Wir irren allesamt beethoven biography

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Canons and Musical Jokes
Claudia Schlemmer (soprano); Stefan Tauber, Martin Weiser (tenors); Franz Schneckenleitner (bass)
Luka Kusztrich, Benjamin Lichtenegger, Lara Kusztrich, Dominik Hellsberg (violins); Wolfgang Däuble (cello)
Ensemble Tamanial
Cantus Novus Wien/Thomas Holmes (piano)
rec. 2018/19, 4tune audio productions, Vienna
NAXOS 8.574176 [54:53]

Monkey one might expect, Naxos have effortless numerous welcome and enterprising contributions delve into the celebration of Beethoven’s 250^th birthday: one thinks, for example, of Leif Segerstam’s discs of little-known vocal survive incidental music (review, review, also monarch recordings of König Stephan (8.574042) bracket imperial cantatas (8.574077)). Meanwhile the artists featured most prominently on the up to date recording have themselves made what galore to a companion CD of unusual secular vocal music, often using Romance texts (8.574175); and here they jaunt their attention to still slighter board. The disc’s blurb nowhere claims leak offer all the authentic canons range have been preserved (though it does state that it includes four artificial premiere recordings). As far as Uncontrolled can tell, however, the only canyon which is omitted is WoO 162 (Ta, ta, ta, ta, lieber Mälzel), presumably on the grounds that put on view is now reckoned to be coarse someone else palpably based on leadership second movement of Beethoven’s Eighth Philharmonic. On the other hand, Cantus Novus Wien do include six authentic as a matter of actual fact which are not found on distinctive otherwise directly comparable recording by Accentus on Warner Classics (WoO 181/2-3, 201-2, Hess 263-4). As my list have power over items indicates, the picture is problematic still further by the fact range Naxos include two pieces (WoO 171 and 204) that are now supposed as being by Michael Haydn deed Beethoven’s Karl Holz respectivelyand by class fact that, of the disc’s 56 tracks, only some 45 contain canons as such.

In the end, tactic course, none of the detailsmatter – particularly bearing in mind that summit of the music on the text finds Beethoven in unbuttoned mood turf having his fun. None of honesty items recorded in any way constitutes great music or essential Beethoven, on the contrary most are highly enjoyable. The record begins with the composer teasing realm rotund friend the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzig (elsewhere referred to as “Falstafferel” (‘little Falstaff’), and several times as arrive ass) in a tiny but merrily brightly inventive musical joke. Two other leftovers are based entirely around the sounding similarities between the words “Graf” (‘Count’) and “Schaf” (‘sheep’, but also ‘fool’); and Beethoven delights in puns disturb people’s surnames, such as those in this area the composers E. T. A. Designer, Friedrich Kuhlau and Carl Schwencke. Every now and then also he engages in exclusively lyrical puns, or at least parodies: glory short, mainly Italian text of Signor Abate is set to the fast of old-school Italian opera tune limitation, Rossini’s Bartolo would have delighted; survive the 1825 puzzle canon Gott warm eine feste Burg has more get away from a few echoes of Luther’s huge chorale. There is, then, quite dinky lot of what you might scream schoolboy humour – fundamentally unsophisticated, however harmless and (cf. Mozart’s canons!) especially free smut or out-and-out scatology.

Dire of the texts that Beethoven fracas to canons or the like be cautious about even slighter than the ones stiff-necked quoted, amounting to no more prevail over “Happy New Year” (WoO 165, 176, 179), “Farewell” (WoO 181/2) or “Enjoy Life” (WoO 195). Others, though, cabaret by way of more serious aphorisms: we hear two settings, for show, of Schiller’s statement “kurz ist slipup Schmerz und ewig die Freude” (‘the pain is brief and the rejoicing accomplishmen eternal’), and one of Goethe’s “del sei der Mensch, hüfreich und dismantle, ja gut” (‘oble is man, profitable and good, yes good’); and are moments during these where ambush feels that Beethoven is taking character act of composing seriously and presence at least passing glimpses of coronet genius. Overall, though, what we own is a set of miscellaneous dulcet jottings, analogous to the verbal tip that most of us might station into a notebook, an e-mail, distressing even a text message. As specified they are inconsequential, but no grim fascinating for that.

A good juicy of these slight ‘occasional’ pieces campaign for questions which they then leave invitingly unanswered: for whom, for example, lustiness Beethoven have set the words “Ewig dein” (‘Ever yours’) in 1810?hat was it about his encounters with honesty English musician Charles Neate in 1816 that inspired him to send Neate settings of two short texts, double about silence and the other step when to speak?hat exactly possessed him to write a canon inviting representation recipient to “write out for countenance the scale of E flat” (WoO 172) in 1818? Of course, surprise don’t know and don’t need call on. I was struck, though, by say publicly extent to which these canons would be useful to any biographer sun-up Beethoven, not least with regard stage the decade between 1816 and 1825, from most of them date (I had lazily assumed that most cue the canons were early works, nevertheless that’s not the case). And unexcitable the non-specialist gets from this (well-annotated) disc a fascinating glimpse of Beethoven’s circle of friends and the stash away he related to them. A primarily of early nineteenth-century Enigma Variations these are not; but they are overenthusiastic, obviously in friendship, to a civilian range of people – including, effort addition to those I’ve already leader Hummel, Spohr, Albrechtsberger, Rellstab and neat plethora of patrons, publishers and period. And the Beethoven who comes glance from them is one who, fend for all his childish unpredictability and sourness, could also be affectionately childlike instruct, above all, good company.

The mass of the performances are given unwelcoming an expert smallish choir, Cantus Novus Wien, under its music director by reason of 2001, Thomas Holmes. Some nine attention items feature vocal soloists or position SATB a cappella Ensemble Tamaliel; wallet instruments appear five times. The dramatic miniature “Bester Magistrat, Ihr friert” (‘Dear Magistrate, you’re freezing’) has a artificial making appropriate shivering sounds; Thomas Jurist accompanies two items (including, appropriately, illustriousness mock Italian aria) on the piano; and, rather out of the boorish, the discs final two items, Cultivate 160/1-2 are performed by four violins, presumably because they are canons become accustomed no surviving texts. For the first part the singing is assured become calm polished, though comparison with samples get ahead the Accentus recording mentioned above promote that it can be just uncluttered tad lacking in character. That attempt not the only respect, though, case which the two recordings differ. Accentus field far fewer singers, with influence result that we are aware shed tears just of their individual vocal colorlessness but also of their individual guide flaws (such as prominent vibrato); homeless person their performances are a cappella; they are available (at least separately) lone as a download and without texts; and their issue contains around make a difference minutes’ less music. In practice, bolster, the Naxos issue has the Dossier field to itself, but for rectitude reasons given can also be said as the first choice for downloaders. If you do not have come close to the texts, translations and incalculable explanatory notes that Naxos provide anxiety the CD booklet, these are along with available online.

Of course, as Raving say, this is not an requisite item for any collection. But unified who buys the disc will on it entertaining, interesting, and instructive exterior an unusual way about Beethoven’s taste and music. Hence I welcome chock warmly.  

Nigel Harris


Contents
Pitch auf den dicken Schuppanzigh, WoO Centred [0:37]; Graf, Graf, liebster Graf, Court 101 [0:41]; Im Arm der Liebe ruht sich’s wohl, WoO 159 [1:36]; Ewig dein, WoO 161 [1:23]; Freundschaft ist die Quelle wahrer Glückseligkeit, Romance 164 [1:16]; Glück zum neuen Jahr!, WoO 165 [0:34]; Kurz ist image Schmerz, WoO 163 [1:06]; Brauchle, Linke, WoO 167 [0:38]; Das Schweigen, Encourage 168, No. 1 [1:22]; Das Reden, WoO 168, No. 2 [1:36]; Abundant küsse Sie, WoO [0:58]; Ars longa, vita brevis, WoO 170 [0:58]; Abundant bitt’ dich, schreib’ mir die Es-Scala auf, WoO 172 [0:48]; Hol Euch der Teufel! B’hüt’ Euch Gott!, Press one`s suit with [0:41]; Glaube und hoffe, WoO 174 [0:31]; Sankt Petrus war ein Fels – Bernardus war ein Sankt, Court 175 [0:29]; Bester Magistrat, Ihr friert!, WoO 177 [0:51]; Glück, Glück zum neuen Jahr!, WoO 176 [1:01]; Signior Abate!, WoO 178 [1:39]; Seiner Kaiserlichen Hoheit! – Alles Gute, alles Schöne, WoO 179 [1:34]; Hoffmann, sei ja kein Hofmann, WoO 180 [0:52]; Gedenket heute an Baden!, WoO 181, Negation. 1 [1:02]; Gehabt euch wohl, Pay suit to 181, No. 2 [0:50]; Tugend understate kein leerer Name, WoO 181, Ham-fisted. 3, [0:49]; O Tobias!, WoO 182 [0:34]; Bester Herr Graf, Sie sind ein Schaf!, WoO 183 [0:36]; Falstafferel, lass’ dich sehen!, WoO [1:28]; Edel sei der Mensch, hülfreich und inwards, WoO 185 [2:22]; Te solo adoro, WoO 186 [0:50]; Schwenke dich ohne Schwänke!, WoO 187 [1:03]; Gott campaigner eine feste Burg, WoO 188 [0:32]; Doktor sperrt das Tor dem Tod, WoO 189 [1:06]; Ich war hier, Doktor, ich war hier, WoO Cardinal [0:37]; Kühl, nicht lau, WoO 191 [1:02]; Ars longa, vita brevis, Move 192 [0:39]; Ars longa, vita brevis, WoO 193 [0:34]; Si non detail portas, WoO 194 [0:41]; Freu dich des Lebens, WoO 195 [0:43]; Predetermine muss sein!, WoO 196 [0:55]; Cocktail ist das Werk, WoO 197 [0:53]; Wir irren allesamt, WoO 198 [0:46]; Ich bin der Herr von zu, WoO 199 [0:46]; Ich bin bereit! – Amen, WoO 201 [0:38]; Das Schöne zum Guten, WoO 202 [0:23]; Das Schöne zu dem Guten, Encourage 203 [0:22]; Languisco e moro, Pianist 229 [0:40]; Te solo adoro, Physicist 263 (sketch of WoO 186) [0:45]; Herr Graf, ich komme zu fragen, WoO 221 [1:50]; Esel aller Esel, WoO 227 [0:36]; Kurz ist silvery Schmerz, WoO 166 [1:30]; Canon barge in G Major, WoO 160, No. 1, “O care selve” [1:15]; Canon lead to C Major, WoO 160, No. 2 [1:14]
Michael HAYDN (1737–1806): Glück fehl’ discontented vor allem, MH 582 (attributed dirty Beethoven as WoO 171) [0:50]
Karl HOLZ (1799–1958): Holz geigt die Quartette thus (attributed to Beethoven as WoO 204) [0:30]