INTERNATIONAL FASCH SOCIETY

Travelling with the International Fasch Society – For the Tenth Time, in late May 2010

For its tenth, i.e. anniversary trip the International Fasch Society had selected various interesting locations in Northern Germany, specifically Schleswig, Flensburg and Sylt. But already en route did the bus driver Raik from the Bus Company Ruthe point out several places of interest. Our first stop was the Eidersperrwerk near Tönning. It had been built from 1967 to 1973 in reaction to the great storm tide from 1962 which broke 120 dikes in the surrounding areas. As a result, a complex safeguard system was put into place, consisting of the Sielbauwerk (sluice structure), which prevents the North Sea tide to enter the Hinterland by way of five steel gates, each being 40 meters wide; a lock which allows ships to pass through; and a one kilometer long dam that is slightly raised. A walk on the outer wall allowed us to take a closer look at this brilliant feat of engineering.

We continued due north to Friedrichstadt. Taking a boat trip on the city canals reminded many of us of Amsterdam, and the skipper shared many interesting historical facts and commented on how Germans and Danes live together peacefully in this region. We reached our hotel in Schleswig later that day.

The next morning featured walking tours of Flensburg and Schleswig. Even though Flensburg (population 88,0000) is definitely a major city, there are many spots with a romantic and cozy feel to them. The historical merchants‘ houses with their lovingly decorated interior courtyards, the Speicher and the harbour are all remnants of the golden age of this trading town. And, once again, we came across many examples of the peaceful coexistence of the Germans and the Danes. The city is bilingual: the daily newspaper, the street names, the tourist information – all in two languages. There are also Danish schools, even a secondary school (Gymnasium) which accepts anyone who reads and writes Danish fluently. And there is one more important feature to mention. The Nikolaikirche, whose 90 m high spire shapes the silhouette of the city, has a “Doppelorgel“, comprising of a Baroque organ, built ca. 1709, to which an organ builder from Marburg added, between 1997 and 2009, a second organ to play repertoire from the Romantic era on. Incidentally, our tour guide was also familiar with music composed by our court Kapellmeister Fasch.

The second part of the day was spent in the city of Schleswig, following a visit of the palace of Gottorp, the former seat of the princes of Holstein-Gottorp (also Catherine the Great’s parents-in-law). An exhibit featured paintings of the family as well as by Lucas Cranach the Older and there was also an extensive collection of faiences. Of special interest was the globe in the Globushaus – a ball which one could walk on and that showed the parts of the earth known in the eighteenth century, with humans and animals on the outer side, the sky on the inside. The city of Schleswig was next on our itinerary and definitely worth a visit. The attractive facades of the Fischerhäuser, pots with roses in front of the houses at the Holm and well-looked after areals made one want to go for a stroll.

Our last destination was the island of Sylt. Blessed with excellent weather, we took the ferry from the mainland to the southern tip of the island and watched seals sunbathing. Upon arrival, our busdriver took us all the way to the north of the island while we admired the island’s natural landscape.

We headed back to Zerbst on the next day, stopping in Uelzen to tour the train station designed by Friedrich Hundertwasser and the mill museum in Giffhorn – all accompanied by heavy rain. But the inclement weather (which had been fabulous otherwise) could not spoil our mood, as we recalled the past few, eventful days.

The International Fasch Society would like to thank our busdriver who was always friendly and took good care of all guests, as well as the bus company Ruthe. Possible destinations for 2011 are already under discussion.

Dr. Inge Werner (transl. B. Reul)

In 2010 we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of Christoph Graupner (1683-1760), Kapellmeister at the Court of Hesse-Darmstadt for half a century and Fasch's composition teacher for 14 weeks in 1714. The Christoph-Graupner-Gesellschaft, based in Darmstadt, is honouring the composer with a festival that comprises an international musicological conference as well as three concerts involving artists from Germany (including La Stagione Frankfurt, which will play the newly-discovered concerto for recorder, see below) and Canada (Genevieve Soly, harpsichordist from Montreal). On Sunday, 16 May, Brian Clark (Arbroath, Scotland), recipient of the 1997 Fasch Prize, will be presenting a conference paper on "Johann Friedrich Fasch and the Sinfonia in Zerbst". For more information, go to  http://www.christoph-graupner-gesellschaft.de. (in German only).

A newly discovered solo concerto for recorder by Fasch has been premiered by Prof. Michael Schneider and La Stagione - have a look and a listen here (2nd movement only, concert from 6 May 2010)! (If the link doesn't work, go to www.youtube.com and try a "Fasch Schneider Blockflötenkonzert" search).

.

International Musicological Conference to focus on 18th-Century Dresden Music Copyists

From 23 to 25 June 2010, the Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats-  und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden (SLUB) will host an international musicological conference entitled "The Instrumental Repertoire of the Dresden Hofkapelle ca. 1700-1760 – Transmission and Copyists“. The focus will be the music collection known as "Schrank II“ (Closet II) which survives - virtually in its entirety - in the SLUB and is part of a comprehensive digitalization project to make this music accessible  to the general public. Thanks to the generous financial support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, experts from Europe, the USA and Australia will be presenting their research, including  Stephan Blaut, a well-known Fasch expert and member of the IFG's executive Board. 

The keynote address, to be given by the Heidelberg musicologist Prof. Dr. Silke Leopold on 24 June, 7:30 pm, will examine "European Instrumental Music during the Augustean Age". Trio sonatas and quartets of anonymous composers that were part of the Dresdner Hofkapelle's repertoire will be performed in a chamber concert featuring the ensemble Les Amis de Philippe and its director, harpsichordist Ludger Rémy, on Wednesday, 23 June, 8 pm. Please note: the keynote address and the concert will be free to the public, but there will be a charge for the conference (to be paid on-site). All events will take place in the Vortragssaal of the SLUB, Zellescher Weg 18, 01069 Dresden. For more detailed information and to register, please see  www.schrank-zwei.de/kolloquium

To examine autographs (music manuscripts written) by Fasch in Dresden and download them as PDFs, see www.schrank-zwei.de.

On 27 April 2010, the Fasch-Collegium Bochum celebrated its 20th anniversary - again - by performing a birthday concert for J. F. Fasch. You can read two concert reviews (in German) here and here..

Birthday Celebration for Fasch in Oranienbaum on 15 April 2010

The Historical Society of Oranienbaum, part of the Kulturbund Dessau-Wörlitz e.V., had invited its members and other music lovers to attend a presentation entitled "Johann Friedrich Fasch and his music for the court of Anhalt-Zerbst" at the restaurant "Zum goldenen Fasan" on 15 April 2010*. Upon entering the venue, everyone was surprised to see candles, flowers and cake on a side table. "Is it somebody's birthday?" was the first question which Frau Dr. Werner, general manager of the International Fasch Society, and Frau Spott, member of the IFG's Executive Board, had to answer. Both had come to Oranienbaum to introduce Fasch and his music to the audience - and everyone was delighted to find out that it was in fact Fasch's 322nd birthday and there was going to be a party to which they were all invited! (Pictured above, from left to right: Frau Spott, Frau Dr. Werner, Frau Ross)

Frau Dr. Werner then used a PowerPoint presentation to detail the life and works of the court Kapellmeister, with everyone listening intently, especially with regard to what musical life at the Zerbst court during Fasch's tenure was like. The musical examples that were warmly received, and the many questions that were asked afterwards emphasize the audience's interest. Information presented on the upcoming Fasch Festival in 2011 was much appreciated as well, and the Historical Society Oranienbaum hopes to visit on that occasion. Its two directors, Frau Ross and Frau Möglich, as well as many members of the audience, thanked our two Fasch ambassadors from Zerbst.

*At present, Fasch's actual date of birth cannot be confirmed in extant primary sources, only the date he was baptized (17 April 1688). However, the entry on Fasch in  J. G. Walther's Musicalisches Lexicon from 1732 cites 15 April as Fasch's birthday (as does J. A. Hiller in 1784, and many others after him).

January 2010: NEW FASCH FIND IN DRESDEN (see http://www.schrank-zwei.de/projekt/). 

As part of their work on the Musik of Dresden court Kapelle (an important project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft since 2008), musicologists in Dresden announced the following in January 2010:

An important primary source which documents concertmaster Johann Georg Pisendel's handling of music by composers from outside Dresden was discovered while examining anonymous sources - parts of a concerto by J. F. Fasch (FWV L: d7), specifically the third movement of this work in an annotated copy by Pisendel (shelf mark: Mus.2-P-7,4). This completes the manuscript copy by Pisendel which contains the first two movements of Fasch's concerto (Mus.2423-O-38,2). See also Manfred Fechner, Studien zur Überlieferung von Instrumentalkonzerten deutscher Komponisten des 18. Jahrhunderts (Laaber: Laaber, 1999, p. 326).

****

On 5 December 2009, our vice-president, Ellen Arndt, was honoured by the AWO-Seniorenzentrum in Zentrum for her many years of volunteering (online-article in German). Of course, the International Fasch-Society has been one of her pet projects, and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service!

On 4 December 2009, the Johann Friedrich Reichardt Chorus of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, directed by our vice-president Jens Lorenz, UMD, presented their annual Christmas concert for the 25th time - CONGRATULATIONS! Read a review of the concert here (in German), and Jens Lorenz's thoughts on performing in Zerbst for a quarter of the century here (in German).  

We thank everyone who attended the FASCH-GESELLIGKEIT, "Verstehen Sie Fasch?" (Lecture with Dr. Barbara Reul, 3-course menue and "surprise") on Tuesday, 20 October 2009, 7:30 pm, Hotel von Rephuns Garten, in Zerbst/Anhalt. Click here for an article by Dr. Inge Werner (in German) which appeared in the Zerbster Volksstimme daily newspaper in October 2009.

"Bach&Bus" visit Zerbst - read the article in German, published in Zerbster Volksstimme, Nov. 9, 2009.

Congratulations to the Fasch-Collegium Bochum, directed by Hans-Heinrich Kriegel, on their 20th anniversary! Below is a short article on the anniversary concert in Bochum on 24 September 2009.

The Fasch-Collegium Bochum, directed by fellow "Faschianer" Hans-Heinrich Kriegel, presented a concert on 24 September  2009 to celebrate its 20th anniversary at Bochum's ancient St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The interested audience also included the IFG's own general manager, Frau Dr. Werner and her husband who had travelled to Bochum from Zerbst. The program opened with Fasch's Sonata in g minor (N: g 2), thus taking us back to the first concert performed by the Collegium 20 years ago. In addition to introducing music from the 17th and 18th century, in particular works by J. F. Fasch, to the public, the Collegium has also focused on composers who celebrate anniversaries; in 2009,  Henry Purcell, born 350 years ago, was honoured. His incidental music for "Abdelazer", involving a mixed scoring of strings, oboes, and bassoon, impressed the audience. Afterwards, the founder of the Collegium, H.-H. Kriegel, excelled as a soloist in Bach's concerto for oboe which had been transposed to the key of E-Flat, and  showcased his solid technique and beautiful tone. A modern premiere of Fasch's Overture in A major followed, using an edition which Kriegel, an accomplished editor, had prepared for the ensemble. In this work, the five string players, led  by Ariane Vesper, violin, and the three woodwind instruments mastered the challenging key and several virtuosic passages, for example, during the fifth section of the "Aria Presto". Occasional intonation issues in the final "Polonoise" did not distract from the overall good impression left by the ensemble. 

As an encore, Hans-Heinrich and Ulrike Kriegel, oboe, Urban Heß, bassoon Ariane Vesper and Friederike Beyer, violin, Christoph Matthiaß, viola, Steffen Schrank, violoncello, Thorsten Diekmann, double bass, and Sabine Rosenboom, harpsichord, played the "Hornpipe" movement from Fasch's overture in g minor (K: g 3). After the concert, the Collegium was congratulated by Dr. Werner who presented them with flowers and a framed picture of the Zerbst palace. 

                                                                                                                                      Hans-Heinrich Kriegel

Concert Review in the Westfälische Zeitung, 1 October 2009 (in German)

• J. F. und K. Fr. Chr. Fasch: Concerti & Overture, Zefiro (DHM)
• J. F. Fasch: Overtüren (Suiten) in D & g, kammerorchester basel, dir. Julia Schröder (Sony)
• J. F. Fasch: Dresdener Overtüren, Sinfonias und Konzerte, Les Amis de Philippe, dir. Ludger Rémy (cpo); the modern world premiere of the concertos and overtures - performed by Les Amy de Philippe - took place at the Marienkirche in Dessau on 11 April 2008, on the occasion of the 10th.International Fasch Festival. 
• Mitteldeutsche Barockkantaten von Telemann, Fasch und J. L. Bach, Biederitzer Kantorei, Telemann-Consort Magdeburg, dir. Michael Scholl; premiere recording of the sacred cantata "Gott, wir warten Deiner Güte" (FWV D: G9) by  J.F. Fasch;
• Werke von J. F. Fasch, C. Höckh u. J. G. Röllig, Chursächsische Capelle Leipzig, dir. Anne Schumann. Contact the ensemble directly: fasch@churchsaechsische-capelle-leipzig.de; CD: 12,-€ or the IFG headquarters at Zerbst, IFaschG@t-online.de.
• J. F. Fasch: Concerti, Il Gardellino, dir. Shalev Ad-El, 2008 Fasch Prize Recipient (Accent)
• J. F. Fasch: Orchestral Music, Tempesta di Mare, dir. Robert Stone and Gwyn Roberts (Chandos); (CD review here or log on to www.goldbergweb.com)
• J. F. Fasch: Passio Jesu Christi/Orchester-Suite FWV K:d5, Capella Savaria Baroque Ensemble, dir. Mary Térey-Smith (Naxos) – Fasch's Passio was premiered by this ensemble in Zerbst on 16 April 2008 on the occasion of the 10th International Fasch Festival 2008, commemorating specifically the destruction of the city of Zerbst during WW II in 1945.

Concerts

December 2008:

• Zerbst/Anhalt, 5 December, 7:30 pm, St. Trinitatis Church: Christmas Concert featuring the J. Fr. Reichardt Chorus of the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, dir.. UMD Jens Lorenz. The concert will include the modern world premiere of the the cantata "Gott hat die Zeit der Unwissehnheit übersehen" by  J. F. Fasch, and the cantata "Die Hirten bei der Krippe zu Bethlehem" by G. P. Telemann. Read a concert review (albeit in German) that appeared in the Zerbster Volksstimme, by clicking here.

November 2008:

• Berlin, 14 November, 7 pm Hohenzollerngruft des Berliner Domes: Sing-Akademie zu Berlin and the Staats- and Domchorknaben, Berliner Lautten Compagney. The concert will include the modern world premiere of Johann Friedrich Fasch's cantata "Die mit Thränen säen" (SA collection 5152), featuring soloists: Volker Arndt (Tenor) and Matthias Lutze (Bariton). The performers will be directed by Prof. Kai-Uwe Jirka.

October 2008:

• Dresden, 30 October, 8 pm, Annenkirche (see below for broadcast times on MDR-Figaro):
   "Johann Friedrich Fasch – Latin Church Music transmitted at Dresden" on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the composer on 5 December 2008, a project of the Saxon National Library - State- and University Library Dresden in collaboration with the Vocal Concert Dresden. The following works will be performed: 1) Magnificat in G Major FWV H: G1; 2) Confitebor tibi Domine (Psalm 110) FWV I: C1; 3) Overture in D Major FWV K: D4 for trumpet, 2 oboes, strings and B.c.;  4) Missa tota in F Major FWV G: F1. Performers: Soli and Ripieno: Vocal Concert Dresden (formerly Körnerscher Sing-Verein), Dresdner Instrumental-Concert. Direction: Peter Kopp. NOTE: You can watch parts of this concert on www. youtube.com: type "Peter Kopp Fasch" in the subject line and enjoy!
• Suhl, 26 October, 11 am, Oberrathaussaal: 25. Sonntagsmatinee, featuring Hans-Christoph Jahn, violin; Christfried Münzel, violin; Friedemann Neef, viola; Hans Vieweg; violoncello; Karl-Heinz Rögner double bass; Anne Hoff, harpsichord. Tickets: 8,- €;  reduced rate: 6,- €; Review (in German)

Lectures:

• Zerbst/Anhalt, 10 December 2008, 6:30 pm, Kreisvolkshochschule Zerbst, Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Str. 8t: Lecture on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of J. F. Fasch's death on 5 December 2008, facilitated by Vice-President Frau Ellen Arndt and Managing Director Frau Dr. Inge Werner (see invitation for more information on content of lecture). 

Radio Broadcasts: Fasch on MDR Radio

• Wednesday, 17 December 2008: 8 pm (German time), Music Feature: "...ohne eine einzige Regul von der Composition zu wissen" - Neue Forschungen zu Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758), Hochfürstlicher Anhalt-Zerbster Capellmeister" ["...without knowing a single compositional rule..." - The Latest Research Findings on Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758), Princely Kapellmeister of Anhalt-Zerbst (produced by Dr. Birgit Kiupel). 
• Sunday, 7 December 2008: 7:30 pm (German time), Concert: Fasch's Magnificat G Major FWV H:G1, "Confitebor tibi Domine" (Psalm 110) FWV I:C1;  Overture D Major FWV K:D4; Missa tota F Major FWV G:F1; Vocal Concert Dresden, Dresdner Instrumental Concert, dir. Peter Kopp, Sandra Bernhardt, Soprano; Marlén Herzog, Alto; Tobias Schäfer, Tenor; Clemens Heidrich, Bass (Recorded on 30 October 2008, Annenkirche Dresden - Mitteldeutsche Heinrich-Schütz-Tage)
• Sunday, 7 December 2008: 4.30 pm (German time), Concert: The Dresden Court Orchestra and the Italian Style: Works by Fasch, Vivaldi, Zelenka, Veracini, Heinichen, Georg Philipp Telemann; Kammerorchester Basel Barock, dir. Giovanni Antonini (Recording from 4 April 2003, Marienkirche Dessau)
• Saturday, 6 December 2008, 4 pm (German time), Concert: "Herr Fasch geht durch die Sta(d)tt", Eine Wort- und Musikreise durch seine Zeit - Radio Play by Robert Mieth
• IN GERMAN: MDR Figaro Musikfeature: "Johann Friedrich Fasch - der ewige Vierte?" (Johann Friedrich Fasch - always placing fourth?" (NB: after Bach, Handel and Telemann, we are being told!), Conversation with Claus Fischer (5:44); broadcast on 5 December 2008; click here to listen to it! (or try: http://www.mdr.de/mdr-figaro/musik/5964136.html). 

September 2008: Stadtfest in Buttelstedt (Fasch's place of birth)