Johann Philipp Fortsch: Sacred Concertos

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Date CD: February 10, 2009 | CPO |79:03

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Johann Philipp Förtsch's career is associated with the founding of the opera in Hamburg.

He arrived in Hamburg some time around 1674, four years before duke Christian Albrecht von Schleswig-Holstein founded the opera. At first he served as a church musician (vocal soloist), but in the 1680s Förtsch (1652-1732) became more intimately involved with the opera, producing five librettos and the music for 12 other operas. They are not extant, alas; we have only their titles. The Roman and Greek subject matter of several of his operas like Xerxes in Abydus (1689) show Förtsch in tune with contemporary operatic tastes in Italy, but the overtly religious subject of Cain und Abel may come as a surprise. Perhaps it attests to the close connection in Lutheran Hamburg between opera and church composition. Indeed, composers often captured the character of operatic composition for the solo voice in their sacred concertos and oratorios. For this reason, Förtsch's sacred concertos, which are preserved, are important as examples of what his operas might have sounded like.

If this is a true reflection, Förtsch's operas were conservative works, at least by Italian standards. Most of his concertos are for one or two solo voices, strings, and continuo. He tends to place the emphasis on text through some rather syllabic text settings. Only his setting of Psalm 130 for solo voice, violin, and continuo impresses the listener with its use of coloratura. Heinrich Schütz, an older contemporary of Förtsch's, tends much more toward coloratura writing in his sacred concertos. On the other hand, the influence of Italian modernism is palpable in Förtsch's predilection for dissonant expression through the use of suspensions. I notice it especially in his setting of Psalm 13 for two sopranos and continuo. It is a lovely recording--an interesting comparison to the music of Schütz and Buxtehude.

American Record Guide, Peter Loewen, May/June 2009

tracklist:


Du Heiden Trost
Kommt, lasset uns gehen gen Bethlehem
Wer Jesum liebt
Herr, wie lange wiltu mein so gar vergessen
Die Wunder sind zu gross
Aus der Tiefe
Ihr Sunder, tretet bald herzu
Wohl dem, der nicht wandelt im Rat der Gottlosen
Mensch, was du tust

Capella Ducale, Musica Fiata
Roland Wilson

I'm resurrecting here some of the works that "disappeared" from Avax or were "abandoned" from the original uploaders. There's not a real project behind it, I'm just cleaning up my HDs and following the tide. What I downloaded long ago is flowing back. All credits go to the first uploader. Enjoy...