Pachelbel cpo5555152

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Magnificat II
Magnificat in C (PWV 1503)
Mein Fleisch ist die rechte Speise (PWV 1222)
Deus in adiutorium in F (PWV 1407)
Ach Herr, wie ist meiner Feinde so viel (PWV 1203)
Magnificat in B flat (PWV 1514)
Himlische Cantorey/Jan Kobow
rec. 2021, Kirche St. Georg, Markt Nordheim, Germany
Texts and translations included
cpo 555515-2 [70]

The name of Johann Pachelbel is almost exclusively connected to music for keyboard, especially the organ. Among the rest of his oeuvre, only the Canon and gigue for strings is known. He also composed vocal music which is the ‘hidden’ part of his work. In 2020, CPO released a disc with vocal music, performed by the ensemble Himlische Cantorey (review). The present disc is a sequel, and is comparable with the previous one in that it includes music for Vesper services and sacred concertos. From every angle, this second disc is even more remarkable than the first.

If we compare Pachelbel’s contribution to vocal music with that of some of his colleagues such as his contemporary Dieterich Buxtehude, it is rather modest in size. It comprises 26 Magnificats, ten settings of the Ingressus (the Lutheran terminology for the versicle Deus in adiutorium meum intende and the response Domine ad adiuvandum me festina), fourteen sacred concertos, ten motets, two masses and twenty secular songs. A substantial part of the sacred music has been preserved in a set of four volumes, first found in the library of St Michael’s College in Tenbury, UK and today stored in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. It includes 26 pieces by Pachelbel and one by his son Carl Theodorus (1690-1750). The latter may be the reason why this music has landed in the UK. He emigrated to the New World, and it is assumed that he passed through England and sold there compositions by his father. Most of these works are not known from any other source.

The settings of the Magnificat and the Ingressus may have been intended for performance at the two main churches in Nuremberg, St Lorenz and St Sebald, which in the 18th century held services in Latin. They vary strongly in length and character. The previous disc and a recording by the King’s Singers (review) include some short settings, but the present disc’s main works are two longer settings, taking around twenty minutes each.

The scoring of these two Magnificat settings is largely the same: five voices (SSATB), two oboes, two violins, three violas and basso continuo. The Magnificat in C has an additional bassoon, whereas in the Magnificat in B flat the organ has an obbligato role in the closing sections. The scoring for five voices is typical of the 17th century, and the strong middle section in the instrumental ensemble is a feature of German music of that time: three or four violas or viole da gamba were no exception. The Deus in adiutorium is a good example: it is scored for five voices, two violins, four violas, bassoon and basso continuo. Notable is the participation of two oboes in the Magnificats. The oboe was a relatively new instrument developed in France in the mid-17th century; it disseminated across central and southern Europe in the last decades of the century. Pachelbel may well have been one of the first in Germany to use them in his sacred works.

The Magnificat in C consists of sixteen sections. It opens with a sonata in which the oboes and bassoon play the main role, later joined by the strings. This sonata is repeated at the end as part of the doxology. As one may expect from an organist, the form of the fugue is repeatedly applied in this setting, for instance, in the first vocal section (Magnificat anima mea) and the 12th section (Suscepit Israel). It goes without saying that the closing section is also a fugue. ‘Quia respexit humilitatem’ is set homophonically, ‘Quia fecit mihi magna’ is a solo for tenor. It includes coloratura on key words as “magna” and “sanctum”. In ‘Et misericordia eius’ the bass is accompanied by the oboes. ‘Deposuit potentes de sede’ is a solo for soprano; in the first section the vocal part and the obbligato part for bassoon include descending figures, whereas in the second half the text gives reason to turn to ascending figures. ‘Esurientes implevit bonis’ is written in the style of a chorale arrangement: the alto sings the text in long note values on the 5th psalm tone, whereas the strings add the polyphony.

The Magnificat in B flat is also divided into sixteen sections, and, like the one in C, it opens with a sonata. ‘Et exultavit’ is a duet of the two sopranos, ‘Quia fecit mihi magna’ a solo for alto. The most remarkable part is ‘Et misericordia eius’ for tenor and strings. “It explores tonalities that are completely foreign to sacred music around 1700. The music turns to B-flat Minor, then to A-flat Major and F Minor, and then adds slight chromatic turns for timentibus eum to express the affect of veneration.” (booklet) ‘Fecit potentiam’ is a solo for bass with obbligato oboe. ‘Deposuit potentes’, scored for the two sopranos, is dominated by descending figures. The doxology opens with a solo for tenor with obbligato organ. It may sound a little odd, but this section did remind me of the doxology in the Magnificat from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610.

It is quite remarkable that these settings of the Magnificat have received relatively little interest. Calling these pieces masterworks is certainly no exaggeration. The same goes for the two sacred concertos.

Mein Fleisch ist die rechte Speise is the setting of John 6, vs 55-56: “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them”. It is intended for performance during communion. It is scored for soprano, violin and basso continuo. The violin part requires scordatura. “Compared to the normal tuning of the instrument (G-D-A-E), the two lower strings are tuned a fourth higher, the third string a minor third higher it and the highest string a semitone higher, resulting in the scordatura tuning of C-G-C-F.” The piece opens with a long sonata, taking almost a third of the entire work. The two verses are separated by another solo for the violin. The booklet has a wrong second line of the first verse. It says “mein Blut ist wahrhaft ein Tranck”, but it should be “mein Blut ist der rechte Tranck”.

Ach Herr, wie ist meiner Feinde so viel is a setting of Psalm 3: “Lord, how are they increased that trouble me”. The scoring is for bass, violin and basso continuo. The violin part is very virtuosic and includes double stopping and tremolo passages. It is impressive how Pachelbel illustrates the text in his music. A case in point is the fifth verse, where the contrast between the two halves is graphically depicted: “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.” In the first half the violin part includes repeated notes which are played softly. In the second half the bass part includes ascending figures, and the violin plays virtuosic figurations. Pachelbel also does not miss the opportunity to illustrate the seventh verse: “Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.”

These two sacred concertos may date from the time Pachelbel worked in Gotha. The virtuosic violin parts attest to the high level of violin playing in the German-speaking world. They are comparable with sacred concertos with violin obbligato by someone like Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber.

Wolfgang Hirschmann ends his liner notes thus: “What a great composer, what marvellous artistry in the emphatic text depiction, sound painting and polyphonic composition!” I fully share his assessment. This disc reveals a composer who is second to none when it comes down to illustrate a text in a meaningful manner, allowing it to have the strongest possible impact on the listener. It is a mystery why these works – and Pachelbel’s vocal music in general – are so little known and are so seldom performed and recorded. I don’t hesitate to label this disc as one of the most important that were released in 2024.

I sincerely hope that there is more to come, also because the Himlische Cantorey is the perfect advocate of Pachelbel’s oeuvre. The ensemble is impeccable and the individual singers are impressive in their solo contributions. Veronika Winter is the ideal interpreter of Mein Fleisch ist die rechte Speise and Joel Frederiksen delivers an incisive performance of Ach Herr, wie ist meiner Feinde so viel. Veronika Skuplik needs to be mentioned for her highly impressive interpretations of the obbligato violin parts. 

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen

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