A monumental collection of German-Baroque keyboard literature, presented complete for the first time on record, and coupled with dance suites by an unfamiliar name of the late German Baroque.
The modern-day reputation of Christian Petzold (1677-1733) is almost wholly based on a single, modest minuet. Known to generations of young pianists as ‘the Minuet in G’, it was included by Bach in one of the notebooks of pieces he gave to his wife, Anna Magdalena, for her instruction. In turn this led to the minuet itself being mistakenly attributed to Bach himself.
Yet much more of Petzold’s output has survived, and only now is it coming to light. Having recorded complete sets of many unsung heroes of the German Baroque, Fernando de Luca now turns to the collection of no fewer than 25 ‘Concertos’ for solo harpsichord by Petzold. Published in 1729 as ‘Receuil des XXV’, the collection first appeared in Dresden, where Petzold was organist to the royal court.
The form of these concertos is Italianate, and their heavily ornate soundworld is recognisable from the better-known example of Vivaldi and Corelli. There are dance movements here and there – including minuets – but the predominant genres are determined by tempo: Allegro, Larghetto, Presto and so on. They make such an immediately attractive effect that it is surprising they are not better known, and this release will attract the attention of all adventurous listeners to Baroque rarities.
Fernando de Luca pairs the 25 concertos of Petzold with a collection of three ‘Parthias’ – partitas by another name – from an even more obscure figure, Isfrid Kayser. Known as ‘Concors digitorum discordia’, this collection was published in Augsburg in 1746 and conforms to the conventions of a Baroque suite with its graceful sequences of dances, prefaced by a grand overture and concluding with a dashing Presto movement.
As so often, Fernando de Luca demonstrates his abilities to revive this music with lucid phrasing, lively registration and an unfailing sense of Baroque style. Scholarly background on both composers is provided in the booklet with an essay by Francesca Scotti.
Christian Petzold (1677-1733) was a German organist and composer, holding court positions in Dresden. From 1703, he was organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden and from 1709 also chamber composer at the Saxon court there. Extensive concert tours took him to Paris in 1714 and Venice in 1716.
- Petzold’s music reflects the typical characteristics of German Baroque, with a rich use of counterpoint and a strong influence of dance typical of the Baroque period, such as the minuet, the sarabande, and the gigue. His keyboard music is particularly noted for his clarity and elegance of melodic lines and presents a complex use of polyphony. He was also influenced by the French and Italian music of his time. His most famous composition is his Menuet in G major, which Johann Sebastian Bach, an admirer of Petzold, included in his Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach.
- Isfrid Kayser, originally Laurentius Antonius Kayser (1712-1771) was a German composer, organist and member of the Premonstratensian Order. His period of activity coincides with an era of transition between Baroque and Classicism. This recording pre- sents his Concors digitorum discordia Op.4 (Augsburg 1746), consisting of 3 substantial Partitas, music based on Baroque forms and counterpoint, but already hinting at the classical Sonata form, while using a more galant, harmonious musical language.
- Played by Fernando De Luca, one of Italy’s foremost harpsichord players, who recorded to great critical acclaim the complete keyboard works by Graupner, Moyreau and others, published by Brilliant Classics.
