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Reviewer: Bertil
van Boer The War of the Spanish Succession was rather a disaster for Spain, which had been declining in power and prestige for almost a century. Bourbon King Philip V (appointed by Louis XIV as Charles II had died childless in 1700) managed to provoke some serious disagreements with some of his confederated provinces, mainly Aragon and Catalonia, which turned to the Hapsburg Archduke Charles, who was subsequently proclaimed Charles III (or Carlos III) in 1705. He immediately moved his court to Barcelona, and along with them came his entourage of personal musicians. In 1710 he won a rather decisive victory against Philip at Almenar and Saragossa, but the war dragged on for several more years, mainly in the Netherlands, until the Treaty of Utrecht several years later. In an ironic twist of fate, Charles, who was also the sole heir of the Holy Roman Empire, had to return to Austria (to become Charles IV there), leaving the defeated and not terribly popular Bourbon king on the throne. This political mess, which even spilled over into the New World, forms the setting for this disc of Catalan music from this turbulent period. Francesco Valls (c. 1671–1747)—or Francesc Vals, to use the Catalan spelling employed on this release—was the maestro di capilla at the Barcelona cathedral who obtained his post in 1706 after serving as a temporary fill-in for several years prior. This was a particularly prestigious position, for it included direct interaction with the Catalonian parliament as well as the Spanish crown. Although he had written the Missa Aretina in 1702 for a visit by Philip V, his later sympathies with the Austrian rival were enough to get him removed in 1719. He spent the next six years, probably assisting one of his pupils in Valencia, before being reinstated in 1725. As a composer, Valls can be considered the principal figure in Catalan Baroque music, with an extensive repertory of works written for both the cathedral and other churches and monasteries in the region (including Monserrat), as well as being known as a theorist (for his 1735 Mapa armonico prático) and a teacher. As is not uncommon, despite his prestige and position, his music has been little known, perhaps even in Catalonia, though recent research into their musical heritage has resulted in a few editions. This disc, then, incorporates not only one of his signal works, but also includes a number of others that give a broader picture of his compositional legacy. The first nine tracks consist of a variety of works done for the Barcelona cathedral musical ensembles, and it is generally a mixed bag. The opening psalm, Lauda Ierusalem, begins with a staid chorus with a pair of high trumpets, and when the second section enters, the voices weave a contrapuntal tapestry around a solo trumpet (that seems to come and go at will). The interplay between counterpoint and homophony lasts through the doxology, where a final roulade brings the Amen to a close. There is something pretty and naïve about the Tono al Santissimo Sacramento in Spanish, where the violins circles the voices, interjecting now and again like a Carissimi oratorio. The vocal lines are mostly in parallel thirds, giving the work a studied simplicity. The Lamentations are characterized by close harmonies in a minor mode, solemn and almost funereal, with textures building slowly from the introduction to a fuller sound. Solo portions enter and retreat from this choral group, always in slow, deliberate motion. The Easter motet Surrexit pastor bonus has a flighty arabesque between the violin and solo soprano. The villancico in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas features a pair of Vivaldian trumpet parts that sound concerto-like, while the choral lines seem to bounce along, almost as if accompanied by a guitar (actually an organ, but I stand by the metaphor). The harmonies are more adventurous, and there is even a hint of vocal dialogue. In some sense, this is a most modern work in style and form. Of course the central position is occupied by the Missa Arentina, with its solemn and ponderous Kyrie replete with powerful trumpet chords and complex counterpoint that follows. This sort of solo lines interspersed amid static chords continues on throughout this large-scale composition. It is truly a royal Mass, a monumental structure fit for a king, whether Bourbon or Hapsburg. Conductor Albert Recasens has put together a fine ensemble. The tempos are slow enough to provide the essential gravitas but not so ponderous as to let this music drag. The trumpet playing is clear and bright, and the vocalists are all spot on in tune. Indeed, the solo lines are drawn from the chorus, which is as it should be since the integration is truly a mark of Valls’s writing. In short, this is an excellent disc and makes one wish to explore the realm of Catalan music much more extensively. Let’s hope that this disc is to be the first in such a series. | |
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