František Ignác Antonín Tůma (1704-1774)
Motetto de S. Joanne Baptista (Audite insulae)
Motettum de tempore (Vilescit mihi mundus)
Sinfonia a quattro in G
Motetto per ogni tempo (Bonum est confiteri Domino)
Dixit Dominus
Andreas Scholl (alto)
Czech Ensemble Baroque/Roman Válek
rec. 2023, Kostel svatého Michala, Znojmo, Czech Republic
Texts and translations included
Aparté AP340 [49]
One of the interesting features of music life is that sometimes a composer, who for a long time has hardly received any interest, suddenly becomes the subject of several recordings. František Ignác Antonín Tůma is a case in point. Over many years of reviewing, not a single disc entirely devoted to his oeuvre has crossed my path, and even in anthologies he has seldom made any appearance. Then there was Roman Válek, who seems to have developed a special interest in Tůma’s oeuvre. In 2021, he recorded his Requiem and in 2022 a Te Deum and the Missa Veni Pater pauperum (review). I wonder whether other conductors and ensembles are going to follow in his footsteps and start to turn their attention to Tůma’s music. That seems possible as this year (2024) sees the 250th anniversary of his death. It would be most welcome, as the two previous discs convinced me that he was a fine composer, who is well worth the attention. That is confirmed by the disc under review here.
Tůma was born in Kostelec nad Orlicí in Bohemia and received his first music lessons from his father, who was an organist. He may have studied in Prague at the Jesuit seminary. Later, he was probably a pupil of the organist Bohuslav Matej Cernohorský. Tuma was also active as a tenor and played the viola da gamba and the theorbo. At some point he settled in Vienna, where he became Kapellmeister to Count Ferdinand Kinsky, Chancellor of Bohemia, member of one of its leading aristocratic families, and Imperial envoy. He gave Tůma the opportunity to study with Johann Joseph Fux, the imperial court Kapellmeister. Fux had a substantial influence on Tůma’s development as a composer, and made him a skilled contrapuntalist. When his employer died in 1741, Tůma entered the service of the Empress Dowager, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Charles VI’s widow). He remained in her service until her death in 1750. He was rewarded for his service with a high annuity, which allowed him to continue his career as a free artist. In 1765 Empress Maria Theresa increased his pension. The way he was treated attests to the high esteem, in which he was held.
His oeuvre can be related to the three different stages of his career. The music performed here all belongs to when he was in the service of Elisabeth Christine. At that time, he had a relatively modest ensemble at his disposal; the Czech Ensemble Baroque is probably a little larger, especially in the choral sections, as the vocal forces at the court were confined to five male singers, who were joined by boy sopranos and altos, when needed. The singers must have been really good, as many of the solo parts in Tůma’s works are technically demanding. The instrumental ensemble included trumpets (the English liner-notes have “clarinets”, a wrong translation of the Czech “klariny” [clarinos]) and trombones. The latter instruments have always played an important role in Vienna, especially at the imperial court.
The largest work on this disc, as far as the scoring is concerned, is the Dixit Dominus, a setting of the first Vesper Psalm. The text is divided into four sections, and closes with the doxology. The first section opens with a short solo for alto, after which the tutti enter. The second section, ‘Tecum principium’, is a duet of tenor and bass, with obbligato parts for two trombones. In the third section, ‘Juravit Dominus’, we find the most dramatic verses of this Psalm, and last part of this section, beginning with the words “Judicabit in nationibus”, is introduced by timpani and trumpets. The fourth section, ‘De torrente in via bibet’, is a solo for alto.
The latter voice type is the leading force in the three motets. Such works, rooted in the Italian style, were quite popular at the time; one thinks here of Vivaldi’s motets, as there is a clear similarity between them and these motets by Tůma. Such motets could be intended for a specific feast, such as Audite insulae, written for the feast of St John the Baptist. It consists of three sections: the first and last are for the tutti, and they embrace a short solo for alto. Motets which could be performed at any time and any occasion often have the indication per ogni tempo. That is the case with Bonum est confiteri Domino which is a setting of verses from Psalm 92: “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” It has the texture of an Italian secular cantata: two pairs of recitative and aria; the closing aria is a setting of the word “Amen”.
Vilescit mihi mundus, which dates from 1750, has the indication Motetto de tempore, which may mean the same as per ogni tempo. The source of the text is not known; Vlastimil Tichý, in his liner-notes, suggests that it was written by a clergyman for Elizabeth Christine’s court. It has the same texture as the motet just mentioned. The difference is that the first recitative has the form of an accompagnato.
The Sinfonia a quattro in G is one of several such works, which represent the most modern part of Tůma’s oeuvre. On one of the previous discs another sinfonia was performed, whose scoring included trumpets; this work is more modest, with parts for two violins, one viola and bass. It follows the model of the Neapolitan opera overture.
The only issue here is that the disc is rather short. Less than 50 minutes of music is not what one might expect of a disc which is probably available at full price. That should not discourage anyone from purchasing it because, as I say above, it confirms my impression that Tůma was a really good composer. All the pieces included here are interesting and musically compelling. Tůma’s lessons with Fux have borne fruit, as the tutti sections and his treatment of the instrumental parts show how much he has internalised the Italian style, which comes especially to the fore in the solo parts. It is nice that someone of Andreas Scholl’s reputation was willing to take part in this project and it may well help to increase both the interest in this disc, and, as a result, in Tůma’s oeuvre. It has been quite some time since I have heard a recording by Scholl, as he seems to have been active mostly in opera and in genres other than baroque music. For quite some time I have been noticing a pretty strong vibrato in his voice which made me sceptical about his contributions here. Fortunately, he is in fine shape, and his performances remind me of recordings from early in his career. The performances of choir and orchestra are excellent, and there are some good contributions by soloists from the choir.
In short: this disc is a worthwhile addition to the discography, and one can only hope that more pieces from Tůma’s oeuvre will be recorded in the near future.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
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