Baroque music has always been at the heart of the International Bamboo Organ Festival for very good reason: Although built 200 years ago in the early 19th century, the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ is a baroque instrument. DZFE’s 70th anniversary concert is a Festival concert, transported out of its native context and sans the bamboo organ, but still preserving its spirit — the devotion to the baroque and historically-informed performance practice, to church music, and to pipe organ culture. The partnership between DZFE and the Festival goes back to its earliest years, and it is only fitting that this year (festooned with anniversaries!) we have come together to celebrate and to share that celebration with you.
PROGRAM
Antonio VIVALDI
Concerto in D minor for violin & strings, Op. 8/7, RV 242 “Per Pisendel”
I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
Jose Marie Eserjose (violin)
Giuseppe SAMMARTINI
Concerto in A major for organ & strings, Op. 9/1
I. Andante Spiritoso
II. Allegro assai
III. Andante
IV. Allegro assai
Armando Salarza (organ)
Arcangelo CORELLI
Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6/8 “Fatto per la Notte di Natale”
I. Vivace – Grave – Allegro
II. Adagio – Allegro – Adagio
III. Vivace
IV. Allegro
V. Pastorale
Jose Marie Eserjose (violin), Leigh Cellano (violin), Paul Natividad (cello)
Antonio VIVALDI
Concerto for two Cellos in G minor, RV 531
I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
Paul Natividad (cello), John Paolo Anorico (cello)
Manila Baroque Ensemble
Noemi Binag (conductor)
The first hour of the program comprises baroque concerti by three composers — Arcangelo Corelli, Giuseppe Sammartini, and Antonio Vivaldi. All are from Italy, the cradle of the concerto grosso. This instrumental form offered avenues to explore the dynamic, textural and rhythmic possibilities of setting a small group of soloists (the concertino) against a larger group of players (the ripieno).
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) is credited with popularizing the concerto grosso; the dozen concerti of his Op. 6—the sole representatives of his landmark contribution to the form—were the paragon for the generation of composers that followed. The Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 8/6, is inscribed “fatto per la notte di Natale” (“made for the eve of the Nativity”) and is endowed (like many other Christmas concerti) with an irenic pastorale movement, suggesting the shepherds of the Christmas story.
Antonio Vivaldi (1676-1741) was among the most prominent of those who followed in Corelli’s footsteps, writing hundreds of concerti, 500 of which survive. Where Corelli’s music is often dulcet and harmonically conservative, Vivaldi brings rhythmic vigor and often adventurous harmonies into his music. We sense as much by the title of his Op. 8 concerti, Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (“The Contest Between Harmony and Invention”).
To this set belong the best-known baroque concerti of all — Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Their sibling, the Concerto grosso in D minor, Op. 8/7, is inscribed “per Pisendel” (“for Pisendel”). Violinist Johann Georg Pisendel led one of the top-caliber orchestras of the time, the Dresden court orchestra; Telemann, Handel and Albinoni also wrote concerti for Pisendel. The Concerto for cellos in G minor, RV 531, again demonstrates Vivaldi’s innovation, showcasing not just one, but a pair of cellos in a soloistic role — a rarity at this point in the history of the instrument.
Giuseppe Sammartini (1695-1750) takes us to the dusk of the baroque, during which time some of the complexity of the previous era had begun giving way to the clarity and ease of the Classical galant style. Sammartini was not a violinist, as Corelli and Vivaldi were, but an oboist. He moved to England with his brother, Giovanni Battista, and there joined the musical establishment of the Prince of Wales. He also played in the orchestra for opera productions of Handel. Like Handel, Sammartini produced concerti “for harpsichord or organ”; the organ being an English chamber organ with no pedals, the two instruments were interchangeable. Organ concerti thrived in England where the organ was a chamber instrument and popular in secular entertainment. Sammartini’s Concerto in A major, Op. 9/1, for harpsichord or organ, and strings, belongs to a collection published by John Walsh in 1754.
— INTERMISSION —
The second half of our program is dedicated to the church music of the greatest of all church musicians, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). A florid “SDG” (“Soli Deo Gloria” or “To God alone be glory”) is seen at the close of many compositions, and this doxological sentiment is expressed in both works ahead.
JS BACH
“Gloria” from the Mass in G major, BWV236
Bach’s Mass in G, BWV 236 is one of a set of so-called “Lutheran Masses” consisting of only a Kyrie and Gloria from the sequence of the mass ordinary. (Kyrie-Gloria masses were common in Lutheran liturgical practice of the time.) For this Gloria, Bach recast (“parodied”) previously written music from the Cantata 79, Gott, der Herr, ist Sonn und Schild (God the Lord is Sun and Shield), for the Feast of the Reformation.
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Glory to God in the highest
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
and on earth peace to people of good will.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
We praise you, we bless you,
Adoramus te, glorificamus te.
We adore you, we glorify you.
Cantata “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”, BWV 140
I. Chorus: “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”
II. Recitative (tenor): “Er kommt, der Bräutgam kommt”
III. Duet (soprano, bass): “Wenn kommst du, mein Heil”
IV. Aria (tenor): “Zion hört die Wächter singen”
V. Recitative (bass): “So geh herein zu mir”
VI. Duet (soprano, bass): “Mein freund ist mein, and ich bin sein”
VII. Chorale: “Gloria sei dir gesungen”
Stefanie Quintin (soprano), Ervin Lumauag (tenor), Lawrence Jatayna (bass), Armando Salarza (organ)
Collegium Vocale Manila
Manila Baroque Ensemble
Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng (conductor)
A radiant hymn by Philipp Nicolai is the basis for Bach’s Cantata 140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, a voice is calling), for the 27th Sunday after Trinity. The hymn, and the cantata, pivot on Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish virgins, as recounted in Matthew 25:1-13.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Jesus’ disciples are to be ready for his return, for they will not know the day or the hour. When that time comes, there will be a sharp distinction in the responses — and destinies — of those who are ready (believers), and those who are not (unbelievers).
There are seven movements: The first, fourth and last are all treatments of Philipp Nicolai’s hymn, “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”. Listen for the long notes, which are the actual hymn melody; the melodic garland Bach weaves around the hymn tune in the fourth movement is more famous to those unfamiliar with the hymn, than the hymn itself.
How are believers to watch for Christ’s return? With love and longing which the cantata couches in language reminiscent of the Song of Songs. The final chorale movement casts a vision of rapture for the church awaiting her Bridegroom:
Gloria sei dir gesungen
May gloria be sung to you
Mit Menschen und englischen Zungen,
with the tongues of men and angels,
…
Kein Aug hat je gespürt,
No eye has ever perceived,
Kein Ohr hat je gehört
no ear has ever heard
Solche Freude.
such joy.
Complete text of the cantata from bach-cantatas.com.
— Tiffany Liong-Gabuya
ARTIST PROFILES courtesy of the 49th International Bamboo Organ Festival
