“Narození Pána Krista: Christmas Music, 17th-Century Bohemia” is by The Teares of the Muses, a viol consort. Directed by Margaret Panofsky, The Teares is joined by Kathleen Cantrell, soprano, John Cantrell, organist and percussionist, and the GHOSTLIGHT Vocal Quartet. The featured works—most of them recorded here for the first time—are by the marvelous, rarely heard Adam Michna. These include his affecting “Mass IV” (singularly orchestrated for soprano, four bass violas da gamba, and chorus), Latin motets, and Christmas carols sung in Czech with improvisatory instrumental interludes. Other Bohemian composers include Samuel Capricornus, David Funck, Holan Rovenský and Jan Josef Bozan. From the first track to the last, the delightfully varied music offers an early Czech baroque Christmas with all the trimmings.
Narození Pána Krista
Christmas Music, 17th-Century Bohemia
The Teares of the Muses
Margaret Panofsky, director, treble viol and bass viol
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano
Caroline Marris and Christina Brandt-Young, treble viol and bass viol
Jeremy Brandt-Young and Carlene Stober, bass viol
John Cantrell, organ and percussion
Ghostlight: Barbara Zay, soprano; Evelyn Troester, alto; Matt Zay, tenor; Aaron Taylor, bass
Michael Beckerman, artistic advisor
Mass IV Adam Michna z Otradovic (c. 1600 - 1676)
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano
Sonata from Suite in C Major Johann Michael Nicolai (1629 - 1685)
Preludium, Fantasia, Adagio, Allegro, Adagio
Advent and Christmas Carols Adam Michna
Píseň adventí
Pozadravení Dětátka Ježíše
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano; Margaret Panofsky, treble viol
In dulce jubilo, a2, a3, a4 Michael Praetorius (c. 1571 - 1621)
Alma redemptoris Mater Adam Michna
Salve Regina
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano
Suite in A Minor David Funck (c. 1630 - c. 1690)
Intrad, Allemand, Courant, Saraband, Ballo
Christmas Carols Adam Michna
Zvání k jesličkám Pána Krista
Opět jiná o Narození Pána Krista
Zvání všeho stvoření
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano; Margaret Panofsky, treble viol
Adesto multitudo coelestis exercitus Samuel Capricornus (c. 1628 - 1665)
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano; Margaret Panofsky, treble viol
Christmas Carol: K Ježíškovi Miláčkovi Václav Holan Rovenský (1644 - 1718)
instrumental arrangement and treble viol, Margaret Panofsky
Magnificat Adam Michna
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano
Christmas Carols
Když veškeren svět byl popsán Holan Rovenský
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano; Margaret Panofsky, treble viol
Veselým hlasem zpívejme (instrumental) Jan Josef Bozan (1644 - 1716)
Margaret Panofsky, treble viol; John Cantrell, percussion
Spanilé z Archy Holubičky Holan Rovenský
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano
Margaret Panofsky and Caroline Marris, treble viols
Notes
"Narození Pána Krista" features Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic’s masterful compositions, which are seldom heard today. Adam Michna (c. 1600 - 1676) as he was commonly known, came from an aristocratic family of musicians, many of them trumpeters. His father, an organist, was his first teacher. Michna spent almost his entire life in his home town of Jindřichův Hradec in northern Bohemia, near Prague. He studied at the newly opened Jesuit College and later became the town organist and choir director. In addition to his musical career, the wealthy Michna was also a civic-minded landowner who ran a successful wine business. The elaborate Latin-texted concertato works—"Mass IV," a "Magnificat," "Alma redemptoris Mater," and "Salve Regina"—show marked Italian influence in a completely up-to-date style comparable to music from the most important northern European cultural centers. The simpler homophonic Advent and Christmas carols were intended for churches with limited resources; the lovely melodies with three accompanying parts are set to Michna’s own acclaimed poetry. His successful volumes of much-loved Czech carols for congregational singers helped replace the 15th- and 16th-century devotional tenor-songs, which were becoming somewhat old-fashioned.
Adam Michna’s "Mass IV" from the collection "Sacra et litaniae" of 1654 has unusual orchestration: three bass viols (suggested by Michna ad libitum) and continuo that accompanies the solo soprano voice. The texture created by the viols wraps this ornate line in a rich halo of sound. The more straightforward four-part chorus and continuo alternate with the solo voice and viols, accentuating the writing in concertato. The mass is relatively short, with almost no repetition of the text, but in the Credo especially, it contains contrasting tempos and affects that illustrate the meaning of the words—notably in the mournful "Crucifixus" and the exuberant "Et resurrexit" which bursts out in trumpet calls. For "Et in unam sanctam catholicam et apostolic am Ecclesiam" (And in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church), the trumpet calls resume, making a clamorous announcement of victory in the wake of the Thirty Years War.
Several compositional techniques unify the mass: a short motive of a rising and falling half-step, usually heard in the top viol part, recurs throughout, and the outside movements—the "Kyrie" and "Agnus Dei"—begin with the same melody in the soprano, but with the bass line inverted in the "Agnus Dei." Michna’s choice of instrumentation for this mass makes an exciting addition to sacred baroque repertory for viols.
The five Advent and Christmas carols on the program are from Michna’s "Česká Mariánska Musika" (Czech Music for the Virgin Mary), published in 1647. He composed the simple strophic songs to meet the needs of both (in his own words) “accomplished musicians in noble cities and humble cantors in the smallest towns.” The carols became instant hits that traveled beyond the confines of the church, to be reprinted in later songbooks for the “common people.” Some grew immensely popular as folksongs. The first piece in the first set is an Advent carol, and the four that follow celebrate the birth of Jesus. Michna’s poetry is unusually florid considering the simplicity of the homophonic layout. Margaret Panofsky of The Teares of the Muses follows baroque practice with some interpretive freedom, augmenting the songs with ornamented instrumental verses. John Cantrell adds improvised percussion.
Devotion to the Virgin Mary increased during the 17th century in Catholic lands as Protestant denominations discouraged Marian worship. Adam Michna’s sacred works are permeated with adoration for Mary; he joined two Jesuit fraternities in Jindřichův Hradec that honored her Annunciation. Michna’s two motets—"Alma redemptoris Mater" and "Salve Regina," and the "Magnificat" are from his "Officium Vespertinum" of 1648. Like his "Mass IV," they are written in concertato style with the soprano soloist alternating with the chorus. For this recording, the viols double the chorus to further enhance the contrast. Michna himself suggests this possibility by adding the words "et instruments intercinentibus" (loosely translated, instruments combined with singers) at the end of the collection’s title. Both the "Salve Regina" and the "Magnificat" have identical three-note signature motives that include a descending fifth—except the "Magnificat’s" tune is in a major key, whereas the "Salve Regina" with the words "ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle" (to thee we send our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears) is in the minor.
The miniature sonata that opens the "Suite in C Major" by the German composer Johann Michael Nicolai (1629 - 1685) contains short sections strung together—a prelude, fantasy, adagio, allegro, and concluding adagio. It is a sumptuous work that exploits the rich overtones created by three bass viols. A fourth continuo viol is added for the contrapuntal fantasy and allegro movements in which the viols enter one by one before joining together in rollicking, paired phrases. The unusually low-pitched tessitura is plausibly explained by Nicolai’s profession as a double-bass player in the Stuttgart court orchestra.
Michael Praetorius (c. 1571 - 1621) is the second German composer on the recording, chosen for his contrapuntal arrangements of the immensely popular Christmas song, "In dulce jubilo." The tune with its German/Latin macaronic text was composed by the medieval Dominican mystic Heinrich Seuse—which places the original composition well before the Reformation. The text of these three lovely pieces—performed here by viols alone—is translated somewhat loosely as follows: “In sweet rejoicing, now sing and be glad! Our hearts' joy lies in the manger; and it shines like the sun in the mother's lap. You are the alpha and omega!” A devout Lutheran, the esteemed musician, theorist and organist worked at Wolfenbüttel.
The "Suite in A Minor" by the Bohemian composer David Funck (c. 1630 - c. 1690) is a collection of delicate baroque dances that could have been played at a court ball or banquet. The opening Intrad is oddly constructed; the stately beginning is followed by surprise flurries of sixteenth notes. The dance movements are short and succinct, but with interesting cross-rhythms that add a piquant flavor. The suite is from Funck’s only extant work, the dance collection "Stricturae Viola di Gambicae" of 1677; the orchestration of four viols is antiquated for such late compositions, although the writing style is current. Contemporary biographers depicted Funck as unstable and dissolute, although only one recorded incident bears this out. He was forced to flee from a girls’ school in Upper Franconia where he worked, and was found dead shortly thereafter.
Samuel Capricornus led a short and rather dreary existence that began in Bohemia; his family soon fled to Hungary to escape persecution and the devastation of the Thirty Years War. He held various posts in Germany, eventually attaining the prestigious appointment of Kapellmeister to the Württemberg court at Stuttgart—although his life was made miserable by illness, a bad marriage and professional disagreements. The text of the Christmas ode "Adesto multitudo" from the second part of Capricornus’s "Theatrum Musicum" is in flowery Latin; the piece shows strong Italian influence reminiscent of the music of Carissimi, his idol. The scoring of a treble viol to accompany the soprano soloist is anachronistic, and a decidedly German choice.
Three carols are by the Bohemian composer Vacláv Karel Holan Rovenský (1644 - 1718). One of them, "K Ježíškovi Miláčkovi" (To My Beloved Little Jesus), is played on the treble viol with verse-variations added. Rovenský was born in Rovensko in northern Bohemia, not far from Prague. He was brought up in a Moravian Brethren (Protestant) family, but converted to Catholicism when he attended the Jesuit school in Jičin. He held several posts as an organist and teacher in various towns near his native Rovensko, and made a pilgrimage to Rome. In his later years, this serious man lived as a hermit and became a stonemason. His greatest contribution is the valuable anthology, "Capella regia musicalis," of 1693, which contains a huge variety of secular and sacred music from medieval songs to secular cantatas and pastorales.
"Veselým hlasem zpívejme" (Let Us Sing With Joyous Voices), played instrumentally, is from the eighteenth-century hymnal "Slaviček rajský" by the priest Jan Josef Bozan (1644 - 1716). Although the tune and harmony are simple, the syncopated rhythmic pattern is irresistible.
—Margaret Panofsky
Biographies
The Teares of the Muses, a consort of viols, is a versatile New York University performing arts ensemble directed by the Teares’ first-chair player, Margaret Panofsky. She has been an adjunct professor with the Faculty of Arts and Science Music Department since 1989. Made up of proficient musicians from the student body, faculty, and N.Y.U. community, The Teares of the Muses is part of the Music Department’s Viol Program. The Teares of the Muses performs elegant and lively renaissance and baroque repertory for viols, often adding favorite guest artists to expand the compass of its concerts. It delights in reviving great music which has all but vanished in the present day. Soprano soloist Kathleen Cantrell has performed with the Teares since the consort’s residency began at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in 2007. The Teares of the Muses’ first enthusiastically received concert with Kathleen Cantrell was “Vater unser im Himmelreich." It took place in April 2010, supported by N.Y.U.’s Creative Collaboration Support Grant. Since then, the Teares has made 17th-century German music its speciality, culminating in the production of the CD, "Ein Lämmlein," released on October 12, 2011: “The themes of the recording are complex and interesting, and these singers make repeated listening a real pleasure. The viol consort functions impressively as a single entity, coordinated at repeats and moments of heightened emotion, yet each individual voice is clear. Although passion music is associated with a specific time of the year, the uplifting quality of the music and performance on this CD belongs to a timeless season” "Viola da Gamba Society of America Newsletter." A recording from 2012 of "The Lord’s Prayer, Vater unser im Himmelreich," is available as a digital single. It will appear in a book and CD set: "Notre Père à travers les âges, dans les trois traditions chrétiennes" by Jean-Paul Lécot of Lourdes, France.
www.tearesofthemuses.com
Margaret Panofsky is the Teares of the Muses’ director and adjunct professor with the N.Y.U. Faculty of Arts and Science Music Department. She has been a director and faculty member for numerous early music workshops, and has made guest appearances with many ensembles including the New York Consort of Viols, Le Triomphe de l'Amour, Ensemble Soleil, and Parthenia. She performs frequently as an instrumentalist with the Choir of Corpus Christi Church and St. Michael's Choir. Her comprehensive book, "The New Bass Viol Technique," was published in 2012. She received a B.A. from Stanford and an M.M. from the New England Conservatory.
Christina Brandt-Young plays the bass, tenor, and treble viols and has master's degrees in musicology from Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. During the day, she is an appellate attorney.
Jeremy Brandt-Young plays both bass and tenor viols and holds a Bachelor of Music in classical saxophone from the North Carolina School of the Arts where he studied under James Houlik and James Kalyn. He currently funds his music addiction as Director of Professional Services for a technology security consulting firm.
Caroline Marris began studying with Margaret Panofsky in 2010 while an undergraduate at New York University, and plays bass, tenor, and treble viols. She graduated from N.Y.U. with honors in English and History in 2012, and in fall 2013 began a PhD program in Early Modern European history at Columbia University.
Kathleen Cantrell, soprano soloist at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, performs regularly with The Teares of the Muses. She has appeared with Apollo's Fire, the Choral Arts Society of Louisville, the Louisville Bach Society, and several groups in New York. She is also a certified braille music transcriber. She holds an M.A. in Early Music Performance Practices from Case Western Reserve University and a B.M. from the University of Louisville. kathleencantrell.com
Carlene Stober, bass viol, is continuo cellist for Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity and is a member of Empire Viols and the Grenser Trio. She has appeared on Prairie Home Companion and performed with the Utah Shakespearean Festival. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Rutgers School of Communication and Information, she serves as adjunct music cataloger at New York University.
John Edward Cantrell, organist with the Teares, is comfortable performing in many genres; he is known to his colleagues as a "musician's musician." From Carnegie Hall to rock arenas, Mr. Cantrell has performed as a pianist, organist and multi- instrumentalist throughout the United States, Ireland, England, and Europe. He is organist and choirmaster at St. Michael's Episcopal Church.
johncantrellmusic.com
GHOSTLIGHT is an elite chamber choir that maintains a rigorous schedule of performances, offering a varied repertory of sacred and secular a cappella choral compositions from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Founded in 2010 by artistic director Evelyn Troester, it is made up of sixteen to twenty singers who achieve superior musicality, intonation, and choral blend. Recent performances included the PS1 Benefit at the MoMA, New York, sold-out concerts throughout Germany, world premieres of new compositions, and a live performance with the Rolling Stones at the Barclays and Prudential Centers in New York. Time Out New York called GHOSTLIGHT "first-class," and Maine's "Press Herald" said, "It is simply one of the best vocal ensembles I have heard in a long time."
ghostlightchorus.com
Michael Beckerman was formerly Chair of the Department of Music at New York University and is Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Music. He is also Distinguished Professor at Lancaster University. He has been writing on Czech topics for the last thirty years, and is author of "New Worlds of Dvořák," "Janáček as Theorist," and "Martinů’s Mysterious Accident." He is a Laureate of the Czech Music Society, a recipient of the Janáček Medal from the Czech Ministry of Culture, and is currently Vice-President of the Dvořák American Heritage Association. He is a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for the music of the Czech Baroque.
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