Beethoven: Early Cantatas

CDA66880

Recording details: Various dates
Blackheath Concert Halls, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Antony Howell & Julian Millard
Release date: February 1997
Total duration: 78 minutes 53 seconds

PENGUIN GUIDE ROSETTE
GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE

'It's always wonderful to come across some unfamiliar piece and relish unsuspected, undiscovered beauties … Hyperion's enterprising disc of two early cantatas is thoroughly to be recommended. A marvellous disc' (The Daily Telegraph)

'There are some lovely performances here, especially from Corydon Singers themselves … This is a fascinating disc' (BBC Record Review)

'A revelatory issue, strongly recommended' (RTE, Ireland)

'Corydon Singers and the Corydon Orchestra and five soloists all cover themselves with glory and the recording is fine' (Daily Mail)

'A unique disc which Beethoven lovers will find magnetic' (Soundscapes, Australia)

'A great joy … a fervour of sustained inspiration. A disc which, given the chance, is likely to prove itself the quarter's best investment' (Gramophone)

'This issue matches its venturesome contents with well-balanced sound and fine performances' (Hi Fi News)

'Arguably Beethoven's first major masterpiece … superb performance, at once fresh and incisive and deeply moving' (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Early Cantatas

Corydon Singers, Corydon Orchestra, Matthew Best (conductor)

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LISTEN TO ALL EXTRACTS

		Cantata on the death of Emperor Joseph II WoO87
1		Movement 1: Todt, stöhnt es durch die öde Nacht! [8'10] Janice Watson (soprano), Jean Rigby (contralto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), José Van Dam (bass)
2		Movement 2: Ein Ungeheuer, sein Name Fanatismus [1'23] José Van Dam (bass)
3		Movement 3: Da kam Joseph, mit Gottes Stärke [4'49] José Van Dam (bass)
4		Movement 4: Da stiegen die Menschen an's Licht [6'25] Janice Watson (soprano)
5		Movement 5: Er schläft von den Sorgen seiner Welten entladen [2'34] Janice Watson (soprano)
6		Movement 6: Hier schlummert seinen stillen Frieden [8'15] Janice Watson (soprano)
7		Movement 7: Todt, stöhnt es durch die öde Nacht! [9'00] Janice Watson (soprano), Jean Rigby (contralto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), José Van Dam (bass)
		Cantata on the accession of Emperor Leopold II WoO88
8		Movement 1: Er schlummert … schlummert! [4'19] Judith Howarth (soprano)
9		Movement 2: Fliesse, Wonnezähre, fliesse! [9'37] Judith Howarth (soprano)
10		Movement 3: Ihr staunt, Völker der Erde! [0'42] José Van Dam (bass)
11		Movement 4: Wie bebt mein Herz vor Wonne! – Ihr, die Joseph ihren Vater nannten [4'07] John Mark Ainsley (tenor), Judith Howarth (soprano), José Van Dam (bass)
12		Movement 5: Heil! Stürzet nieder, Millionen [4'30] Judith Howarth (soprano), Jean Rigby (contralto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), José Van Dam (bass)
13		Opferlied Op 121b [6'44] Jean Rigby (contralto)
14		Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt Op 112 [8'18]

This second disc of Beethoven choral works from the Corydon Singers and Matthew Best includes the composer's homage to Goethe, Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, and the famous Opferlied, here performed beautifully by Jean Rigby in the version for soprano, choir and orchestra.

Also featured are two rarely performed and fascinating early works, the Cantatas written around 1790 to mark the death of Joseph II and the accession of his brother Leopold II. Both pieces are full of dramatic action and forthright representation of mood, and the 'Joseph' Cantata can quite legitimately be counted one of the composer's most important early works, displaying remarkable maturity for a nineteen-year-old composer.

Hyperion Records