0:08 1. Quem Pastores
3:18 2. another series of Bransles de Villages
8:19 3. How Brightly Shines
12:07 4. Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort
22:35 5. Joseph Dearest Joseph Mine
25:46 6. a suite of Ballets
33:00 7. In Dulci Jubilo cum Tubae
Programme notes for each track are below
Part ONE of this concert: • Music of Praetorious C...
PLAYLIST of tracks: • Music of Michael Praet...
On 21st October 2023, 65 singers and players from across Cornwall, members of Truro Cathedral Choir, local singers and a ‘Renaissance Band' with MD Russell Blacker, gathered for a concert of music by Michael Praetorius (1571- 1621)
Recorded at St. Mary's Church, Penzance, Cornwall: www.penleecluster.org.uk
Programme notes:
1. We open the second half with Praetorius utterly beautiful 'Quem Pastores'. Here he arranges the “four boys” each with their own instrumental ensemble, before the tutti burst in with a paean of rejoicing.
2. Next, the Band play another series of 'Bransles de Villages' - based on tunes culled from the villages of rural France and Germany. There is a certain ‘rudeness’ and naivety to the melodies which make a nice contrast with the art music in the rest of the programme.
3. 'How Brightly Shines' is a reflective 10-part work for which I have chosen the reduced-scoring version using soloists and Basso continuo. Two choirs dialogue in praise of Christ and in the middle section Praetorius has them imitate bells.
4. With 'Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort' we enter deeply into the Lutheran chorale tradition. Scored for 4 choirs - and 4 instrumental ensembles - this is Praetorius at his grandest. The reference to “the rage of Pope and Turks” heard early on in this piece locates it firmly in the anxieties of the early 17th century, the growing Turkish occupation of Europe and - for Protestants - the equally unnerving Counter-Reformation which was shortly to boil over into the 30 years’ war. This war cost hundreds of thousands of lives and it wiped out musical establishments across Europe. Writing in 1623, just 2 years after Praetorius’ death, Grossman records “In many towns and places where music formally flourished and where there was singing praising and glorifying of God every Sunday and feast day by 16 or even more voices in 2, 3 or more choirs, now one can barely manage an old piece of plain 4-part music. Schutz writing a decade later added “it is plain for all to see how the praiseworthy art of music has not only fallen heavily into decline through the unceasing dangers and vicissitudes of war in the dear fatherland of our German nation. In many places music has been completely abandoned altogether alongside the general ruin and havoc which unhappy war is bring in its train.
5. Next, we turn to a quietly meditative Christmas piece - 'Joseph Dearest Joseph Mine'. This rocking lullaby is sung by the soloists accompanied by recorders and trombones.
6. The Band now enjoy a final outing with a suite of Ballets which begin with a stately Pavane, then three sprightly Galliards, before the full ensemble enter to play the highly syncopated finale.
7. We end the concert with Praetorius largest work - 'In Dulci Jubilo cum Tubae' written in 1615 for the wedding of Margarve Wilhelm of Magdeburg and Princess Dorothea of Wolfenbuttel. It is scored for five choirs and a fully separate brass ensemble. Praetorius takes the well-known tune through various exciting permutations - loud to soft, fast to slow, before seeming to fade away until he suddenly surprises by bringing everyone back in - fortissimo - and the longest final chord in musical history!
Footnote: In preparing for this concert it was necessary to spend a year creating new performing editions in which the parts had to be transcribed into modern clefs, note-values, and time signatures - the ranges of the original renaissance instruments ‘translated’ into their modern counterparts - the German and Latin texts all translated into English - and the vocal and instrumental forces ‘orchestrated’ as per his instructions
AMDG - Video © 2023 The Lighthouse. www.youtube.com/ @thelighthouse123
10 ноя 2023
