MUSIC BY A FELLOW WHO FOUGHT HANDEL

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Johann_mattheson

MUSIC BY A FELLOW WHO FOUGHT HANDEL

While I can’t think of many composers whose lives would be a suitable subject of a theatrical work, the life story of Johann Mattheson could be made into an opera or a play or even a good action movie. I only wish his music were as varied and compelling. Just imagine that he crossed both words and swords with his good friend George Friedrich Handel over a musical issue.

Unfortunately, after listening twice to three CD’s issued this year by the enterprising folks at Athene Records, a subsidiary of Divine Art Recordings Group I was left with a sense of numbing sameness achieved over almost three hours twice of dutiful listening.

Each of the twelve compositions are similarly structured: a brief introductory movement, often labeled Allemande or Ouverture is randomly followed by alternating fast, slow, fast, slow sections variously named Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Menuet, and so forth. The structure of these suites is invariably correct, adhering to theoretical principles that the composer dutifully obeyed. But a sense of adventure and unpredictability is never present in the music of this neglected composer of the German Baroque.

The very fine harpsichordist Gilbert Rowland undertook the Herculean task of recording all twelve suites for harpsichord by Mattheson, and it is a pleasure to report that his playing is nothing short of excellent, restrained when sobriety is needed, brilliant when brightness is in order, always elegant and technically dazzling. A glance at the Divine Art catalogue will reveal that Rowland has taken a similar challenge with the suites for harpsichord by Handel. I would check that out.

As usual with anything issued by Divine Art, the production by Stephen Sutton and the boxed packaging are first class, the engineering by John Taylor is splendid, the multi-lingual liner notes by Gilbert Roland himself scholarly yet entertaining.

For the inveterate collector this set (ATH 23301) is well-worth acquiring (http://divineartrecords.com)  Unless you are reviewing, I suggest doing the listening in a leisurely manner. When your time permits read up on this Baroque composer, singer, harpsichordist, organist, writer, linguist, diplomat, theoretician, swordsman and educator. I think you’ll like the music better.

Rafael de Acha

 

Published by ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Rafael de Acha has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts as a performer, stage director, producer, and educator. He was born and grew up in Cuba. At the age of 17 he moved to the United States to study Drama at the University of Minnesota, and later Languages at L.A. City College, Music at the Juilliard School of Music, at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and at the New England Conservatory of Music, from which he received the Master's degree. He has taught courses on the History of Music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and at Florida International University, and contributed writings and reviews to Seen and Heard International (www.seenandheard-international.com ) and to this blog. He co-founded the award-winning New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, where he produced and staged twenty seasons of classical and contemporary theater, including fifty world premieres of plays that went on to have international and national productions on and off Broadway, including Ana in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2002 and Tony Nomination 2003.) In 2006 he was presented with a citation from The Dade County Cultural Affairs Council for “trailblazing contributions to the arts in South Florida.”