Anton SCHWEITZER (1735-1787)
Die Auferstehung Christi [61:12]
Lobet, ihr Knechte des Herrn [11:19]
Missa brevis in C [26:19]
Mirella Hagen (soprano), Henriette Gödde (contralto), Stephan Scherpe (tenor), Tobias Berndt (bass)
ripienists: Julia Gromball (soprano), Anna-Sophia Backhaus (contralto), Tobias Schäfer (tenor), Oliver Luhn (bass)
Thüringer Bach Collegium/Gernot Süßmuth
rec. July 2020, Oberkirche, Arnstadt, Germany
Texts included, no translations
CAPRICCIO C5425 [2 CDs: 99:02]
You are forgiven if you have never heard of a composer named Anton Schweitzer. He is one of many composers of the generation of the sons of Bach, who have remained largely unknown. In recent times their music enjoys a growing interest, but that is mainly confined to their instrumental music. Their vocal music, and especially their sacred music, is seldom performed and recorded, and that even goes for the music by the sons of Bach.
Schweitzer was born in Coburg in Bavaria and received training as a singer at the court of Duke Ernst Friedrich III Carl of Saxe-Hildburghausen; later he served at the latter's court as a cellist and violist. In Bayreuth Schweitzer took lessons from Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht. From 1764 to 1766 he stayed in Italy; after his return he was appointed Kapellmeister in Hildburghausen. He wrote sacred music and pieces for the theatre. However, in 1769 the Duke had to close his opera theatre for financial reasons. Schweitzer joined a theatre troupe and was engaged in Weimar, before moving to Gotha, where he wrote a large number of melodramas. A substantial part of his oeuvre has been lost. The three works recorded by the Thüringer Bach Collegium represent almost everything that has come down to us in the field of sacred music.
The first disc is devoted to one work, the Easter oratorio Die Auferstehung Christi, for three solo voices (soprano, tenor, bass), four-part choir and orchestra. As one may expect in a piece for Easter, the orchestra includes pairs of oboes and horns as well as three trumpets and timpani. The work dates from 1776 and the text was written by Duke Ernst Friedrich III Carl of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Taking its starting point at Jesus's resurrection, the oratorio focuses on the Last Judgement and life everlasting. It opens with a song of praise for the resurrected Christ in ABA form. The A section is for the entire ensemble, which in the B section is reduced to two parts. The soprano then has an accompagnato, which describes the effect of the resurrection, and is followed by a chorale, 'Herr Gott, dich loben wir', the first stanza of the German version of the Te Deum. In an aria, the bass vividly depicts what happened when Jesus was resurrected. In the ensuing accompagnato he then explains that something comparable will happen when the faithful are resurrected. A chorale expresses the trust of the faithful. The soprano then sings an aria with marked operatic traits, which expresses the idea that the faithful will die peacefully, when the day of the Last Judgement comes. On the words "the clock of life stops", the strings play pizzicato, and then fall silent. Next the A section of the opening chorus is repeated. In the following recitative and aria the soprano addresses Jesus and expresses faith in life everlasting: "My Saviour, you will turn my death into a sweet sleep". The aria has an obbligato part for violin. The tenor then describes in bright colours the horrors of the Last Judgement, but mixes it with the faith that it will also be a day of joy: "O day full of horror, day full of joy", as it is also a day of a new creation. Next the bass describes in an accompagnato and a recitative that death will come to an end: "One day death will die". This is a clear reference to a text from 1 Corinthians
vs 15, also included in Handel's Messiah: "O Death, where is thy sting?" After a recitative the choir sings a chorale about the New Jerusalem. The tenor then sings a recitative and aria, which is a prayer: "O Saviour, don't let death me make afraid". The oratorio closes with a recitative and arioso, a chorus and a chorale. They appeal to Jesus to make sure that we keep our faith in him. The closing chorale is sung on the melody of Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern.
The second disc starts with a short cantata for Thanksgiving. The opening chorus is a setting of Psalm 113, vs 1: "Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord". The orchestra includes parts for trumpets, which return in the closing chorus. The heart of the cantata are a recitative and aria for bass: " May God give us new life", just as flowers blossom again after a fertile rain. The aria has two obbligato parts for transverse flutes. The closing chorus urges to recognize and enjoy the goodness of the Eternal One.
The Missa brevis in C comprises Kyrie and Gloria. According to the booklet it is scored for four-part choir and orchestra. However, some sections are for solo voice(s). As in so many mass settings, the Christe eleison is a duet, here of soprano and tenor. 'Quoniam tu solus sanctus' is a solo for tenor. The orchestra includes pairs of flutes, oboes and horns. The latter have a marked role in the Laudamus te. The writing of the vocal parts betrays Schweitzer's credentials in opera.
As I already wrote, Schweitzer is a hardly-known composer of the generation of the Bach sons. However, some of his works have been recorded. His probably best-known work is his opera Alceste; at least two recordings are available; the latest dates from 2008 and was released by Berlin Classics and performed by Concerto Köln under the direction of Michael Hofstetter, but has never been reviewed here. A few other works have also made it to disc, but the pieces included on the present disc are all first recordings. Those who have heard sacred music by, for instance, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, may recognize the style. There are certainly some similarities. Schweitzer undoubtedly was a good composer, and this disc attests to that. His operatic experiences explain the virtuosity of many of his vocal parts. The orchestration is also quite effective. Overall, these three pieces receive very good performances. The soloists have all the skills needed to deal with the high demands of their parts. The tutti are performed by the soloists and four ripienists. This may well have been the standard for most of the 18th century in Germany. These parts come off well, but in particular Mirella Hagen should have reduced her vibrato a little further in the ensembles.
This disc proves that between the baroque and classical periods a lot of good (sacred) vocal music was written in Germany. It is only recently that performers have started to recognize that, and this disc delivers further evidence.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
