Jan Dismas Zelenka: "Psalmi Vespertini"-1st. cycle (1725) [Zwv 66,72,75,82,83,108 & 50/97]-complete

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• published: 13 Mar 2014
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JAN DISMAS ZELENKA (1679-1745): "PSALMI VESPERTINI TOTIUS ANNI", 1ST CYCLE (AUTUMN 1725) DETAILS BELOW: The video plays all works from this cycle in Zelenka's own order: 1) Psalm 109: Dixit Dominus [Zwv 66] in a minor (SATB soli, ch.; 2 ob.; 2 vn.; 2 va.; b.c.)_c.1725 (undated) 2) Ps. 110: Confitebor tibi Domine [Zwv 72] in e minor ( SATB soli, ch.; 2 ob.; 2 vn.; 2 va.; b.c.)_Dated 25.9.1725 3) Ps. 111: Beatus vir [Zwv 75] in a minor (A. solo, SATB ch.; 2 ob.; 2 vn.; 2 va.; b.c.)_Dated 10.10.1725 4) Ps. 112: Laudate pueri [Zwv 82] in F major (B. solo, SSA ch.; 2 vn.; va.; org.)_Dated 7.11.1725 5) Ps. 113: In exitu Israel [Zwv 83] in d minor (SATB soli, ch.; 2 ob.; 2 vn.; 2 va.; b.c.)_Dated 25.10.1725 6) Luke 1: 46-56: Magnificat [Zwv 108] in D major (S.A. soli, SATB ch.; 2 ob.; bn.; 2 vn.; 2 va.; b.c.)*_Dated 26.11.1725 *Early version, without the parts for 2 trumphets & timphani. 7) Ps. 129: De profundis [Zwv 50/ 97] in d minor (ATBBB soli, SATB ch.; 3 tbn.**; 2 ob, 2 vn.; 2 va.; b.c.) (Zwv 97, c.1725) ** Only the Zwv 50 Prague version of 1724 is on CD, not the later Dresden verison without trombones and with a revised doxology setting. Apart from that, the compisitions here are hopefully like Zelenka intended. The cycle thus sets the first five vesper Psalms according to the Roman Catholic rite (Ps. 109-147). Vespers must have five Psalms + the Gospel canticle (Magnificat). "De profundis", composed for his father's 1724 funeral, was revised in 1725. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES My video's main priority is a faithful musical presentation and documentation of Zelenka's complete 1st Psalm cycle. In general, the performances are quite good, but the recording alternatives of all seven works from the 1st cycle (except Zwv 108) are either inavailable or/and suffer from a limited sound quality. ALL these masterpieces deserve a homogenous recording by professional early music specialist in a new, commercially available CD issue! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT ZELENKA'S 4 PSALM CYCLES: Between 1725 and c. 1730, when Jan Dismas Zelenka was de facto Kapellmeister for the Royal Court in Dresden, he composed almost all his known (David) Psalm settings (i.e. all lost and extant Psalms, catalogued as Zwv 66-104, except for Zwv 99), as well as 3 Magnificats (Zwv 106-108). These Magnificats were also part of three different cycles, each called "Psalmi Vespertini totius anni" in Zelenka's personal "Inventarium" of compositions. His second cycle from 1726-7 once included 11 works, of which 3 are missing. But most serious are the losses from the third cycle, made c. 1728. About half of the 15 settings listed in his "Inventarium", i.e. seven in all, have disappeared here, including Magnificat Zwv 106. Furthermore, Zelenka added one later, fourth cycle, titled "Psalmi varii. J: D: Z: Separatim Scripti" with 8 Psalm settings from c. 1728-30 or later. From this, one work is lost. When we add our completely intact 1st cycle's 7 compositions presented in this video, we can thus sum up 7 + 11 + 15 + 8 = 41 works, of which 0 + 3 + 7 + 1 = 11 appear to be lost, and 30 are still extant. Hymns, Marian antiphons and motets are not counted here. ABOUT THE FIRST PSALM CYCLE'S MUSICAL QUALITIES Our Vesper cycle anno 1725 is therefore unique in the sense that all its compositions have survived. Secondly, it is special because in spite of having been recorded or broadcasted all seven, merely one work, and ONE work only among these, the Zwv 108 Magnificat, has been adequately recorded. Thirdly, it must be underlined that although Zelenka's first Psalm cycle, with seven settings, is numerically shorter, most of them rank among his most elaborate and accomplished. They reveal the energy and enthusiasm of someone who is finally able to pursue an interest for (maybe) the first time, and to really explore the musical possibilities in the timeless Psalm texts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE PSALM ILLUSTRATIONS: Like Zelenka's musical interpretations anno 1725, these book illuminations from the St. Albans Psalter (dated c. 1122-46) are masterpieces of their time, simultaneously revealing both a remarkable stylistic originality and unity. Each of the 150 Biblical Psalms has had its initial letter elaborated as a book illumination that literally sheds light on and interpretes key aspects of the Psalm text. Thus in "Dixit Dominus" (Ps. 109) the "D" is visualized, in "Confitebor" (Ps. 110) the "C" is turned into an image, and so on. In this way the interplay between image and text in the St. Albans Psalter stimulated the medieval reader's religious imagination more or less like the interplay between text and music in jJDZ's compositions stimulated the baroque listener's imagination 6 centuries later, in 1725. SVF