SUPPORT YOUR SYMPHONY

Lee Mills conducts the last Baroque & Wine Series concert of this season, From Purcell to Bach, on May 20 & 21; photo credit James Holt.

Georg Muffat was an international composer who crossed many borders in his life and music. Born in the Savoy region of France to parents of Scottish ancestry, he studied in Paris and Rome and later adopted Germany as his home. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Germany, France and Italy were each vibrant centers of musical activity and had distinct national styles. Between 1663 and 1669, Muffat had the privilege of studying with the master of French Baroque style, Jean-Baptiste Lully. While in Paris, he observed the practices of the French orchestra, from the refined use of ornamentation and complex rhythms to the specific manner of bowing, all of which he documented and illustrated extensively for a preface to his second set of orchestral suites. After working as an organist in several courts in Vienna, Prague and Salzburg, Muffat travelled to Italy, where he encountered the concerto grosso style — the Italian baroque practice of a small group of soloists supported by a larger ensemble, made famous by composers such as Corelli and Vivaldi. Through his travels, Muffat learned to meld the styles of these countries into his own compositions and is attributed as the first to unite these varied elements into one musical style. The Sonata No. 1 in D major is from a set of five sonatas known as Armonico tribute, which was his first published work. In these sonatas, Muffat combines the brilliance of the Italian concerto grosso with the sophistication of French dance music. Sonata No. 1 opens in the Italian tradition of a slow, majestic passage followed by a faster, more intricate section. Three French-style dances follow, each interspersed by short Grave passages in the manner of Corelli. 

England’s most celebrated baroque composer, Henry Purcell, lived a short yet productive life. Born into a musical family, he was a choirboy in the Chapel Royal of Charles II and was later appointed organist for the Westminster Abbey. Purcell wrote prolifically for the royal court, providing anthems and songs for ceremonial occasions before shifting toward the theater, where he composed operas and songs for the stage. He absorbed the influences of French courtly dances and Italian baroque styles in his work, weaving elements of both into a purely English style that was full of elegance and contrapuntal genius. An Imaginary Suite includes selections from various works by Purcell including his In Nomine a 6, Z. 746 and excerpts from his semi-opera, King Arthur. Semi-operas were distinct to 17th-century England and combined a spoken play with masque-like episodes of music, dance and extravagant use of visual effects. The work, which centers on King Arthur’s attempt to rescue his fiancée from the Saxons and features the supernatural characters of Cupid and Venus, contains some of Purcell’s most daring music, rich in chromatic harmonies and exquisite melodies.  

Born in Germany, George Frideric Handel worked in Italy before moving to London, where he became a celebrated composer within British society. For many years, he composed in the Italian opera style, which was in high demand in England. This trend eventually waned, as did Handel’s financial security. In an attempt to gain more support, Handel shifted gears and developed the oratorio, a large-scale work featuring soloists, choir and orchestra and mostly based on sacred subjects with English-language librettos that would appeal to the masses. These works, which include the famous Messiah, proved highly successful. Handel would often play organ concertos as interludes during performances of his oratorios. A virtuoso organist, he wished to highlight his prowess as both a composer and performer in the hopes it would attract a greater audience. An Imaginary Organ Concerto was conceived by Purcell to Bach conductor and instrumentalist Anthony Romaniuk, who combined and reshaped various movements from Handel’s Opus 4 and 7. Handel often used material from his earlier pieces, reworking them to suit his new performance needs. Following in this baroque tradition, Romaniuk hopes “that this imaginary concerto is not simply longer or richer but also reveals a new story, a new dramatic arc for these beautiful moments of music.” (Due to an unexpected delay with his visa, Romaniuk will no longer be appearing with the Seattle Symphony for this program, but his concerto will still be performed by Resident Organ Joseph Adam.)

The Cantata No. 106, “Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit,” by Johann Sebastian Bach is one of his earliest cantatas, thought to be written during his post as church organist in Mühlhausen in 1707, when the composer was just 22 years old. It is believed to have been written for a funeral, most likely that of his uncle, Tobias Lammerhirt, with whom Bach was very close. This was one of the first works to be published after Bach’s death and researchers believe that it was never performed in his lifetime. The cantata as a whole uses verses from the Bible's Old and New Testaments that reflect on peace and the continuity between life and death. The orchestration is quite sparse, and the opening Sinfonia has an air of utter simplicity. A steady pulse underlies a sighing motif that resembles tears of grief — a gentle meditation on the death of a loved one before the intensity of the cantata begins.  

(Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054, will be performed by harpsichordist Yuko Tanaka in place of previously announced Harpsichord Concerto No. 6 in F major.) 

© Catherine Case 2022