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Novelty, taste and grace Johann Gottfried Müthel, born in Mölln in the Duchy of Lauenburg, was the fifth of nine children. His father Christian Caspar was an organist and friend of Georg Philipp Telemann. He studied music with his father, and later with Johann Paul Kunzen in Lübeck. In 1747, at the age of 19, he became court organist and harpsichordist at the court of Duke Christian Ludwig II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1750 Müthel was given leave to study with Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig. He became Bach’s last pupil, beginning his studies only three months before the maestro’s death. During that time he notated a number of the now blind composer’s final works, including the Chromatic Fantasia and parts of the Orgelbüchlein. According to Bach’s biographer Philipp Spitta, Müthel was present at Bach’s deathbed and took over his duties as Cantor for nine weeks. Following this, he pursued his studies with Johann Christoph Altnickol, another pupil of Bach who had become the composer’s son-in-law. Afterwards he took the opportunity to travel and meet other composers, the most notable of whom was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (then residing at the court of Frederick II of Prussia in Potsdam), with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship and correspondence. In 1751 he returned to the ducal court, where he remained for two more years, eventually being replaced by his younger brother. In 1753 Müthel moved to Riga (now in Latvia, then part of the Russian Empire), where one of his brothers was based. It was here that he published his first works in 1756 ‒ he only published a few compositions in his lifetime. At first he worked as a conductor for a private orchestra; he was later appointed organist at St Peter’s Church, serving from 1767 until 1788, when he died in nearby Bienenhof. Although Müthel was little known outside of Riga, he did gain the respect of the eminent English music scholar Charles Burney. Burney mentioned Müthel several times, always favourably, in The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands, and United Provinces (1773, 1775), and in A General History of Music (1776). In the former, Burney wrote, ‘M. Johann Gottfried Müthel of Riga, being by birth and education a German, deserves a place here, though he is at present established in a city which appertains to Russia. When a student upon keyed instruments has vanquished all the difficulties to be found in the lessons of Handel, Scarlatti, Schobert, Eckard, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and, like Alexander, laments that nothing more remains to conquer,
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I would recommend to him, as an exercise for patience and perseverance, the compositions of Müthel; which are so full of novelty, taste, grace, and contrivance, that I should not hesitate to rank them among the greatest productions of the present age. … The style of this composer more resembles that of Emanuel Bach than any other. But the passages are entirely his own, and reflect as much honour upon his mind as his hand. Indeed his writings abound with difficulties, which to common hearers, as well as common players, must appear too elaborate; for even his accompaniments are so charged as to require performers, for each instrument, of equal abilities to his own, which is expecting too much, in musicians of this nether world.’ Müthel’s output is small, and both musically and technically his keyboard works form the most significant part of it. In an extract from a letter by Müthel which occurs in the aforementioned treatise by Burney, we find a typical effusion of the ars poetica of the Sturm und Drang period: ‘I have devised many a piece when in good humour and a cheerful mood, but only in outline, and the pieces await a happy disposition of my mind for the work of completion to be done, for I do not care to work when I am not disposed to it. And the true cheerfulness of mind I require to work visits me only rarely’. Particularly in the inner movements of his compositions, Müthel’s watchword is originality, with rhythmically striking motifs and phrases, abrupt changes of dynamics, and other expressive means, all in the service of a highly individual form of self-expression. 훿 Matteo Venturini
With the support of the Associazione Amici dell’Organo della Pace – Freunde der Friedensorgel – Sant’Anna di Stazzema
In collaboration with the Accademia d’Organo ‘Giuseppe Gherardeschi’ – Pistoia Recording (Italy): 3 November 2013, Church of Sant’Anna, Sant’Anna di Stazzema, Lucca; 10 November 2013, Church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, Pistoia; 1–2 December 2013, Church of San Rocco, Larciano, Pistoia Sound engineer: Emiliano Bandini · Editorial consultant: Graeme Kay · Artistic supervisor: Federico Savio Cover photo: Glauco Ghilardi Organ (2005) of the Church of San Rocco · & 훿 2015 Brilliant Classics
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Matteo Venturini Matteo Venturini was born in Florence in 1981. He graduated cum laude from the ‘L. Cherubini’ Conservatory of Florence, obtaining a diploma in Organ and Organ Composition (2005) and a diploma in Composition (2007). He continued his studies at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, under the tutelage of Professor Klemens Schnorr, receiving a honours diploma in Organ Performance (2008). Later he studied at the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome, where he obtained a postgraduate diploma with honours in Organ Improvisation (2011) under Professor Theo Flury. In 2013 he was awarded an honours diploma in Academic Studies at the Perugia Music Conservatory, under the supervision of Professor Luca Scandali, for his thesis on Daniel Magnus Gronau’s organ works. Winner of eight competitions for organ, including the third international Andrea Antico da Montona competition in Croatia (2008), Matteo Venturini performs as a concert musician in prestigious international music festivals in Europe and America. He has recorded 14 albums for labels including OnClassical, E-Plus, EMA Records, Fugatto and Brilliant Classics; he has also published his own compositions as well as editions of choral and organ music for the publishers Carrara and EurArte, and has recorded for BBC Radio 3, Vatican Radio, Croatian National Radio and Südwestrundfunk in Germany. He is organist of the church of Saints Jacopo and Lucia and at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Genesio in San Miniato (Pisa). He is also a visiting professor at the Organistas de México Association of Mexico City and at the ‘L Cherubini’ Conservatory in Florence, and teaches composition, organ and music theory at the ‘Giuseppe Bonamici’ Music School in Pisa. www.matteoventurini.it
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Glauco Ghilardi Organ (2005) Church of San Rocco, Larciano, Pistoia (inspired by North German Baroque organs, project by Umberto Pineschi) Hauptwerk (C–a’’’) 1. Quintadena 16’ 2. Principal 8’ 3. Hohlflöte 8’ 4. Viol di gamba 8’ 5. Octave 4’ 6. Spitzflöte 4’ 7. Quinte 3’ 8. Nasat 3’ 9. Octave 2’ 10. Waldflöte 2’ 11. Tertia 1 3/5’ 12. Mixtur IV–V 13. Trompete 8’ 14. Trompete 4’ Ruckpositiv (C–a’’’) 15. Gedackt 8’ 16. Quintadena 8’ 17. Principal 4’ 18. Rohrflöte 4’ 19. Sesquialtera II 20. Octave 2’ 21. Quinte 1 1/3’ 22. Scharff II 23. Dulcian 16’ 24. Krumhorn 8’
Brustwerk (C–a’’’) 25. Holzgedackt 8’ 26. Blockflöte 4’ 27. Hohlquinte 3’ 28. Octave 2’ 29. Tertia 1 3/5’ 30. Terzflöte 1 3/5’ (D) 31. Scharff II 32. Regal 8’ Pedal (C–f’) 33. Subbass 16’ 34. Principal 8’ (HW) 35. Hohlflöte 8’ (HW) 36. Octave 4’ 37. Mixtur III 38. Posaune 16’ 39. Trompete 8’ (HW) 40. Trompete 4’ (HW) 41. Cornet 2’ Ruckpositiv–Hauptwerk Hauptwerk–Pedal Tremulant
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Glauco Ghilardi Organ (2007) Church of Sant’Anna, Sant’Anna di Stazzema, Lucca (inspired by North German Baroque organs)
Glauco Ghilardi Organ (2008) Church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, Pistoia (inspired by North German Baroque organs, project by Umberto Pineschi)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Hauptwerk (CD–c’’’) 1. Principal 8’ 2. Hohlflöte 8’ 3. Octave 4’ 4. Spitzflöte 4’ 5. Quinte 3’ 6. Octave 2’ 7. Tertia 1 3/5’ 8. Mixtur IV–V’ 9. Trompete 8’
Gedackt 8’ Principal (bass) 4’ Principal (treble) 4’ Blockflöte 4’ Octave (bass) 2’ Octave (treble) 2’ Mixtur III 1 1/3
One manual (C-f’’’) Pedal C–d’, pull-down, without register
Brustwerk (CD–c’’’) 10. Holzgedackt 8’ 11. Blockflöte 4’ 12. Waldflöte 2’ 13. Regal 8’ Pedal (CD–d’) 14. Subbass 16’ 15. Principal 8’ (HW) 16. Hohlflöte 8’ (HW) 17. Fagott 16’ 18. Trompete 8’ (HW) Brustwerk–Hauptwerk · Hauptwerk–Pedal Tremulant
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