Franz Joseph Aumann (1728-1797)
Missa Solemnis
Missa in C
Cassatio ‘La Pastorella’
Valentin Werner, Severin Unterberger, Tobias Reindl (treble), Alois Mühlbacher (alto), Markus Miesenberger (tenor), Gerd Kenda (bass)
Ars Antiqua Austria/Gunar Letzbor
rec. 2024, Stiftsbasilika St. Florian, Austria
Texts included, no translations
Reviewed as a download
Accent ACC24411 [69]
It is entirely thanks to Gunar Letzbor that the music world has become acquainted with Franz Joseph Aumann. The first recording of some of his works dates from 2011. In recent years, Letzbor returned to his oeuvre, and recorded a programme of instrumental music, a Passion oratorio and the Mass in C which is the main work on the disc reviewed here.
Aumann was born in Traismauer – northwest of Vienna, close to the Danube – and began his career as a choirboy in the Vienna Jesuit hostel, where he befriended Johann Michael Haydn and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger. In 1753 he entered the Augustinian monastery of St Florian. In 1754 he took vows, and was ordained a priest in 1757. From 1755 until his death, he acted as regens chori. He composed a large oeuvre; the total number of his works is estimated at about 300. Only a part of his output has been preserved in the archive of the monastery. A considerable portion has been found elsewhere, which is an indication of the appreciation by his contemporaries. Even after his death his music still received attention, for instance from Anton Brucker who from 1845 to 1855 worked in St Florian as an assistant schoolteacher and singing instructor for the schoolboys.
The mass is an example of the appreciation of Aumann’s sacred works, as copies have been found in several sources. That is a matter of good luck, as in the archive of the St Florian monastery only the parts of violone and organ have been preserved. Gunar Letzbor took the copy at nearby Lambach Abbey for this recording. Interestingly, copies in other places, such as Seitenstetten and Kremsmünster Abbeys, differ in instrumentation, which shows that scores were adapted to local needs or capabilities. The version preserved at Kremsmünster, for instance, includes parts for pairs of transverse flutes and horns. In the version performed here, the scoring is for four voices, two violins, two trumpets, violone and organ, plus two oboes ad libitum, which play colla parte with the violins. When the trumpets are playing, they are joined by timpani. The liner-notes don’t mention whether their participation is indicated in the score. I suspect it is not, but it was pretty usual to add them when trumpets were involved. A typical feature of many works written in Austria in the second half of the 18th century is the omission of a cello part. The string bass is usual a violone, which in Aumann’s time referred to a 16-foot bass. Notable is also that one section, ‘Et in Spiritum Sanctum’ in the Credo, includes an obbligato part for violin.
It is not known for sure when this mass was composed. The earliest known performance dates back to 1775, but that does not mean that it was written at that time. The last documented performance dates from 1793. This indicates that the mass was not considered old-fashioned. In fact, Letzbor says in his liner-notes that it may have been rather modern at the time it was written.
The mass is divided into a number of sections for different scorings. Some are performed by solo voices, which may be indicated in the score (but this issue is not discussed in the booklet). There are no extended episodes for one voice; the soloists usually sing in ensemble.
The Kyrie is performed by the entire ensemble. The Gloria opens with a short and powerful statement, with trumpets and timpani. It was tradition to allocate the ‘Laudamus te’ to solo voices, here all four of them. The ensemble includes oboes. Aumann often used harmony for expressive purposes, and the ‘Qui tollis’ is a striking example. It includes some marked dissonances, for instance on the words “tollis” and “miserere”.
The first section of the Credo is for the most part a duet of soprano and alto; the episode on the incarnation and crucifixion is set for tenor and bass. Notable is the opening of ‘Et resurrexit’: a staccato figure for a solo soprano. We then get the ‘Et in Spiritum Sanctum’, mentioned above: the first half is for soprano solo, with interventions of the tutti. In the second half the tutti play a more important role. During the whole section the violin plays an obbligato part. It is not surprising that the Credo ends with the full ensemble.
Trumpets and timpani are also present at the Sanctus, as one may expect. It is probably less common that they are also involved in the Benedictus, which often has a rather intimate character (for instance in Bach’s B minor Mass). This is another section with remarkable harmonic progressions.
The Agnus Dei is preceded by soft bell ringing. This must be deliberate, as it could have been removed easily. I don’t know why it was included. The Agnus Dei itself opens with the strings. The third Agnus includes trumpets and timpani again, and leads to the closing prayer for peace, which is – as is so often the case in 18th-century masses – set as a fugue.
Having heard all four recordings of Aumann’s works, for which Letzbor was responsible, I am quite impressed by the quality of his music. Each piece I have heard, has plenty to admire and to enjoy, and often his works include surprising features. Here, that is the quite prominent role of the trumpets, the violin obbligato, and the use of harmony.
Letzbor has close ties to the St Florianer Sängerknaben, which have been frequently involved in his live performances and recordings. Sometimes he uses a whole choir, but on other occasions, as here, only a few of them take part. This is undoubtedly in line with the performing conditions in Aumann’s time, when the number of singers and instrumentalists was rather small. Here, three trebles are involved, together with the alto Alois Mühlbacher (who also started his career as a treble at St Florian), the tenor Markus Miesenberger and the bass Gerd Kenda, all fixed forces in Letzbor’s recordings.
I am very much in favour of using boys’ voices in music which was originally intended to be sung that way, and Letzbor is very lucky to have at his disposal these fine voices, which are trained very well to sing this kind of music. The three boys involved here do a really great job. They produce a beautiful sound, which is very recognizable (there really is a kind of ‘St Florian sound’), and show a great flexibility in the realisation of their parts. They are a perfect match to the three adults, especially Mühlberger, which is not a surprise, given his background. Miesenberger and Kenda are also a fine pair in the Credo. In the ensembles there is a perfect balance between the voices. Letzbor creates strong dynamic contrasts, which underlines the festal character of this mass. The instrumental ensemble is outstanding, and the performances of the trumpeters deserve special praise.
I have already mentioned that Aumann’s music often includes some surprises. That also goes for the instrumental work that fills this disc. Aumann has left quite some instrumental music. In 2021 a recording of pieces from this part of his oeuvre was released by Channel Classics (review). This music was intended for the entertainment of the inhabitants of the monastery. The titles and forms were very common in Aumann’s time. They tell us little about their scoring: a cassatio or divertimento could be scored in very different ways. In some of his chamber music Aumann even uses brass instruments and timpani.
The Cassatio La Pastorella is an example of a piece with an unusual scoring: violin, viola, horn and cello. It comprises seven movements – or five, if we consider the adagios in the middle as a single movement, interrupted by an allegro moderato section of just 43 seconds. In his chamber music, Aumann often includes influences of folk music, and that is the case here as well. The title La Pastorella is especially illustrated in the opening movement with its drones. The most remarkable movement is the adagio just mentioned. The players of the violin and the viola must retune their lowest string down a semitone, then back up again during the performance. “When we first encountered Aumann’s instruction “wird geschraubt” (“screw” the peg), we were as surprised as the musicians likely were at the time. One can imagine Aumann chuckling at the puzzled expressions on their faces!”, Letzbor writes.
There is really never a dull moment in Aumann’s music, neither in his vocal nor in his instrumental works. Gunar Letzbor is an enthusiastic advocate of his oeuvre, and rightly so. It has resulted in some very fine recordings, and I hope that he continues his exploration of Aumann’s oeuvre.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
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