely aggregated pitch material ini- Ralph Shapey. O Jerusalem; for so- prano and flute. Bryn Mawr: Presser, 1985. [Set of two performance scores; $9.00.] Two Old Testament settings demon- strate how wide is the expressive and qual- itative reach of the twentieth century's learned style. Bernhard Lewkovitch crosses Schiitz with Stravinsky in an aptly-titled trilogy of songs which seem to disappear into their own shadows. Ralph Shapey's O Jerusalem recalls the fervor of his Praise and Songs of Ecstasy, reaffirming the favorite epithet of both his admirers and critics- "uncompromising." Deprecations was composed in 1984 and features excerpts in Latin from Exodus, Daniel, and Job. In each instance the un- derstated supplication of the verses is met with constrained, rigidly undifferentiated recitation from the tenor. Descending thirds and stressless octave leaps are about the only features, pervasively repeated, of these melodic landscapes. The brass underneath play linear polytonal dissonances, occasion- ally quite harsh, adding some harmonic in- terest but still more rhythmic sameness. Whatever Middle Eastern flavor Lewko- vitch might have intended is lost in the ho- mogeneity; if only he had attended to the genuine melodic and rhythmic subtleties of his models! With slight vocal dynamics and frequent, evenly placed instrumental rests, Depreca- tions should pose no problem to perform- ers. Readability and layout are both excel- lent in the score and parts. Lewkovitch's relatively large output has generated only one other review in these pages over the last thirty-two years; while it remains for future music historians to assess whether the neglect is justified, the work at hand must be considered a disappointment. 0 Jerusalem dates from 1975, near the end of Shapey's self-imposed moratorium on publication and performance. Comprised of three Biblical evocations of Jerusalem followed by a mantric tribute to Shalom Aleichem, this duet is a fierce musical statement that will challenge technical and interpretive limits. The vocal handling be- trays an instrumental conception: violent contoural displacements are aligned with graceful dynamic and rhythmic curves. The accompaniment is equally spectacular; from the tersely aggregated pitch material ini- 834 834 This content downloaded from 185.2.32.110 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 03:12:21 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp Article Contents p. 833 p. 834 Issue Table of Contents Notes, Second Series, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Jun., 1988), pp. 649-908 Volume Information [pp. 896-908] Front Matter [pp. 649-855] The Albert Schatz Opera Collections at the Library of Congress: A Guide and a Supplemental Catalogue [pp. 655-695] Obituary Index [pp. 696-703] Notes for NOTES [pp. 704-706] Book Reviews Review: untitled [pp. 707-709] Review: untitled [pp. 709-711] Review: untitled [pp. 711-713] Review: untitled [pp. 713-715] Review: untitled [pp. 716-718] Review: untitled [pp. 718-720] Review: untitled [pp. 720-722] Review: untitled [pp. 722-724] Review: untitled [p. 724] Books Recently Published [pp. 725-735] New Periodicals [pp. 736-739] Music Publishers' Catalogues [pp. 740-746] Index to CD and Record Reviews [pp. 747-786] Music Reviews Review: untitled [pp. 787-798] Review: untitled [pp. 798-804] Review: untitled [pp. 804-807] Review: untitled [pp. 807-808] Review: untitled [pp. 808-809] Review: untitled [pp. 809-812] Review: untitled [pp. 812-813] Review: untitled [pp. 813-815] Review: untitled [pp. 815-817] Keyboard Music Review: untitled [pp. 817-819] Review: untitled [pp. 819-820] Review: untitled [p. 820] Review: untitled [pp. 820-821] Instrumental Solo and Ensemble Music Review: untitled [pp. 821-822] Review: untitled [pp. 822-823] Review: untitled [pp. 824-825] Review: untitled [p. 826] Review: untitled [p. 826] Review: untitled [pp. 826-827] Review: untitled [pp. 827-828] Review: untitled [pp. 828-829] Review: untitled [pp. 829-830] Review: untitled [pp. 830-831] Review: untitled [pp. 831-832] Review: untitled [pp. 832-833] Vocal and Choral Music Review: untitled [pp. 833-834] Review: untitled [pp. 834-835] Review: untitled [p. 835] Review: untitled [pp. 835-837] Music Received [pp. 838-854] Communications [p. 856] Grace Notes [pp. 857-858] Back Matter [pp. 859-895]