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1034

Four Trumpet Concertos

ANTONIO VIVALDI

CONCERTO in B-FLAT MAJOR, Op. 7, No. 1

JACQUES LOEILLET

CONCERTO in E-FLAT MAJOR

HENRI HAMAL

CONCERTO in D MAJOR

GIUSEPPE VALENTINI

CONCERTO in C MAJOR

MAURICE ANDRE, Trumpet

Les Solistes de Liège

GÉRY LEMAIRE, Conductor

thè musical hepitaqe society ine.

MHS 1034 MHS 1034

Four Trumpet Concertos

Side 1 :

ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741): CONCERTO in B-FLAT MAJOR, Op. 7, No. 1

1. Allegro

2. Adagio

3. Allegro

JACQUES LOEILLET (1685-1746): CONCERTO in E-FLAT MAJOR

1. Largo e puntato

2. Allegro

3. Largo - Vivace

Side 2 :

HENRI HAMAL (1744-1820): CONCERTO in D MAJOR

1. Allegro

2. Largo

3. Allegro

GIUSEPPE VALENTINI (c. 1680- ? ) : CONCERTO in C MAJOR

1. Allegro

2. Largo

3. Allegro e spiccato

MAURICE ANDRÉ, Trumpet

Les Solistes de Liege • GÉRY LEMAIRE, Conductor

Even thè eighteenth century, which gave such a privileged place to thè trumpet and immensely enriched its solo repertoire, is not inexhaustible. But transcription was a current practice of thè time, and even thè most severe musicologists wouldn’t raise their eye- brows a bit when hearing performances on thè trumpet of these four concertos originally intended for thè oboe. Above all when thè unequalled virtuosity of Maurice André permits him to play these four scores without changing one note of thè solo part, and to maintain with but one exception (Hamal) thè originai key! That virtuosity is without doubt thè only element of this record to deviate from thè absolute historical truth: in thè eighteenth century there would have been no trumpet player capable of play- ing on his instrument these works so patently less difficult to render on thè oboe. As for their expressive character, it is mar- velously suited to thè brass instrument which lends them even added relief and vigor, while preserving thè capacity for intimate and lyrical expression thanks to a finesse and lightness of phrasing already proverbiai.

Of thè four composers assembled here, but one, Antonio Vivaldi, is famous and consequently needs no introduction. Along- side his much less known compatriot Giuseppe Valentini we find two composers of Belgian origin. But their works, at this point, bear thè imprint of Italy, as much for their form as for their musical language, so that there is less of a contrast than one might expect. If there is a contrast, it would much rather be a contrast of periods, Henri Hamal being of a considerably later era than thè three other composers.

Vivaldi and Valentini present to us concertos in tri-partite form, two quick movements framing a slow movement. This formai balance, largely established and then spread by thè Prete rosso himself, has likewise been adopted by Henri Hamal with, however, certain modifications of internai structure proclaiming another epodi, that of classicism. Jacques Loeillet, to thè contrary, sticks to thè slow-fast-slow-fast scheme typical of thè old sonata da chiesa, generally applied to thè concerto by Corelli and his contemporaries, but rarely used by Vivaldi.

Among thè seven collections of concertos by Vivaldi published during his lifetime, Opus 7 is one of thè least known, undoubtedly because, contrary to others, it bears no title. It appeared in Amster¬ dam at Jeanne Roger, thè firm that had already published thè preceding concertos, under thè title of Concerti a Cinque Stromenti, tre Violini, Alto Viold e Basso Continuo. Then Vivaldi indicates that one of those concertos is for oboe (“Uno è con Oboe”). It is this Concerto, No. 1 in B-flat major, that figures on this record. It hardly deviates from thè usuai form and its three very concise movements are in pleasant contrast to each other: After thè

energetic opening Allegro Comes a brief but very expressive Adagio in thè relative key of G minor, connected without interruption, by a dominant chord, to thè final Allegro in gigue rhythm of 12/8.

During thè sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Italy has seen thè birth of at least five composers answering to thè name of Valentini, but these artists, natives of different towns, were in no way related. The one who interests us here, Giuseppe Valentini, was probably born in Rome around 1680. As far as we are concerned, his life can be summed up in a series of question marks. Around 1700 he stili lived in Rome, but some ten years later we find him in Bologna as composer and violinist to thè Prince of Caserta, M. Caetani. After that his traces are lost, and we don’t know thè time and place of his death. Though he left an opera and some oratorios, he was above all a master of instru¬ mentai music, of which he published no less than eight collections between 1701 and 1714 . . . For one violin and continuo we find, besides thè classical ''Sonatas,” also Idee da Camera. This originai musician did not lack ideas, and he defended a great freedom of language and form by declaring, in one of his prefaces, that he wanted to get away from thè traditional rules "to give pleasure to listeners who don’t like being shut in within narrow confines.” Among his Concertos, several are intended for thè oboe, among them No. 4 in C major, recorded here, which carne down to us in a manuscript preserved in thè Library of thè Royal Conservatory in Brussels, where Géry Lemaire had thè good idea to look for it. We hear successively an Allegro with a modulating theme full of elan and freshness, a Largo in thè relative key of A minor, of fine expressive depth, finally a spirited Allegro e spiccato in thè man- ner of a quick minuet or a passepied, interrupted by curious silences.

To this day a great confusion reigns concerning thè Loeillet dynasty, musicians of Ghent. There are three, two brothers and a cousin, almost exact contemporaries, all three virtuosos on thè oboe or thè flute, all three authors of voluminous collections of chamber music for their chosen instruments. The most famous of thè three, Jean-Baptiste (1688-c. 1730) had a brilliant career in France where, to make himself better known, he sometimes played upon thè resemblance of his patronymic with that of Lully, ex- ploiting thè identity of their first names ! A composer purely French in esthetics, he remains one of thè best classics of thè transverse flute, and certain of his works can stand comparison with Couperin. His cousin Jean, or rather John Loeillet (1680-1730) was thè ‘'Loeillet of London” where he settled in 1705 as oboist of thè Opera. Finally, Jacques or Jacob Loeillet, thè younger brother of John, and thè one who claims our interest here, was born in Ghent in 1685 and divided his career of oboist-composer between

Syd Taylor, Tape Editor Columbia Studios

Stereo records may be played on modem mono equipment.

It is advisable to wipe record with antistatic dust cloth before playing.

Timings:

Sidei: 9:17 - 9:40 / 19:02

Side 2: 12:36 - 8:57 / 21:38

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thè court of Bavaria in Munich and, from 1727, thè court of Versailles where, until his death, he occupied thè post of “hautbois de la chambre du Roy.” The attribution of his works is difficult, because to promote thein distribution he often borrowed thè first names of his more famous cousin, Jean-Baptiste. These works can be attributed to Jacques Loeillet with certainty: Six Sonatas for flute or violin and continuo, published by Boivin in Paris in 1728; six Trio Sonatas; and, finally, two Concertos, one for flute and two violins, thè. other for oboe. It is this latter one that Maurice André here interprets on thè trumpet. That work whose expressive nobility and purity of line attain true grandeur follows thè form of thè transalpine Concerto da chiesa, but, much more than thè Italian masters, it is Handel whose music it recalls in a striking manner in thè course of its four movements: Largo e puntato, in solemn dotted rhythm; Allegro, in free and vigorous polyphony; Largo, in 3/4 time, in thè relative key of C minor, a cantilena of moving serenity ending with a short cadenza for thè soloist and leading without pause to thè Vivace in 3/8, more developed than thè other movements and characterized by Lombard rhythm. This Concerto will be a revelation for many listeners.

The monumentai Psalm "In Exitu Israel” (MHS 1021) has recently lifted from oblivion thè name of thè Liège master Jean- Noél Hamal. Besides, we owe him a number of purely instrumentai works, and thè charming Concerto recorded here has been attributed to him for a long time. Intensive research undertaken by Géry Lemaire has meanwhile restored thè paternity to Henri Hamal, nephew of Jean-Noél. Born in 1744, he went to complete his education in Italy, just as his uncle had done. Upon thè latter’s death, he inherited his positions (1778) and directed thè Maitrise of Saint-Lambert (in Liège) until thè arrivai of thè French revolu- tionary troops (1793). Henri Hamal died in 1820, leaving, besides his compositions, interesting memoirs on thè arts and artists in thè Liège region. We have from his pen some cantatas and motets written for thè Maitrise, then — thè times having changed — some civic anthems. His instrumentai music, besides several symphonies, includes thè very pleasant Concerto for Oboe and Strings (with two horns ad libitum) originally written in C major, but per- formed here by Maurice André in D major to give it more bril- liance. The three movements come dose to thè galani style of thè end of thè eighteenth century, and thè writing reveals knowledge of thè Mannheim symphonists and their Belgian contemporaries, such as van Maldere. The vigorous opening Allegro is followed by a Largo, full of grace, in A major in which thè embellished cantilena of thè soloist is supported by thè strings playing pizzicato. A Minuet (Allegro) in energetic dotted rhythm serves as finale. The score has been edited by Géry Lemaire from thè manuscript kept in thè Royal Conservatory of Liège.

HARRY HALBREICH

(Translated from thè French by Herman Adler)

Recorded by ERATO of France

Library of Congress Catalog Card Nos.

Vivaldi: 72-751144 Hamal: 70-751146 Loeillet: 76-751145 Valentini: 73-751147