Dear Fasch friends,

We hope that you had a good summer and are looking forward to an eventful musical season. We were able to present three events in the fall of 1998 and are busy preparing for the Sixth International Fasch Festival in April 1999. A flyer offering information on the various artists and concert programmes is available at our administrative Office and also at the Kulturamt Zerbst.

The main focus of the Festival will be "the son": Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch (1736-1800) - a true son of the city of Zerbst who secured his place in music history by founding the Sing-Academie zu Berlin. On 21 November 1998 Dr. Susanne Oschmann (Berlin) presented a lecture on Carl Friedrich Christian which was well-received. If you want to know more about C.F.C. Fasch, please refer to the German version of our newsletter which includes a review of a recent publication by the Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung, Die Singakademie zu Berlin und ihre Direktoren, by Heike Fricke.

Naturally, we must not forget to congratulate the city of Zerbst on its 1050th birthday in 1998 and let them know how much we enjoyed the big birthday bash on 4 October 1998, as well as the parade, the closing concert with the Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau, the fireworks and all.

On 15 December 1998 we welcomed to Zerbst the University Chorus Halle "Johann Friedrich Reichardt", soloists and the Akademisches Orchester Halle. Jens Lorenz conducted a well-attended concert at St. Trinitatis Church which received rave reviews in the local press, in particular their performance of a newly-edited Christmas cantata by Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758), Ehre sey Gott in der Höhe. Please note that the University Chorus has just released a new CD (see the information below) with sacred cantatas by J. F. Fasch and G. P. Telemann, featuring the renowned German altus Axel Köhler.

An "all-Fasch"-concert will be part of the traditional 34th Zerbst Cultural Festival 1999. On 21 February, Klaus Mertens (bass) and Barbara Schlick (soprano), accompanied by Accademia Daniel (dir. by Shalev Ad-El), will perform sacred works by J. F. Fasch and premiere two overture suites by the Anhalt-Zerbst Court Kapellmeister.

In the following articles you will also gain insight into our work at the Fasch Archive and at the Administrative Office. In addition, you will be able to learn about our various touristic endeavours and various other tidbits on Fasch and his world.

We are always delighted to come across other "Faschianer" and therefore would like to take the opportunity to introduce the Fasch-Collegium Bochum. We hope that the other short contributions to our newsletter show that the number of Fasch friends and cooperating partners has been growing steadily and our efforts are paying off.

Finally, allow me to draw your attention to some internal IFG matters. Since June 1998 Frau Karin Spott has been managing our Administrative Office, showing much enthusiasm and interest. We would like to extend our gratitude to Frau Ellen Arndt for the many years of service as general manager of our Society and at the same time we would like to wish Frau Spott much success in her work.

Dr. Konstanze Musketa
(NB: the original message in German was updated in January 1999, B. Reul, ed.)

The Fasch-Collegium Bochum was founded in 1989, with two oboes and a bassoon being the core instruments. We prefer performing music from the 17th and 18th centuries and try to play at least one work by Fasch per concert, whose music we have come to appreciate greatly. Our repertoire is steadily growing and we have performed almost all trio sonatas for 2 oboes, bassoon and b.c. by Fasch. Our last concert featured Zelenka's Hipocondrie, a concerto for oboe by Konrad Baustetter, Bach's double concerto for oboe and violin, as well as the c minor concerto for bassoon, 2 oboes and strings by Fasch. We had lots of fun rehearsing the Fasch piece and our audience liked it very much. We hope to present some of his overtures in our upcoming concerts. I have recently prepared performance editions of Fasch's overture suites in d minor, e minor and C Major.

Hans-Heinrich Kriegel

Hans-Heinrich Kriegel was born on 14 March 1952 in Cologne and has been playing the oboe since 1967. After taking his Abitur exam and finishing his army duties (playing oboe in the army band) he studied music education at the Cologne Musikhochschule, majoring in oboe performance. Helmut Hucke was his music teacher to whom Kriegel owes much. Following his Staatsexamen (M. A.) and concert diploma (M. Mus.) Kriegel accepted a position as oboist (with some English horn duties) with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. In 1982 he took over the same orchestral position with the Bochum Symphony. Kriegel lives in Bochum with his wife Ulrike - who incidentally also plays the oboe - and their two sons Veit (14) and Albrecht (12). Kriegel's hobbies comprise editing music on his computer and sports: badminton, cycling and soccer ("on TV").

Herr Kriegel and his family visited the Fasch Archive on 15 July 1998. He was kind enough to provide us with copies of his numerous editions of instrumental works by J. F. Fasch, including sonatas and overture suites. A list of these editions is available from the Administrative Office upon request. Our thanks go to Herr Dr. Oswald Bill, head of the music section of the Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek Darmstadt, who urged us to get in touch with Herr Kriegel.

Barbara Reul

Upon recommendation of Frau Karin Spott, our new manager, the civic library Zerbst provided the Fasch Archive with a microfilm/microfiche reader on permanent loan and free of charge. This allows the Archive staff to finally catalogue the numerous microfilms that were purchased in 1997. These contain autographs and copies of works by the Anhalt-Zerbst Kapellmeister, including all instrumental works by Fasch held at the Sächsische Landes-, Hochschul- and Universitätsbibliothek Dresden as well as vocal works from the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.

(This  item is an updated version from the German. Ed.)

With preparations for the Sixth International Fasch Festival being in full swing, the International Fasch Society is delighted to offer two new brochures, one on J. F. Fasch (1688-1758) and one on C. F. Chr. Fasch (1736-1800). The text for the latter brochure was composed by Dr. Susanne Oschmann; IFS president, Dr. Konstanze Musketa, and musicologist-in-residence, Dr. Barbara Reul co-authored the revised version of the J. F. Fasch brochure. Financial support was provided by the county of Anhalt-Zerbst and the city of Zerbst. Copies of the brochures are available from the Administrative Office.

with works by J. F. Fasch, featuring Klaus Mertens (bass), Barbara Schlick (soprano), Accademia Daniel, dir. Shalev Ad-El

On the occasion of the 34th Zerbst Cultural Festival Klaus Mertens and Barbara Schlick will present unknown church cantatas by J. F. Fasch. They will be accompanied by the Accademia Daniel, directed by Shalev Ad-El, who is well-known to local audiences, having performed several times previous in Zerbst. In addition, Accademia Daniel will play newly-edited instrumental works by Fasch. This concert will be recorded by the Mitteldeutscher Runkfunk (MDR Kultur) as the inaugural concert in their new series "Musical performances at residences and palaces in Central Germany". A CD recording on the renowned cpo label at the Stadthalle Zerbst - formerly the riding hall of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, a princess of Anhalt-Zerbst - will precede the concert.

.... that Dr. Susanne Oschmann has completed a research project on Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch? Her "Bibliographie zum Schrifttum C. F. Chr. Faschs" (bibliography of secondary literature on Fasch junior) was sponsored by the Ständige Konferenz Mitteldeutsche Barockmusik, Michaelstein. Note that Stephan Blaut has recently revised his extensive bibliography of secondary literature on Johann Friedrich Fasch; copies (DM 9, 90 each) are available from the Administrative Office.

... that the 1988 CD by Hans-Peter Westermann (oboe) and colleagues which featured woodwind concertos by J. F. Fasch has been re-released in 1998? According to a review in the September 1998 issue of CONCERTO, it is still the best CD with instrumental works by Fasch money can buy (Dabringhaus und Grimm, MDG 310 03909-2, P 1998, Vertrieb Naxos). NB: Note that the two "contemporary portraits of J. F. Fasch" which can be found in the newly-revised 1998 booklet are indeed portraits of his son Carl Friedrich Christian. B. Reul, ed.

We thank the Arbeitsamt Dessau for their permission to reprint this article. B. Reul, ed.

In the last few years the concerts, lectures, and excursions organized by the International Fasch Society were well-received by local Zerbst audiences. With the next Fasch Festival being just around the corner (15 to 18 April 1999), the IFS intends to expand its public relations work by promoting a "cultural Fasch tourism" and thus increase the national and international image of the society.

As part of the "Fasch tourism"-ABM the IFS wants to offer additional guided musical tours of Zerbst. Lectures discussing the the lives, oeuvres and local performance venues of J. F. and C. F. Chr. Fasch will be presented to tourists and individual visitors to the city. In addition, we plan to distribute up-to-date brochures and other info material on Fasch senior and junior at concerts, the next Fasch Festival, and at similar events organized by the county of Anhalt-Zerbst and the city of Zerbst.

In particular, the IFS wants to promote events beyond city limits and utilize materials offered by other societies and groups. For instance, brochures, newsletters and posters on Fasch and our society's work were distributed at the Sachsen-Anhalt-Days in Hamburg from 4 to 6 September, to draw attention to the Sixth International Fasch Festival coming up in the spring of 1999. According to the motto of the 6th Fasch Festival, the IFS and Berlin musicologist Frau Dr. Susanne Oschmann co-organized an excursion to Potsdam and Berlin on 12 September 1998, visiting locations important to the life and work of Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch. He was born on 18 November 1736 in Zerbst as the only surviving son of Zerbst Court Kapellmeister Johann Friedrich Fasch. Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch (1736-1800) spent most of his childhood years in Zerbst, studying piano, theory and violin. At the age of 20 he became second harpsichordist to Friedrich II in Potsdam, sharing duties and a residence with Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, son of the Leipzig Thomaskantor J. S. Bach. By founding the Berlin Singakademie C. F. Chr. Fasch secured his place in late 18th century music history. During the excursion IFS members, sponsors, and friends followed his path to the Neue Palais in Potsdam, his work places, and his grave in Berlin.

The IFS hopes to make an essential contribution to the touristic image of the city of Zerbst as a city with remarkable musical traditions in Baroque music. The compositions of the Zerbst Court Kapellmeister and his son which have been played during the above listed events are to be promoted even further.

(*ABM:  an abbreviation for "Arbeitsbeschaffungsmaßnahme"--"Make-Work-Measurements", a government-sponsored position for the long-time unemployed).

Our resident musicologist, Dr. Barbara Reul, presented a paper on "Worship and music at the Anhalt-Zerbst court during the 18th century" on the occasion of the Eighth Biennial Conference on Baroque Music in July 1998. She also read a paper at the international symposion organized by the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung in September/October 1998 in Halle/Saale, focusing on new insights on the performance of cantata cycles at the Anhalt-Zerbst court chapel after 1743. IFS member Elena Sawtschenko, a Ph. D. student in musicology at the University of Leipzig currently completing her dissertation on "J. F. Fasch and his music in the light of Pietist devoutness", presented a paper on her doctoral thesis.

The University Chorus Halle-Wittenberg "Johann Friedrich Reichardt", the Johann Friedrich Fasch Ensemble Halle and vocal soloists have recently recorded two sacred cantatas each by J. F. Fasch (Lobe den Herrn, Sage mir an) and G. P. Telemann (Lobe den Herrn, Laßet uns Gott lieben) as well as a sinfonia by Fasch on the Metrix Classic Label, with Jens Lorenz directing. The booklet texts were written by Dr. Barbara Reul, IFS, who also was responsible for the English translations, as well as Brit Reipsch, Centre for the promotion and research on Telemann and his works, Magdeburg. Those interested in purchasing a copy (DM 24, 95) should contact the Collegium der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle/Saale, Tel. +49-345-5524531 or fax to +49-345-4427173.

One of our members Paolo Tognon, Padova/Italy, requested that the IFS help out with regard to the booklet text for their upcoming CD featuring overtures by J. F. Fasch. We contacted our member Stephan Blaut, who is currently writing a Ph. D. dissertation on Fasch's overtures at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. He kindly agreed to take on this challenging task.

The renowned ensemble Capella Savaria, dir. Pàl Németh, will be premiering three obscure overtures by J. F. Fasch on historic instruments; the editions were prepared by solo bassoonist Palo Tognon. The CD is to be released in the summer of 1999. In addition, Paolo Tognon drew our attention to the fact that he performed Fasch's concerto for solo bassoon on the occasion of a concert organized by the "Amici della Msuica" in Florence, Italy.

Heike Fricke

NEW!!!: Die Singakademie zu Berlin und ihre Direktoren, ed. Gottfried Eberle and Michael Rautenberg (Berlin: Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, 1998), 112 pp., hardcover, DM 48, -; ISBN 3-922378-16-1.

(A review by Heike Fricke of this book is only available in German; please refer to the German version of this newsletter.)

• ... that this past fall the Bachmuseum in the Bosehaus Leipzig showed a special exhibit on the artist J. S. Bach the younger (1748-1778)? He spent some months at Zerbst during his childhood.
• ... that J. F. Fasch was part of the big birthday parade which the city of Zerbst organized on October 4, 1998, to celebrate its 1050th birthday? The Anhalt-Zerbst Court Kapellmeister, his wife and son were part of picture 11 and preceded young Catherine II of Russia, a princess of Anhalt-Zerbst.
• ... that our vice president Frau Ellen Arndt presented flowers at the grave of Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch on the occasion of an excursion to Berlin and Potsdam on 12 September 1998? The excursion was covered by the press in the local Zerbst newspaper on 14 September 1998.