R. Weichlein - Encaenia Musices (1695) - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Early in his career, Claudio Abbado gained attention as both a pianist and conductor in his native Milan. In these rediscovered recordings, dating from the years between 1954 and 1962, he interprets concertos by J.S. Bach (as a harpsichordist), Giuseppe Tartini, and, in a first-time CD , Giuseppe Cambini. The 'Piano Concerto No 3' by the Paris-based Italian composer is conducted by Abbado's father, Michelangelo, a noted Tartini scholar and founder of the Orchestra D'archi di Milano.

After a first disc devoted to Schmelzer, enthusiastically hailed by the critics ('Editor'sChoice' Gramophone, 'Choc' of Classica), the ensemble Masques, conducted by OlivierFortin, returns to Alpha with a programme combining works by Muffat, Kerll and Pachelbelalong with those of a composer who has remained largely unknown and totallyforgotten Romanus Weichlein (1652-1706).Benedictine monk, prefect and official composer of the Benedictine abbey of Säben,Romanus Weichlein left several collections of sonatas and masses as well as large chaconnes, magnificent works in the tradition of his compatriots Biber, Johann HeinrichSchmelzer, Pavel Josef Vejvanovsky´ and Georg Muffat.In this new program, Masques presents both ensemble pieces and others for solo ortwo harpsichords (the second harpsichord being played by Skip Sempé), always featuringthe expressiveness, eloquence and profound interpretation for which it is known.

Romanus Weichlein was born in Linz to parents who were musicians and who gave him a good musical education. He received his first formal training at the abbey of Lambach and entered the Benedictine Order in 1671. He then went to Salzburg where he got acquainted with Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber. He returned to Lambach, and later became chaplain and musical director of the Benedictine convent of Nonnberg in Salzburg. His oeuvre consists of twelve sonatas for strings and a collection of seven mass settings. The masses don't contain very virtuosic parts, with the exception of some vocal passages now and then. Polyphonic and homophonic episodes alternate, there are tutti and solo sections and instrumental preludes and interludes. Weichlein also makes use of the practice of instruments playing colla parte, for instance 3 trombones in the Missa Rectorum Cordium. InchThe St. Florianer Sängerknaben is really an outstanding choir of boys - sopranos and altos - which produces a warm sound and sings with great flexibility and excellent text expression... These are enthralling recordings which show a lesser-known aspect of Austrian music-making in the time of Biber.Inch (musica-dei-donum)