Texte paru dans: / Appeared in: |
|
|
Outil de traduction ~ (Très approximatif) |
|
|
Reviewer: J.
F. Weber
With volume 15 in his series
of the complete works of Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672), Hans-Christoph
Rademann has finally begun to fill the largest lacuna in the discography,
the Becker Psalms, op. 5, SWV 97–256. Cornelius Becker
(1561–1604), a Leipzig theologian, set out to provide a rhymed, metrical
translation of the psalms. Martin Luther had included prose translations in
his Bible, and the Calvinist Ambrosius Lobwasser had produced a rhymed,
metrical translation based on the Geneva Psalter. (I would hope that a
theologian could explain how Calvinist and Lutheran poets could come up with
theologically different translations of the psalms.) Becker published his
Psalter in 1602, suitable for singing with Lutheran hymn tunes. Schütz had
already published settings of Luther’s translation of 21 psalms (among the
26 works in Psalmen Davids, op. 2, 1619). In 1628 he published his
Becker Psalter (op. 5), setting Psalms 1–51 and about half of Psalms
52–150, indicating the rest to be sung to other settings with similar meter;
this was reprinted in 1640. In 1661 he completed his settings of the entire
book and published the Psalter with optional basso continuo.
The first significant
recordings of the material came from Theodora Schulze with two LPs on Vox
(12 psalms) and Counterpoint (seven psalms), poorly regarded interpretations
at even that early date. Gregg Smith put 17 psalms on one side of a
three-disc Vox Box marking the tercentenary year of 1972, but he performed
only two or three verses of each psalm. More notable was the recent
recording under Manfred Cordes (Fanfare 34:1), which offered three complete
penitential psalms (51, 102, 143: SWV 148, 200, 248) alternating with two
others from the Psalmen Davids. This was a splendid way of
contrasting the composer’s two approaches to the psalms. Even including
scattered selections in other recorded programs, I can count barely 50
different Becker Psalms ever recorded among the total. Only half a dozen of
them are duplicated on this disc, mostly by Smith.
The 20 psalms recorded here
(not in the numerical order listed) were chosen to match the psalms of 1619
on Carus 83.276 (37:4), leaving us to hope for perhaps seven or eight CDs to
complete the set. They include the first and last psalms and a good
proportion of the most familiar texts. In addition to the climactic praise
of Psalm 150 (Praise God), the selection includes the messianic Psalms 8 (O
Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name) and 110 (The Lord said to my
Lord), the much-loved 23 (The Lord is my shepherd), the Old Hundredth
(Praise the Lord), the penitential 130 (Out of the depths I cry unto you)
with five other gradual psalms, and 137 (By the waters of Babylon).
Admirably, we have complete performances of each psalm (save only the
omission of five verses in the middle of Psalm 115). Even the longest of
these renditions (Psalm 136, SWV 241) only runs nine minutes.
Rademann leads six soloists
and a 23-member chamber choir with a continuo group of three players.
Although the same music is repeated for each verse, as they were intended to
be sung, the disposition of solo voices with part-singing and occasional
colla parte violin or cornett effectively relieves the expected
monotony. I have previously called this book “of limited musical interest”
to explain its lack of recorded performances, reflecting an understandable
lack of familiarity with the music, but in fact Rademann has found a way to
interpret the music without losing the interest of the listeners. The psalms
were intended for either choral or congregational use, and in fact were
retained in Lutheran churches until a new era of musical composition
replaced them. The sharp-eyed reader will notice that the 150 psalms of SWV
97–256 add up to 160. The longest, Psalm 119 (Vulgate 118), accounts for
eight numbers, and the relatively longer Psalms 22 (21) and 89 (88) are
divided into two sections. The final verse, titled Responsorium, of
Psalm 150 is given the number SWV 256.
This collection, with its
constantly shifting performing forces, is a significant contribution to the
Schütz discography. It reveals another side of the composer’s interest in
liturgical music. Heartily recommended. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cliquez l'un ou l'autre
bouton pour découvrir bien d'autres critiques de CD |
|
