Sacred German Music

 

In 1596, the Wasungen-born Melchior Vulpius was called to Weimar as the cantor, music and Latin teacher at the municipal school and the St. Peter and Paul Parish Church (Stadtkirche). Thus he became the highest ranking Ernestine church musician and the expectations of him were equally high. Within some years, he created a considerable repertoire, which he published from 1602 onwards. He released a new collection almost every year until his early death in 1615 aged 45. Many of these collections found their way to the cantorial library in the little Saxon town of Waldheim where they were preserved until today. Since 2002, this musical heritage has been investigated and gradually made accessible to the public once more. Waldheim's cantor Rene Michael Roder and Capella Daleminzia directed by him now release a series with the complete works by Vulpius. This release is the second volume in the series, and contains the motets for eight to thirteen parts of the Cantiones Sacrae I, thus completing the recording of Vulpius' first published collection of works. The nine-part motet "Surrexit pastor bonus" for Easter Monday is the only one in this collection to be sung by four choirs and contains another special feature. While Choir 1 sings the Latin text, the Choirs 2, 3, and 4 contrast this with hymn in German language. Furthermore, the choirs should be placed in a quadrophonic manner if possible. 

 

1	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 1, O lux beata trinitas	6:55
2	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 5, Ut quid Deus repulisti in finem	5:33
3	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 8, Adiuva nos Deus	2:45
4	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 9, Johannes missis duobus discipulis	4:56
5	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 11, Cui merito parent coelum, mare, terra, profundum	6:24
6	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 13, Vocem iucundiatatis annunciate & qudiatur	3:29
7	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 15, Qui diligitis Dominum odite malum	4:32
8	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 17, Primas quidam, venit ad lesum	4:32
9	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 19, Domine salvum me fac	1:32
10	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 20, Domine Deus Zebath, intuere superbiam hostium nostrorum	5:43
11	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 22, Auro non emitur mulier	3:27
12	6-stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 23, Ecce adduxerunt ei paralyticum	3:34
Disk 2
1	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 24, Incipiente autem rege conferre rationem	4:22
2	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 26, Spes mea semper erit Christus	4:10
3	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 28, Beatus vir non abit in consilio impiorum	4:11
4	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 30, Ad te Domine clamantes exaudi nos	2:21
5	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 31, Exurgens autem Maria in Diebus illis	5:25
6	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 33, Nuptiae factae sunt in Cana Galieae	5:40
7	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 34, Exaltate Dominum Deum nostrum	2:04
8	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 36, Cantate Domino canticum novum	4:23
9	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 38, Grates nunc omnes reddamus Domino Deo	2:17
10	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 40, Iubilate Deo, omnis terra	3:07
11	6-Stimmige Motetten der Cantiones Sacrae II: No. 41, Prope est Dominus omnibus incocantibus eum	4:08

 

 

Ascendit invictissimus Salvator	By Johann Rosenmüller - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	5:39
Aude, quid times	By Johann Rosenmüller l - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	6:57
Sonate, da sonarsi con varij stromenti a trè sino a dodeci, Op. 2	By Massimiliano Neri - Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	4:18
Domine cor meum	By Johann Rosenmüller - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	8:26
Si Deus pro nobis	By Johann Rosenmüller - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	7:30
Domine, ne in furore	By Johann Rosenmüller - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	12:06
Salve Regina	By Johann Rosenmüller - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	9:06
Sonata à 3	By Traditional - Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	6:40
Magnificat	By Johann Rosenmüller - Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Abendmusiken Basel & Jörg-Andreas Bötticher	9:06

III. Johann Samuel Welter: Gott sen uns gnädig  (Ecco La Musica/Heike Hummer & Matthias Spritz). Christophorus CD CHR 77440.

This well-organised sequence shows Welter to be a composer of great ability and an engaging manner. The disc brings us five of his church cantatas, interspersed with instrumental works by Welter’s approximate contemporaries Schmelzer, Bertali, Hainlein and Nicolai. All the works are beautifully played and sung by the musicians of ‘ecco la musica’ (it seems to be the current trend for early music groups to spell their ensemble names without capitals), directed by gambist Heike Hümmer and trombonist Matthias Sprinz. This is a skilful and stylish group of five voices and twelve players including strings, brass and continuo instruments.

The five vocal works include chorale cantatas and psalm settings, broadly in the mid-baroque tradition of the likes of Krieger, Schelle, Knüpfer or Kuhnau, and scored for four or five voices and a colourful range of instruments. ‘Herr Jesu Christ du höchstes Guth’ (track 2) is a fine chorale cantata, its successive verses taken by vocal ensemble or solo voices, and with instrumental accompaniment developing from one verse to another. ‘Gott sey uns gnädig’ (4) is a majestically-scored psalm setting, its choral passages carrying more than a hint of Heinrich Schütz’s Psalmen Davids; its instrumental interludes are also beautifully written, as are the concerted vocal passages. The sunny ‘Auff, auff ihr Gottes Haußgenossen’ (6) is a three-voice cantata, this time more secular in style, with a cheerful melody and attractive ritornelli. Best of all, in my opinion, is the closing work ‘Wenn wir in höchsten Nöthen sind’, a really beautiful chorale cantata with especially lovely solo and concertato vocal, as well as instrumental, passages.

The programme is nicely arranged even though the five interspersed instrumental pieces are more varied in quality, with a couple of fairly dull pieces but a fine opening ‘Sonata à 5 Battalia ex C’ by Paul Hainlein, and an impressive Sonata 101 à 6’ by Antonio Bertali (9); Johann Heinrich Schmelzer’s ‘Sonata à 3’ (5) also has an expertly delivered solo trombone part.

Recorded sound is excellent, as is the booklet essay by co-director Heike Hümmer, and texts and translations are included. This is an enterprising recording, beautifully performed and introducing a most interesting and engaging mid-baroque composer, and it would surely be worthwhile to assemble a further volume if there’s enough material available. Either way, this is sure to please enthusiasts of the German baroque