One may sometimes wonder why the appreciation of music or performances
is so different from one reviewer to the other. There can be various
reasons for that, one of them being a difference in taste. It wasn't
very different in the past, when there was no such thing as a recording.
Take Gaspard Fritz, for instance. The English journalist Charles Burney
visited him in Geneva in 1770. At his request Fritz played "one of
his solos, which, though extremely difficult, was pleasing; and not
withstanding his time of life, he still performs with as much spirit
as a young man of twenty-five". He adds that "his bowing and expression
are admirable". Fritz's playing didn't meet with universal approval,
though. When he performed at the Concert Spirituel in Paris in 1756
the reception wasn't overly enthusiastic. This is mostly attributed
to his Italian style of playing, but that seems questionable. After
all, Italian music was well appreciated by Paris audiences at the
time, and the Italian-influenced sonatas by Leclair went down very
well with them. Another contemporary stated that his ornamentation
was excessive and that he sometimes lost his rhythm.
That said, he certainly was appreciated, both as a composer and as
a teacher. Handel assessed his sonatas op. 1 - two of which are played
here - positively, and he was a much sought-after teacher of the English
community in Geneva. He received his first lessons from his father
Philipp, who was from the German town of Celle and had settled in
Geneva as a music teacher. He continued his education with the then
famous violinist Giovanni Battista Somis in Turin, and returned to
Geneva in 1736-37. He had close connections to the Common Room of
Geneva, a group of English residents who organized musical and theatrical
performances. The dedications of Fritz's printed works indicate that
he moved among the upper echelon of society in Geneva.
This disc includes five compositions from different stages in Fritz's
career. They are all called 'sinfonia', but that is not correct as
far as the op. 1 is concerned. It is a set of six works which were
printed in 1742 in London under the title of
Sonate a quattro stromenti,
scored for two violins, viola and basso continuo. The use of the word
'sonata' could indicate that they were in the first instance intended
as chamber music. However, a performance with more than one instrument
per part is certainly legitimate. They are in three movements. The
opening movement of the
Sinfonia in A includes some short solo
passages for the violin. The slow movements of these two sinfonias
for strings are quite expressive, reflecting the
Empfindsamkeit
which was in vogue in the mid-18th century. The opening movement of
the
Sinfonia in F has a rather nervous character, another feature
of many orchestral works of that time.
The three symphonies from op. 6 are from a much later date. They are
likely the set of six symphonies whose publication Fritz announced,
when Burney met him. That suggests they were written not before the
late 1760s. They are scored for two flutes, two horns, strings and
bc. In the symphonies in G major and G minor the opening movements
are dramatic, due to the treatment of dynamics and an effective use
of the horns. The latter's role is different in the opening allegro
from the
Symphony in F in which they, together with the flutes,
introduce a lyrical element which is full of contrasts. The slow movement
of the
Symphony in G contains much expression thanks to frequent
suspensions and sighing figures. The slow movement from the
Symphony
in g minor suggests a scene in the countryside, which is depicted
by the flutes and the strings playing pizzicato. The
Symphony in
F is in four movements and includes a menuet and trio. This was
not common at the time, but would become standard in the classical
era.
There are clear similarities between these symphonies and orchestral
works by composers from the Mannheim school. Interestingly, the first
symphony from the op. 6 set was published in modern times by Hermann
Scherchen, who thought Fritz's symphonies were in some respects more
original than those by the Mannheim school. That was based on his
assumption that they were written before 1760, but it is now generally
assumed that they are of a much later date. At the time of their printing,
after 1770, they were less remarkable. Even so, there is every reason
to appreciate this recording because these are very fine works which
don't deserve to be ignored. La Stagione Frankfurt delivers in a fine
and pleasing way. Now and then I felt that more could have been made
of the score, especially in the string sinfonias. On balance this
is a most enjoyable disc, though, and I definitely hope that the remaining
pieces from these two sets will appear on disc.
For those who would like to hear more from Fritz, I would mention
a recording of the Sonatas op. 2 which was reviewed
here
and
here.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
