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Concert Dates
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Zerbst
Friday, 27 August 2004, 6 p.m.
Hotel "von Rephuns Garten"
AGM for members and friends of the International Fasch Society, followed by a reception and musical performances.
Wednesday, 8 December 2004, 7:30 p.m.
Grosser Saal, Stadthalle Zerbst
This year's Christmas Concert performed by the University of Halle Concert Choir marks an anniversary: the young singers have been performing annually in Zerbst for the past twenty years. This year's program includes cantatas 1-3 from J. S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio.
Ninth International Fasch Festival
from 7 to 17 April 2005 in Zerbst
Concerts will feature the following ensembles: Il Fondamento (Belgium) and Zefiro (Italy), La Stagione Frankfurt, Camerata Köln, the "Johann Friedrich Reichardt" Chamber Choir of the University of Halle Concert Choir, the Johann Friedrich Fasch Ensemble and the recently formed ensemble CordArte from Cologne. The international scholarly conference on 8 and 9 April 2005 will focus on "Johann Friedrich Fasch as a composer of instrumental music".
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Friends of Fasch,
This year's newsletter is intended to arouse your curiosity regarding the Ninth International Fasch Festival, scheduled to take place from 7 to 17 April 2005. We are very pleased that the city of Zerbst will - despite an extremely difficult financial situation - once again be able to extend invitations to renowned artists from in- and outside of Germany to perform in Zerbst and vicinity. I also very much wish to encourage you to attend this year's Christmas concert, which will be an anniversary concert. Moreover, the following pages contain information on performances of works by J. F. Fasch, recent publications, editions of works and CD recordings as well as reports on two trips organized by the IFG.
I hope you will have fun reading this newsletter and enjoy attending the concerts announced above which promise to be very exciting.
Konstanze Musketa
President
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Now available: 2003 Fasch Conference Proceedings
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Johann Friedrich Fasch und der italienische Stil [Johann Friedrich Fasch and the Italian Style.]. Bericht über die Internationale Wissenschaftliche Konferenz am 4. und 5. April 2003 im Rahmen der 8. Internationalen Fasch-Festtage in Zerbst / hrsg. von der Internationalen Fasch-Gesellschaft e. V. Zerbst [Red. Konstanze Musketa unter Mitarbeit von Bert Siegmund, Michael Talbot und Götz Traxdorf] - Anhalt-Edition Dessau 2003 (Fasch-Studien; Band 9) ISBN 3-936383-08-1. 25 Euros.
Volume 9 of the Fasch-Studien series contains fourteen articles authored by musicologists from Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Canada and Switzerland. An in-depth introductory essay on the focal point of the conference, "Fasch und Italien" (Fasch and Italy), is followed by three articles that examine the prevalence of the Italian style in the first half of the eighteenth century, German-Italian musical relations until 1730 and the presence of works by Italian composer in the Zerbst "Concert=Stube" (a music inventory from 1743), respectively. The three papers that follow investigate a variety of issues: the role of Count Wenzel von Morzin commissioning musical works in general and from Vivaldi and Fasch in particular; the provenience of five concertos by Fasch that are part of the former musical collection of Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Württemberg; and the so-called "Hunt concerto" by Fasch. Five additional contributions shed light specifically on Italian influences in Fasch's instrumental and vocal output.
In conclusion, the reader is introduced to two unknown works by the Zerbst master that belong to the musical collection of the Berliner Sing-Akademie, which until recently was thought to have been lost. A contribution to the discussion that concluded the conference contains many valuable suggestions from a performing musician and rounds off the volume.
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Fasch in Gelsenkirchen, Bochum, Halle
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Fasch in Gelsenkirchen
The Ensemble "Caterva Musica" Gelsenkirchen performed a concert on 8 February 2004 at Schloss Horst in Gelsenkirchen, including Fasch's double concerto FWV L:D4.
Fasch in Bochum
On the occasion of a benefit concert in support of renovating a church in Bochum-Langendreer, our member Hans-Heinrich Kriegel performed works by J. S. Bach and J. F. Fasch, supported by his Fasch-Collegium and members of the Bochum Symphony orchestra. On 6 and 7 March 2004 the Fasch-Collegium also performed in Bochum and in Syborg, premiering Fasch's sonata in B flat for two oboes, bassoon and b.c., FWV N:B2, and Fasch's concerto in D Major, FWV L:D6, with a reconstructed violin part.
Fasch in Halle
On 27 March 2004 students of the Latina Secondary School and the Conservatory performed a short concert at the Handel House Halle; the program included a sonata by F. Couperin and a sonata by J. F. Fasch.
Fasch in Wesel-Bislich
On 6 June 2004 the Fasch-Collegium Bochum performed in Wesel-Bislich. They played several of Mozart's church sonatas and Bach's violin concerto as well as the double concerto in B flat Major, FWV L:B4, and the sonata in d minor, FWV N:d3, by J. F. Fasch. A concert including Fasch's cantatas "Er hat große Dinge an mir getan", FWV D:E2, is planned for Christmas.
Fasch in Greiz
In the fall a street is to be named after Johann Friedrich Fasch in Greiz (Neustadt-Elsteraue suburb).
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Fasch in Canada
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"J. F. Fasch and his time: sacred and secular traditions in eighteenth century Germany" - that was the focal point of a four-day event (28 - 31 January 2004) dedicated fully to the Anhalt-Zerbst Kapellmeister. Dr. Barbara Reul, Assistant Professor at Luther College in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and IFG's resident musicologist from 1997 to 1999, had accepted an invitation of the Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of Saskatchewan Research Unit and the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Saskatchewan (about 250 km north of Regina and about 1.5 hours east of Calgary by plane). Two scholarly lectures and a chamber music concert as well as a worship service featuring the North American premiere of Fasch's German Mass, attracted many visitors from and outside of Saskatoon, despite record low temperatures (minus 55 degrees Celsius with wind chill plus a paralyzing snow storm).
The Canadian "Mini-Fasch Festival" commenced on Wednesday, 28 January 2004, with a lecture on Catherine the Great and Music at the Court of Anhalt-Zerbst, c. 1740-1790, at the University's Faculty Club. Dr. Reul specifically addressed the sacred cantatas as well as serenatas which were performed in honour of Catherine's birthday (later also on the occasion of her son Peter's birthday) on an annual basis at the Zerbst court chapel. In addition, she drew attention to a recently rediscovered work by J. F. Fasch in honour of Catherine's birthday in 1757 in the musical collection of the Berlin Sing-Akademie in Berlin (Elena Sawtschenko presented on that topic on the occasion of the scholarly conference in April 2003, see Fasch-Studien, vol. 9).
On 29 January a lovely evening with chamber music by J. F. Fasch, J. S. Bach and G. P. Telemann featured Prof. Dr. Walter Kreyszig, professor of musicology at the University of Saskatchewan and himself an accomplished flutist, and several of his talented undergraduate students. On Friday, 30 January, Dr. Reul gave a second lecture, a multimedia presentation on the topic "In the shadow of J. S. Bach? J. F. Fasch, Kapellmeister at the court of Anhalt-Zerbst". With the aid of Powerpoint slides and other multimedia tools as well as numerous musical examples the audience was introduced to an important part of music history in Central Germany, with special emphasis on Zerbst.
The conclusion and at the same time the climax of the event was a festive communion service, celebrated on Saturday, 31 January, at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. The service was modeled after its early eighteenth century Leipzig counterpart and included "Erscheine, Gott in deinem Tempel", a cantata from G. P. Telemann's cantata cycle "Der Harmonische Gottesdienst" from 1725/26. Most importantly, J. F. Fasch's German Mass, a rarely performed work, received its North American premiere that evening. This setting in the German vernacular is most likely identical with the "Kyrie: teutsch di Fasch" listed in the 1743 inventory of the court orchestra's library, the Zerbst "Concert=Stube". Moreover, entries in the court chapel chronicles, a multi-volume primary source housed at the Landeshauptarchiv Sachsen-Anhalt in Dessau ("Verzeichnis, wie es mit dem Gottes=Dienst in hiesiger Schloß=Kirchen gehalten wurde"), indicate that a musical setting of the German text of the mass - the tripartite "Herr, erbarme dich", followed by the multi-sectional "Ehre seit Gott in der Höhe" - was always performed at the Zerbst court chapel on St. Michael and All Angels (29 September). Performers included music and theology students as well as members of the Music Department of the University of Saskatchewan; the choir and orchestra were directed by Prof. Dr. Walter Kreyszig. Dr. Faith E. Rohrbough, president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, held the sermon.
Dr. Barbara Reul
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Newly edited works by J. F. Fasch
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In 2003 the province of Saxony-Anhalt and the county of Anhalt-Zerbst provided financial support for a project proposed by the IFG. It allowed musicologists Dr. Raymond Dittrich (Regensburg) and Hagen Jahn (Halle) to prepare performance materials for Fasch's Magnificat anima mea/Gloria Patri, FWV H:G1, and his Sinfonia in B flat Major, FWV M:B2. In addition, our very industrious member Hans-Heinrich Kriegel, Bochum, kindly provided us with complimentary copies of performance editions of Fasch's concerti in B flat Major FWV L:B4; in B flat Major FWV L:B2; in G Major FWV L:G4; in G Major FWV L:G10; and Fasch's orchestral suite in C Major FWV K:C1.
From February 2001 until January 2004 a research project on J. F. Fasch was carried out at the Musicological Institute at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. The project was financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Province of Saxony-Anhalt, and supervised by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ruf. The goal of this project was to edit selected instrumental works composed by the former court Kapellmeister of Zerbst, specifically unpublished sinfonias and orchestral suites. Dr. Regina Randhofer and Hagen Jahn edited and provided critical reports for the following works (see the German version of this Newsletter for locations and shelf marks of manuscripts of works): 1) orchestral suites: G Major (FWV K:G13); B flat Major (K:B4); g minor (K:g3); a minor (K:a2); 2) Sinfonias: G Major (M: G2); G Major (M:G3); G Major (M:G4); D Major (M:D1); A Major (M:A1); B flat Major (M:B1); g minor (M:g1); D Major (M:D2); A Major (M:A2); G sharp Major (M:F sharp/G flat); C major (M:C1); a minor (M:a1); B flat (M:B2); B flat Major (M:B3). The editions will be added to the holdings of the University and State Library Halle (Saale) and included in their online catalogue. The editions can be examined at the library and, upon request, also be used for musical performances. One of the Sinfonias will be performed on the occasion of the upcoming Fasch Festival.
Hagen Jahn
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Travel Reports
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Following Johann Friedrich Fasch to Prague and Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary)
From 10 to 12 October 2003 thirty-seven members, sponsors and friends of the International Fasch Society followed Johann Friedrich Fasch to Prague and Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary). Several individuals who had been part of the IFG's trip to Vienna had taken the initiative to "convince" our experienced manager Karin Spott to once again organize a trip.
On the occasion of an all-day walking tour through the Golden City on the river Moldau a competent city tour guide drew attention to the most important sights of the city - including the Prague Castle on the Hradschin, the "Kleinseite" part of town, the Charles Bridge and the Apostle's Clock in the Old Town. We also passed the Nerudova, below the Prague Castle, to see the Palais of Count Wenzel Morzin for whom Fasch worked for about one year, from 1721 to 1722, and whom he occasionally visited afterwards. The splendid building now houses the Rumanian Embassy. In addition, our itinerary included an - albeit a surprisingly short - "Bohemian Evening" with dumplings and music, as well as a side-trip to Pilsen on Sunday to visit the Urquell Brewery. A professional presentation and expert tour through this already legendary site, rich in traditions, awaited us.
On our way home we passed through Karlovy Vary which Fasch had visited in 1726, and possibly also several times afterwards. Moreover, we enjoyed the sunny fall weather while walking down the famous spa town's promenade. Everyone will definitely remember this wonderful and eventful trip.
Dr. Konstanze Musketa
Travelling to Belgium with the IFG
By now it's a tradition - during the month of May members and friends of the IFG go on a trip. This year our goal was Belgium, and we had chosen to visit the cities of Brussels, Gent and Brugge. Our itinerary promised eventful and interesting days and we were not disappointed!
The city of Brussels definitely deserves credit as the capital city of Europe. Experiencing it, looking at historical places and buildings - especially the market square with its well-preserved guild houses and the wonderful city hall, lit up beautifully at night - impressed us very much. Our tour of the memorial sites of the battle of Waterloo reawakened our historical knowledge. The Lion's hill can be seen from far away, rising high above the former battle ground. After climbing 225 steps, we were rewarded with a gorgeous view of peaceful fields and meadows. What a tragedy had taken place there almost 190 years ago! One was able to mentally reconstruct the battle scene and even meet the generals Napoleon, Blücher and Wellington in the wax museum.
City sightseeing tours in Brügge and Gent provided us with impressive examples of medieval architecture and building styles. We were very much reminded of our own cities in the north (of Germany), but the canals give these cities a special flair.
A unique spectacle awaited us in Brügge - the wedding dinner of Margaret of York and Charles the Bold. A former church had been transformed into a medieval hall, and during the festive meal fools, minstrels, fire eaters and witches performed. Especially impressive was the presentation given by the falconers.
The city tour guides did not only talk about the past, but also drew attention to the country and its citizen today. Did you know that there is only one true Belgian, namely the Belgian King, but many Flemings and Walloons?
Belgian citizens speak at least two native languages - French and Flemish-Dutch. The fight over choosing one official language went on for a long time, and we were told that it is possible to meet a person even today who refuses to speak the language of the "other" community. In Brussels all street signs and public signs as well as restaurant menus are provided in both languages - but that didn't help us much!
We experienced wonderful hospitality and returned home with many new impressions. We are already in the process of planning our next trip. We would be delighted if members and friends of our Society would come along again next May. Our destination will be Budapest and the Puszta.
Dr. Inge Werner
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Three new CDs
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Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758): Concerti & Sinfoniae.
Main-Barockorchester Frankfurt, Christian Leitherer, chalumeau; Meike Güldenhaupt, oboe; Martin Jopp, violin; AEOLUS, AE-10017, 2003.
Georg Philipp Telemann: Trio sonatas.
The Publick Music, Centaur Records, CRC 2592, 2003.
Syrens, Enchanters and Fairies: 18th Century Overtures from the London Stage.
Capella Savaria Baroque Orchestra, dir. Mary Térey-Smith. Dorian Recordings 93251, 2003.
These days Johann Friedrich Fasch and his contemporaries cannot complain about a lack of attention from ensembles. As noted in the last Faschiana Newsletter, the Main-Barockorchestra chose instrumental works by Fasch for its debut CD, and a splendid job they did - this recording of three light and dance-like sinfonias and three partly meditative, partly virtuosic concertos will not only delight Fasch fans but is ideally suited as a CD for newcomers.
The Main-Barockorchester begins with Fasch's Sinfonia in B flat Major, a newly edited work which immediately grabs the listener's attention; the latter will also notice the homogenous yet unique sound of the ensemble. Whether one focuses on the violins and the basso continuo or the solo oboe, chalumeau or violin - one will always be able to feel the joy which these eighteen musicians experience when playing, and appreciate their excellent intonation, imaginative articulations and intentionally sharp dynamic contrasts. Their wonderful approach to Fasch's music results in works which have been previously recorded, to suddenly sound "exciting" and at times to cast a completely different light on the compositional style of the Anhalt-Zerbst court Kapellmeister. This is particularly true in the case of the Sinfonia in g minor, which Barbara Reul edited in 1996 for the IFG, and which the Johann Friedrich Fasch Ensemble directed by Matthias Erben recorded on the METRIX label in 1998.
Steffen Voss and Matthias Ludwig note in the CD booklet that Fasch had probably composed the Concerto for violin and oboe in d minor for his old Leipzig friend J. G. Pisendel, concert master of the Dresden court orchestra. Incidentally, Fasch most likely composed it during or because of his sojourn in Dresden in 1726/27, a nine months-long "sabbatical" financed by the Zerbst court.
The other instrumental works on this CD emphasize the superior technical skills of the Zerbst court orchestra players. Carl Hoeckh, a Viennese musician who was appointed concert master in 1734, must have especially appreciated Fasch's Concerto for solo violin in A major. On the other hand, Fasch could have also conceived the work for a guest artist or "virtuoso" performing in Zerbst; if so, the latter would have received an honorarium, as is evident from entries in the Zerbst court records.
The CD concludes with the Court Kapellmeister's Sinfonia in a minor which does not leave any doubt on the listener's part that Fasch can hold his ground when compared to his famous contemporaries. Any future recordings featuring this promising ensemble - hopefully once again devoted to Fasch - will definitely deserve attention.
In contrast to the comparatively small number of works by J. F. Fasch that have been recorded, numerous interpretations of compositions by his contemporary G. P. Telemann are available on CD. Telemann was born in Magdeburg and, as civic music director of Hamburg, greatly impacted its musical life from 1721 to 1767. Our member Dr. Steven Zohn, Associate Professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA, and his ensemble "The Publick Music" were the first to record seven early trio sonatas from Telemann's prolific oeuvre. In the CD booklet Dr. Zohn, a renowned Telemann scholar, informs us that these works most likely date from Telemann's time in Eisenach (1707-1711). Zohn suggests three different scenarios: most likely, Telemann had composed three trios for two violins and basso continuo for himself and violin virtuoso Pantaleon Hebenstreit with whom he frequently performed concertos for two violins. However, Telemann could have also played these trio sonatas with Bach in Weimar or with Pisendel, a student of Vivaldi, in Leipzig. Moreover, it is feasible that Pisendel and the famous violinist Jean-Baptiste Volumier had delighted their Dresden audiences with these works.
The "less is more" approach that "The Publick Music" has taken on this CD is similarly convincing - no one player pushes him- or herself to the fore; instead, the ensemble plays in an almost reverent manner. Since five of the seven recorded trio sonatas are in a minor key we are obviously being confronted with a more reflective Telemann. The tempos chosen by "The Publick Music" sometimes also seem too slow, especially in the closing movements that are labeled Presto or Vivace, but the slow speed contributes to a more introspective listening experience.
To listeners who prefer lush string and woodwind sounds and enjoy cheerful dance rhythms I can heartily recommend the CD "Syrens, Fairies and Enchanters: 18th Century Overtures from the London Stage". Conceived by the Canadian musicologist Dr. Paul Rice, Memorial University of Newfoundland, this recording features the Hungarian Baroque orchestra "Capella Savaria" directed by our member Prof. Dr. Mary Térey-Smith, Bellingham/Washington, USA. Visitors of the Seventh Fasch Festival in 2001 may recall their fine performance in the Bach-Saal in Köthen.
Interestingly, scholars differ in their opinions regarding music composed by John Christopher Smith, John Abraham Fisher, Thomas Alexander Erskine and Thomas Arne. J. C. Smith supposedly sounds "too much like Handel", while Erskine and Arne get charged with having "jotted down" their overtures. The opinion held by the London audience in 1765, however, seemed to have been the opposite - they promptly protested against abolishing a "half-price tickets after the third act" provision at the Covent Garden Theatre ("A rage for music", as Rice calls it). Unfortunately, by taking advantage of this offer everyone would have missed the works compiled on this CD, including the cheerfully exhilarating final movement of the overture to "The Syrens", composed by the British violin virtuoso J. A. Fisher (1744-1806). Best known to modern-day audiences is probably Thomas Arne (1710-1778), a contemporary of C. P. E. Bach. Arne's "Scottish Gavotte" written for "Thomas and Sally" (1760) was an instant hit, Rice notes in the CD booklet. The author of this review was particularly taken by Thomas Erskine's "The Maid of the Mill"; it shows off "Capella Savaria"'s top form, which it is able to sustain throughout the recording. The musicians manage to reproduce the "question and answer" technique which Erskine (a contemporary of Joseph Haydn who himself had visited London twice, enjoying great successes) cannily weaved into the bassoon and oboe parts, with such enthusiasm and vigour that listening never becomes a bore. Hopefully, Capella Savaria will introduce us to more unknown repertoire of high quality. And since Dr. Rice happens to reside in Newfoundland, that is entirely possible.
Dr. Barbara Reul
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Birthday Wishes
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Happy birthday to our members celebrating their
55th birthday: Gisela Schütze Freysleben, Rainer Gräßler
60th birthday: Erika Hesse
65th birthday: Gisela Grasme, Regina Kornmann, Karin Spott, Dr. Rüdiger Hohmann
70th birthday: Elfriede Baselt
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