94809 Nichelmann_BL2_darker v5_. 30/10/2014 12:18 Page 2
Christoph Nichelmann 1717–1762
Compact Disc 2
Harpsichord Sonatas Compact Disc 1
2
72’39
59’08
1 2 3
Sonata in B flat Op.2 No.1 I. Allegretto II. Largo III. Presto
3’44 2’45 3’01
4 5 6
Sonata in F minor Op.2 No.2 I. Un poco allegro II. Andante III. Vivace
3’57 1’47 3’01
7 8 9
Sonata in A Op.2 No.3 I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allegretto
4’07 2’43 4’07
1 2 3
Sonata in G minor Op.1 No.1 I. Moderato II. Largo III. Allegro
4’31 3’41 3’10
4 5 6
Sonata in D Op.1 No.2 I. Allegretto II. Mesto III. Allegro
4’10 2’12 4’53
7 8 9
Sonata in B minor Op.1 No.3 I. Un poco allegro II. Andantino III. Presto
5’49 2’12 3’13
Sonata in G Op.1 No.4 10 I. Allegretto 11 II. Largo 12 III. Vivace
Sonata in D minor Op.2 No.4 10 I. Allegro 11 II. Adagio 12 III. Allegro
3’09 2’56 3’18
4’29 2’04 5’29
Sonata in C minor Op.1 No.5 13 I. Un poco allegro 14 II. Andante 15 III. Presto
Sonata in E flat Op.2 No.5 13 I. Allegro 14 II. Andante 15 III. Allegro
3’12 1’32 3’56
7’02 2’41 3’34
Sonata in F Op.1 No.6 16 I. Allegro 17 II. Adagio 18 III. Presto
Sonata in A minor Op.1 No.6 16 I. Allegro 17 II. Andante 18 III. Presto
6’24 1’42 3’37
5’53 3’10 4’17
Michele Benuzzi harpsichord
3
94809 Nichelmann_BL2_darker v5_. 30/10/2014 12:18 Page 4
‘Intriguing and eclectic’ Christoph Nichelmann is one of a large number of composers whose music faded into complete obscurity after their death, only coming to light again recently now that lesser-known repertoire is better regarded. Nichelmann was born in Treuenbrietzen in northern Germany on 13 August 1717. In his early years he had the opportunity to study music with the greatest composers: he attended lessons with Johann Sebastian Bach at the Thomasschule in Leipzig and studied composition with Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Around 1733 his interest in opera took him to Hamburg, where he continued his studies with Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Mattheson and Reinhard Keiser. He completed his education in Berlin, studying with Johann Joachim Quantz and Carl Heinrich Graun, and went on to travel through Europe, visiting England and France. In 1744 he received an offer from Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, to join the royal opera ensemble as a second harpsichordist, a position he held until 1756. He spent his last troubled years in Berlin, where he died on 20 July 1762. As with many other lesser-known composers, it is difficult to establish a precise catalogue of his compositions: all we have today are the two collections featured on this disc, Sei brevi sonate da cembalo massime all’uso delle dame (Nuremberg, 1745) and Sei brevi sonate da cembalo all’uso di chi ama il cembalo Op.2 (Nuremberg, 1745), but we know that he composed other harpsichord pieces which were published in different collections during the 18th century and which are now sadly lost. Nichelmann’s works include some chamber music and orchestral compositions, among which the harpsichord concertos are the most inspired works. There is also some vocal music: the serenata Il sogno di Scipione, with a libretto by Metastasio, was famous in its time, and his 22 Lieder constitute a good example of the early Berliner Liederschule. Nichelmann was also active as a theoretical musician and wrote the treatise Die Melodie nach ihrem Wesen sowohl, als nach ihren Eigenschaften (1755) which was acclaimed in its time but criticised by (probably) Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, writing under the pen name of Caspar Dünkelfeind. The style of Nichelmann’s compositions is intriguing and eclectic: on the one hand we can still hear the heritage of Baroque music, and on the other the development of a more sensitive and expressive language – even if it does not reach the depth of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach or his brother
4
Carl Philipp Emanuel. However, unlike most of the music written at the end of the 18th century, Nichelmann’s works do not descend into either simplicity or vanity. This recording presents the two sets of six sonatas printed in Nuremberg in 1745. It is the first step towards a more substantial recording of Nichelmann’s oeuvre. 훿 Michele Benuzzi Michele Benuzzi Michele Benuzzi obtained a diploma in Harpsichord Performance at the Royal College of Music, London. In 2003 he won third prize at the 17th Yamanashi International Harpsichord Competition in Japan. Collaborating with other harpsichordists, between 1995 and 2002 he worked on a project to promote and perform Domenico Scarlatti’s complete works for harpsichord in Annecy, France. Benuzzi is the founder of Arcomelo, a group that performs 17th- and 18thcentury music, examining Baroque performance practice in particular. He has put a great deal of effort into recovering and performing music from unedited manuscripts in European libraries. With Arcomelo he has recorded the harpsichord concertos of C.P.E. Bach for La Bottega Discantica (which received excellent reviews), W.F. Bach’s harpsichord concertos and sinfonias (2007), and an album of Vivaldi’s complete ‘flauto’ and ‘flautino’ concertos with Mitsuko Ota, which received a nomination in the Japanese Record Geijutsu magazine (May 2013). As a soloist he has recorded Scarlatti sonatas on a 1764 Hass instrument from the Russell Collection in Edinburgh, and for London Independent Records an album entitled Hamburg 1705 with music by Handel, Graupner and Mattheson, on a harpsichord made by Daniel Dulcken around 1730 from the Barnes Collection. For Brilliant Classics he has recorded the music of Johann Hässler (94293),
5
94809 Nichelmann_BL2_darker v5_. 30/10/2014 12:18 Page 6
on a harpsichord by Robert Falkener (London 1773), by kind permission of the Russell Collection. All his solo recordings have been acclaimed by international magazines, and the Hässler disc won five stars in Musica (July/August 2012). In 2011 he recorded a six-CD box set of chamber music and solo harpsichord music by Georg Benda for Brilliant Classics (94433), the first in a projected series. Lauded for the expressiveness of his playing and for the beautiful quality of his tone, he regularly appears as a soloist in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Chiesa di San Geminiano at Castello di Montetortore Castello di Montetortore was built on the land of Matilda of Canossa and is one of the oldest castles in the area. The oldest surviving document concerning its existence dates from 1197, when it was ascribed to the district of Modena. Another document, dated 1306, included the Montetortore family in the book of noble and powerful dynasties. In 1460 Montetortore’s municipal corporation drew up a statute that was approved by Ercole I d’Este, Duke of Modena, but since the castle’s geographical position is on the border between Modena and Bologna, its allegiance has always been contended by the two dukedoms – a controversy that continued for three centuries, until it was returned definitively to the D’Este family of Modena in 1695. Built as part of the castle, the church of San Geminiano was bombed during the Second World War. Only after substantial restoration by the Comune di Zocca, begun in 1993 and completed in 1999, can we now admire its beauty.
6
I would like to thank Enrico Marchetti for his friendship, helpfulness and kindness; the Comune di Zocca, who hosted us in San Geminiano for this recording; John Raymond, who took care of the harpsichord; Silvano Landonio, the indefatigable sound engineer; John Erskine, for his help (once again) with the English text for this booklet; and Antonio Frigé, for his help in transcribing the music.
This recording is dedicated to Enrico Marchetti.
Recording: 13–16 May 2014, Chiesa di San Geminiano at Castello di Montetortore, Modena, Italy Sound engineer & editing: Silvano Landonio Harpsichord: Andrea Restelli, Milan, 2000 (after Johann Christoph Oesterlein, Berlin, 1772) Booklet photos 훿 Laura Losito (Benuzzi); Michele Benuzzi (Chiesa di San Geminiano) & 훿 2015 Brilliant Classics
7