Constantin Emanuel sings from Schemellis Gesangbuch by Constantin Emanuel

Various composers

Constantin Emanuel

Constantin Emanuel sings from Schemellis Gesangbuch

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917226324
Catnr: CC 72263
Release date: 06 January 2015
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Label
Challenge Classics

UPC
0608917226324

Catalogue number
CC 72263

Release date
06 January 2015

"Stars 3/5"

Diapason, 01-7-2015

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

TON KOOPMAN: Georg Christian Schemelli (ca. 1676-1762) is known to us primarily because of the book of songs he published, the Musicalisches Gesang-Buch (Leipzig, 1736). This book contains 954 songs, 69 of which have melodies and a figured bass. It was long assumed that Johann Sebastian Bach, who is mentioned in the preface to the volume, played a major part in the completion of these songs, or at least in writing the figured bass lines. The 69 songs are therefore included in the corpus of the Bach Werke Verzeichnis (BWV catalogue). Although Schemelli’s volume was not particularly successful when it first appeared, being sold off at remainder prices, the position has changed quite radically now. These occasionally simple, directly appealing melodies and texts now form part of the day-to-day repertoire of many singers. Editions of what has become a well-loved volume are available in all sorts of transpositions.
This CD displays the talents of a boy treble who turned 15 a few months ago and who is still singing as a treble – quite unusual these days but absolutely normal in Bach’s time, when boys’ voices would often ‘break’ at around the age of 16. I think it is important for us to document a voice of this sort. Since the days of Sebastian Hennig, whose voice can be followed from the age of 11 through to 15 on many of Gustav Leonhardt’s recordings of Bach cantatas, Constantin is one of the very few boy trebles whose voice transcends the ‘sweet’ and who has something to say in musical terms.

Een collectie werken van de grootste Barokcomponisten die zelden wordt opgenomen
Georg Christian Schemelli (ca. 1676- 1762) is ons voornamelijk bekend dankzij de het liedboek dat hij publiceerde, het Musicalisches Gesang-Buch (Leipzig, 1736). In dat boek staan 954 liederen, waarvan 69 met melodie en becijferde bas. Lange tijd is aangenomen dat Johann Sebastian Bach, die in het voorwoord van de bundel genoemd wordt, een grote rol heeft gespeeld bij het tot stand komen van deze liederen of in ieder geval bij het componeren van de becijferde bas. De 69 liederen zijn dan ook ook opgenomen in de Bach Werke Verzeichnis. Inmiddels is echter duidelijk geworden dat Johann Sebastian Bach waarschijnlijk slechts in drie liederen de hand gehad heeft en dat de rest eigenlijk ten onrechte aan hem is toegeschreven. Veel van de melodieën stammen uit de zeventiende eeuw, van sommige zijn ook de componisten bekend: Johann Schop, Johann Rudolph Ahle, Johann Crüger en Jacob Hintze.

De ster van dit album is de vijftienjarige jongenssopraan Constantin Emanuel. Ton Koopman begeleidt hem op het orgel. In Bachs tijd was het normaal dat jongens op deze leeftijd sopraan kunnen zingen, omdat de stembreukleeftijd toen rond de 16 jaar lag. Tegenwoordig is het echter ongebruikelijk. Constantin is sinds Sebastian Henning, die te horen is in de Gustav Leonard’s opnames van de Bachcantates, een van de weinige jongenssopranen wiens stem het zoete overstijgt en echt iets te vertellen heeft.

Georg Christian Schemelli ist heute vor allem durch sein Musicalisches Gesang-Buch, einer Sammlung von weit über 900 Liedern, bekannt. Zur Zeit der Veröffentlichung nur wenig erfolgreich bietet das Gesang-Buch nun vielerlei ansprechende Melodien und Texte für Repertoire vieler Sänger. Einer dieser Sänger ist Constantin Emanuel, der auch trotz seiner bereits 15 Jahre noch immer Sopran singt. Zu Bachs Zeiten war dies durchaus üblich; heute ist es eine Rarität, die dokumentiert werden muss, findet Tastenkoryphäe Ton Koopman, der hier auf der Orgel begleitet: „Constantin ist einer der wenigen Knabensoprane, dessen Stimme eine reine Lieblichkeit übersteigt, und der auch musikalisch etwas zu sagen hat."

«Georg Christian Schemelli (ca. 1676-1762) ci è noto principalmente per la raccolta di Lieder pubblicata a Lipsia nel 1736, il Musicalisches Gesang-Buch. Questa raccolta contiene 954 Lieder, 69 dei quali si limitano alla melodia con l’accompagnamento di un basso continuo. Si è a lungo ritenuto che Johann Sebastian Bach, citato nella prefazione al volume, abbia giocato un ruolo importante nella realizzazione di questa raccolta, quantomeno nella stesura delle linee del basso continuo. Il 69 Lieder sono perciò inclusi nel corpus del Bach Werke Verzeichnis (il catalogo BWV). Benché alla sua apparizione il volume di Schemelli non abbia avuto un particolare successo, essendo svenduto a basso prezzo, la sua considerazione è ora mutata radicalmente. Queste melodie dai testi semplici e immediati, fanno ora parte del repertorio quotidiano di molti cantanti. Edizioni di quello che è diventato un apprezzato volume sono disponibili in ogni tipo di trasposizione.

Questo CD rivela il talento di una voce bianca che ha compiuto 15 anni qualche mese fa e che sta ancora cantando da soprano – un fatto oggigiorno piuttosto insolito ma assolutamente normale all’epoca di Bach, quando le voci dei ragazzi ‘mutavano’ spesso intorno ai 16 anni. Penso sia per noi importante documentare una voce di questo tipo. Dai giorni di Sebastian Hennig, la cui voce può essere seguita dagli 11 ai 15 anni in molte delle registrazioni delle cantate di Bach dirette da Gustav Leonhardt, Constantin è una delle pochissime voci bianche la cui voce trascende la ‘dolcezza’ e che ha qualcosa da dire in termini musicali.»

Ton Koopman, dalle note di copertina

Artist(s)

Ton Koopman

Ton Koopman is a leading figure in Early Music and historically informed performance practice. As organist and harpsichordist Ton Koopman has performed all over the world and played the most beautiful historical instruments of Europe. His Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir has gained worldwide fame as one of the best ensembles on period instruments. Between 1994 and 2004 Ton Koopman and ABO&C have recorded all sacred and secular cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, an extraordinary project that earned international acclaim. After that Koopman recorded the complete works by Bach’s predecessor, Dieterich Buxtehude. Besides performing as a soloist and with his ABO&C, Ton Koopman is very active as a guest conductor for modern orchestras and also devotes part of his time...

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Constantin Emanuel Zimmermann

Van Bachs jongens van de Thomasschule wordt wel beweerd dat ze gemiddeld rond hun zestiende of zeventiende de baard in de keel kregen, met uitschieters naar achttien en negentien. Waarschijnlijk ten gevolge van de verbeterde levensstandaard moet dat getal voor de huidige tijd drastisch naar beneden worden bijgesteld. Een uitzondering echter is Constantin Emanuel, die op zijn vijftiende nog steeds over zijn jongenssopraan beschikt. Heel normaal in Bachs tijd, maar nu dus een unicum. Ton Koopman achtte het daarom van groot belang om deze stem op cd vast te leggen voor het te laat is. Voor de huidige jongenssopranen is er immers maar weinig tijd voor muzikale ontwikkeling. Als ze zich op hun twaalfde aandienen, is er meestal maar een jaar om nog iets te bereiken. Constantin Emanuel is op zijn vijftiende echter al behoorlijk muzikaal ontwikkeld, zowel instrumentaal (cello) als vocaal. Voor Koopman roept dit herinneringen op aan Sebastian Henning, de jongenssopraan die van zijn elfde tot zijn vijftiende gevolgd kan worden in de oude opnamen van Gustav Leonhardt. Op de nieuwe cd soleert Constantin Emanuel in de vrome liederen uit het Schemellis Gesangbuch, waarvan de meeste melodieën ten onrechte zijn toegeschreven aan Bach. Dit geldt ook voor het onsterfelijke Bist Du Bei Mir uit het Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach, waarvan de melodie afkomstig is van Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel.

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Composer(s)

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and hundreds of cantatas. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth. Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

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Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel

Pietro Antonio Locatelli

Domenico Scarlatti

Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style and he was one of the few Baroque composers to transition into the Classical period. Like his renowned father Alessandro Scarlatti, he composed in a variety of musical forms, although today he is known mainly for his 555 keyboard sonatas.

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Press

Stars 3/5
Diapason, 01-7-2015

Cinquantacinque anni didifferenza e almeno una cosa incomune: la passione per la musica diBach. Da una parte una delle piùimportanti personalità della musicabarocca degli ultimi decenni,l’olandese Ton Koopman (classe1944), qui nelle vesti di mentore eorganista; dall’altra ConstantinEmanuel, un quindicenne cantantesvizzero di Lucerna, con già unpiccolo-grande passato alle spalle. Idue qui danno vita a un disco che daun lato sonda con merito un anfrattoassai poco conosciuto della musicadel grande Kantor, dall’altro cavalcain maniera veramente anomala larinvigorita voga dei recitaldiscografici, muovendosiarditamente sul crinale trashtracciato dagli innaturali divi in erbaprotagonisti di molti show televisivi.Pericolo evitato, per merito di Bach,di una passata tradizione che intempi antichi e in particolari contestiaffidava alle voci bianche le partivocali “alte”, e alla perizia dientrambi i musicisti. Il programmaruota attorno al cosiddettoSchemellis Gesangbuch: ovvero unaraccolta di 954 arie pubblicata per laprima volta da Georg ChristianSchemelli nel 1736 che di Bach (invita al momento della stampa)riunisce i Lieder spirituali e le ariecomprese dal BWV 439 al BWV 507.Qui ascoltiamo i BWV 442, 445, 452,454, 460, 465, 469, 471, 472, 473, 481,489, 490, 499, inframmezzati dapagine strumentali di Buxtehude,Domenico Scarlatti, Locatelli eBach, eseguite tutte con ammirevolenaturalezza dal grande Ton.Massimo Rolando ZegnaCinquantacinque anni didifferenza e almeno una cosa incomune: la passione per la musica diBach. Da una parte una delle piùimportanti personalità della musicabarocca degli ultimi decenni,l’olandese Ton Koopman (classe1944), qui nelle vesti di mentore eorganista; dall’altra ConstantinEmanuel, un quindicenne cantantesvizzero di Lucerna, con già unpiccolo-grande passato alle spalle. Idue qui danno vita a un disco che daun lato sonda con merito un anfrattoassai poco conosciuto della musicadel grande Kantor, dall’altro cavalcain maniera veramente anomala larinvigorita voga dei recitaldiscografici, muovendosiarditamente sul crinale trashtracciato dagli innaturali divi in erbaprotagonisti di molti show televisivi.Pericolo evitato, per merito di Bach,di una passata tradizione che intempi antichi e in particolari contestiaffidava alle voci bianche le partivocali “alte”, e alla perizia dientrambi i musicisti. Il programmaruota attorno al cosiddettoSchemellis Gesangbuch: ovvero unaraccolta di 954 arie pubblicata per laprima volta da Georg ChristianSchemelli nel 1736 che di Bach (invita al momento della stampa)riunisce i Lieder spirituali e le ariecomprese dal BWV 439 al BWV 507.Qui ascoltiamo i BWV 442, 445, 452,454, 460, 465, 469, 471, 472, 473, 481,489, 490, 499, inframmezzati dapagine strumentali di Buxtehude,Domenico Scarlatti, Locatelli eBach, eseguite tutte con ammirevolenaturalezza dal grande Ton.
Amadeus, 01-6-2015

"Constantin Emanuel's timbre already has a certain personility and he apparently knows what the texts he performs mean." Music 3,5 stars Sound 4 stars
Fono Forum, 18-5-2015

5 stars
Classic Voice, 18-5-2015

"Constantin Emanuel still sings in soprano, eventhough he is already 15. This is rare today. His phrasings are intelligent and - which is really pleasant - one can understand every word."
Blog Ich habe gehört, 10-5-2015

"Ton Koopman has found a brilliant boy soprano... Ton Koopman's nervous-accurate art of articulation, his never ending joy for improvisation and propensity for ornaments delights from the beginnen to the end... A lot of interpretation-nuances, that are not natural for boy sopranos, seem to be easy to handle for Constantin Emanuel."
Rondo, 21-4-2015

"With his 15 years Constantin presents a matured, catchy boy soprano, that is close to counter tenor. This has historical rarity that needs to be conserved."
Deutschlandradio Kultur, 04-3-2015