Phoenix + Dressember
Program
Elisabeth JACQUET DE LA GUERRE
Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major
Georg Frederic TELEMANN
Fantasy No. 10 in F# Minor
Johann Sebastian BACH
Suite for Solo Cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012
Elisabeth JACQUET DE LA GUERRE (1665-1729)
French composer Elisabeth JACQUET DE LA GUERRE was one of the most trailblazing figures during the Baroque period. Born in Paris in 1655 to a family of musicians, Jacquet de la Guerre began her musical training at the mere age of five, and was immediately deemed a child prodigy. She pursued her musical education and developed her musical output at the center of musical activity in Baroque France, the Court of King Louis XIV. She was well renowned during her lifetime not only for her immense skill as a performer, but also as an imaginative composer who tackled a wide range of genres. .
Best known for her dramatic works, Jacquet de la Guerre was the first woman to compose an opera in France. Additionally she contributed to many other popular Baroque genres, her work in the Italian genres of the cantata and the sonata being some of her most innovative. Here she showcased her use of rhythmic vigor, expressive harmony, and original violin writing.
Jacquet de la Guerre wrote her Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major around 1707. In this work she shows off the versatility of the violin as a virtuosic instrument as well as her unique compositional style. It is the second of six solo violin sonatas that she wrote during her lifetime. Unlike the chamber sonatas of the time, this solo sonata features only one instrument playing the melody (the violin), while the rest of the instruments all play an accompanying role.
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Born in Magdeburg in 1681, Georg Philipp TELEMANN is recognized as Germany’s leading composer during the first half of the 18th century. He was the most prolific composer of his time and his music provides and important link between the late Baroque period and the early Classical period of western music history. Telemann’s musical talents skipped a few generations; he was the first professional musician in his family since the 16th century.
He began his formal musical instruction in voice and keyboard at the age of 10 and was also partially self-taught. Telemann learned how to composer by transcribing the scores other composers and began writing his own music when he was 12 years old. Despite his talent, his mother forbid him to continue his musical studies because she did not want him to have a career as a musician. In order to appease his mother Telemann went to law school; however, he continued to secretly study music on the side and in the end music prevailed.
The early works from Telemann’s oeuvre are staunchly German; however, as his career developed his style evolved to what is now considered the “German mixed taste,” an amalgamation of Italian and French stylistic tendencies with German counterpoint. In order for his music to have the widest possible dissemination he typically avoided extremes of technical difficulty. This proved to be a successful tactic, and his music was beloved by both performers and critics of the time. Even music theorists looked to his works as “compositional models.”
His instrumental output was incredibly extensive, exceedingly diverse, and highly idiomatic. Telemann wrote his Fantasy no. 10 in F# minor originally for unaccompanied flute between 1732-33; today it is often performed on the oboe. A fantasy is a solo work that has an improvisatory style, and in this piece, Telemann demonstrates both his proficiency with melodic lines and the trademark baroque ornamentation.
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Arguably one of the most legendary composers of all time, Johann Sebastian BACH developed a musical language so distinctive and immensely varied that it earned him his uniquely prestigious stature in western music history. During his lifetime he made incredible compositional contributions to nearly the entire spectrum of Baroque repertoires; however, it was his impressive technical abilities as a keyboard virtuoso that earned him his fame while he was still alive.
Bach’s incredibly innovative output was a force during the Baroque period; it propelled music forward and influenced the entirety of the next generation of composers. The technical demand of Bach’s pieces reflects his own skill as an instrumentalist, and to this day his music remains incredibly difficult to play.
Around the year 1720 Bach wrote six suites for unaccompanied cello. Suites were a favorite form of Baroque composers, especially Bach, and they contained multiple movements based on popular baroque dance forms. Bach structures all six of his cello suites in the same manner; they each have six movements: prelude, allemande, courante, sarabande, paired minutes or boureés or gavottes, and a gigue. While the cello suites were not intended to be danced, in each movement Bach stylistically pays homage to the original dances, especially through rhythm.
His Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012 is arguably the crown jewel of the collection of cello suites. It is the longest and most virtuosic of the six, which leaves even more room for individualized performer interpretation. It can, and should, be considered one of Bach’s most remarkable achievements.
Credits
Musicians
Violins: Jean Huang and Freya Liu
Bass: Pete Walsh
Oboe: Andrew van der Paardt
Cello: Annie Jacobs-Perkins
Harpsichord: Julia Scott Carey
Staff
Host: Chris Voss
Principal Videographer: Scott Quade
Assistant Videographer: Chris DeSanty
Recording Engineer: Antonio Oliart Ros
Recording Engineer: Stephanie Rodgers
Video Editor: Michael Schondek
Research conducted by: Christina Dioguardi
Thank Yous
John Carey: for opening up his home
The harpsichord played in this episode is a William Dowd Double Harpsichord (1982)
Bibliography
Beer, Anna R. Sounds and sweet airs : the forgotten women of classical music. London, England: Oneworld Publications, 2016.
Burkholder, J P., Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Cessac, Catherine. "Jacquet de La Guerre, Elisabeth." Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.14084.
Wolff, Christoph, and Walter Emery. "Bach, Johann Sebastian." Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.6002278195.
Zohn, Steven. "Telemann, Georg Philipp." Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.27635.
Francis JOHNSON
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 16, 1972, Francis Johnson is the first American composer featured on The Chronophone. Johnson was, notably, the first Black American to have his music published, and he first gained public fame for his publications in 1818 with his Collection of New Cotillions (which you will hear on tonight’s episode). Throughout his lifetime, Johnson earned his reputation as a violist, virtuosic bugle player, bandleader, and composer, and as a composer he was incredibly versatile, working in a number of popular genres of the day including dance music, martial music, and sacred church music. In addition to his work as a composer, Johnson led the official band of the Philadelphia State Fencibles in both military and celebratory activities. He was highly sought after, and usually supplied music for important events, such as George Washington’s annual birthday celebrations, and major military receptions for people like General Lafayette (1824) and Jean Pierre Boyer (1825). He even performed in England for Queen Victoria, who was so taken with his talent that she awarded him a silver bugle. Despite his fame, Johnson was not immune to racism, and he experienced discrimination when he toured in several cities, especially New York, Providence, and St. Louis. Nevertheless, he triumphed over the discrimination and became a trailblazer for other Black musicians and composers of the day.
Johnson originally wrote his Collection of New Cotillions for solo piano. Published in 1818, it was the music that was responsible for launching him into the public eye. A cotillion is a social dance, and this set of dances highlights Johnson’s trademark ability to turn popular melodies into danceable forms. In this episode you will hear Alice Jones’s arrangement of Johnson’s Cotillions for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano. Alice Jones is a Texas-raised, Brooklyn-based listener, flutist, teacher, and dog lover (www.alicehjones.com). . . and a dear phriend of Phoenix! This particular arrangement was commissioned by and generously dedicated to Phoenix, and this episode marks its World Premiere. About her arrangement Jones writes:
“This arrangement is meant to be a companion piece to Beethoven and Mozart’s quintets for the same instrumentation (Op. 16 and K. 542, respectively), although my treatment of the ensemble’s color palette is at times more 21st century than classical, I have retained Johnson’s original ordering of movements.”
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
One of the most recognized composers of Western art music, Ludwig van Beethoven displayed his musical talents at a very young age. His extensive compositional output includes symphonies, chamber music, solo piano music, choral works, opera, and a litany of solo instrumental music (among others). His works were unprecedented in their individuality, dramatic power, and wide appeal, and he was responsible for fundamentally changing society’s concept of music and of composers. The beginning of his career is steeped in Enlightenment ideals as well as the music of Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven’s career is typically divided into three periods (early, middle, late) and in this episode we highlight his first period, which ends around 1802. This period reflects the murky line that “separates” the classical and romantic periods. Beethoven spent his youth in Bonn, Germany and was educated by his father and other local musicians. He was encouraged to further his studies with Haydn, so in November 1792, 22 year old Beethoven arrived in Vienna to work with the musical icon. While their student/teacher relationship did not last long, Beethoven deeply respected Haydn and his compositions, so much so that he waited until he was more established to take on the genre dominated by Haydn and Mozart at the time: the string quartet.
Instead, Beethoven sought out to establish his reputation as a composer in Vienna with a series of pieces for wind instruments, including the Septet, Op. 20 (which was the most popular piece during his lifetime), and the Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16 (which you will hear on this episode). This output of wind music enabled the young composer to demonstrate his skill in the traditional modes of chamber music, without yet broaching the intimidating, and more high-stakes, string quartet. Beethoven wrote his Quintet for Piano and Winds in 1796; he modeled the piece on Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 542 (1784); however, it was very much a product of Beethoven’s original style. The quintet stands right at the tipping point between the classical and romantic periods; you can clearly hear Beethoven’s regard for Mozart, especially in the formal and thematic design, but you can also hear Beethoven pushing the boundaries of expression, especially in the breathtaking second movement.
Credits
Musicians
Oboe: Andrew van der Paardt
Clarinet: Nicholas Brown
Bassoon: Christina Dioguardi
Horn: Nicholas Auer
Piano: Julia Scott Carey
Staff
Host: Chris Voss
Principal Videographer: Scott Quade
Assistant Videographer: Chris DeSanty
Recording Engineer: Antonio Oliart Ros
Video Editor: Michael Schondek
Research conducted by: Christina Dioguardi
Recording venue: GBH’s Fraser Recording Studio
And a big thank you to John Carey for letting us use his home to rehearse!
Bibliography
Burkholder, J P., Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Jones, Alice. Program notes for Cotillions for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, and Piano. ASCAP: tinyefforts, 2020.
Kerman, Joseph, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin. “Beethoven, Ludwig van.” Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.40026.
La Brew, Arthur R. “Johnson, Frank.” Grove Music Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2249913.