Anima

George Gershwin composed his Rhapsody in Blue in 1924. In the same year, he launched his collaboration with his brother Ira, which produced countless songs. He never achieved his ambition of studying with Maurice Ravel, but was always enthralled by the symphonic poem and the concerto. His masterpieces, such as An American in Paris and the opera Porgy and Bess, greatly enriched the American musical heritage. Jos van Immerseel has always been fascinated by Gershwin, but it was the appearance of a new edition of the scores that prompted the pianist and conductor to record this extensive homage. Thanks to the very latest research undertaken by the University of Michigan, the Library of Congress and the Gershwin Estate, he and his companions in Anima Eterna have got closer than ever before to the composer’s intentions, making use of the appropriate instruments.

Jos van Immerseel: “While since its foundation in 1987 Anima Eterna Brugge has grown organically into a symphonic orchestra, chamber music once again forms an important part of our repertory today. We will continue our journey through orchestral music, but want to broaden our base by including chamber music as well.”

A mere dozen or so printed viola concertos are known of from the Viennese Classical era, contrasting with countless violin, cello, and flute concertos. There can be only one explanation for this: there were relatively few players available of truly virtuoso ability. Alongside two emblematic viola concertos of the time, those by Hoffmeister and Stamitz, this album includes the 1802 transcription for viola of Mozart’s A major clarinet concerto.

Ein Garant für spannende Aufnahmen mit hohem Authentizitätsfaktor sind Anima Eterna und Jos van Immerseel. Fern von effekthascherischen Äußerlichkeiten präsentiert Immerseel ein durchweg erfrischendes Hörerlebnis, dem man sich gerne hingibt.

Giovanni Mossi and Antonio Montanari, two of the most esteemed violin virtuosi of eighteenth-century Rome, can finally take centre stage, away from the crowded panorama of Corelli's pupils and imitators; their works can be fully appreciated in this new recording devoted to their sonatas for violin. Three sonatas by Mossi for violin and continuo from his op. 5 and op. 6 are presented here; these collections remain lesser-known and lesser-recorded even today. The three violin sonatas by Montanari that the celebrated virtuoso Johann Pisendel brought from Rome to Dresden in 1717, after having taken lessons from Montanari himself, are recorded here together for the first time.

As with most of Haydn’s masses, the Missa Cellensis is more well known by its alias,“Cäcilienmesse” (Cecilia Mass), rather than by its original name. Joseph Haydn began work on the mass in 1766, when he assumed the position as Music Director for the princely Court of Esterházy. With its unusually large orchestra and a duration of almost one hour, this composition is the longest and most extensive of Haydn’s masses. Haydn followed the traditional structure by setting the parts of the Ordinary in individual movements, in which the text is interpreted through the use of variety and contrast in scoring and compositional technique. For quite some time now, Jos van Immerseel and his Ensemble Anima Eterna have enjoyed an outstanding reputation for presenting their unique and special type of historical performance practice: For the present recording they employed Vienna wind instruments and the string instruments are modeled on instruments from the Viennese classical period.

This very well recorded disc from 2003 is yet another fine disc from Immerseel and his orchestra once more extending his 'period' interests well beyond the Baroque and Classical areas of musical history. In this case Immerseel turns his attention to music by Liszt which he will have been familiar with as solo piano music but which also exists in its orchestral guise supplied by Liszt. These are not transcriptions but are real alternative versions for orchestra. The one exception is the tone poem, From the Cradle to the Grave' which was a late work, never performed during Liszt's life and only available as an orchestral composition.

Jos van Immerseel aime le son ou plutôt les sons… Il est capable de se passionner pour un pianoforte Walter (ca 1795-1800) comme pour les Erard 1897 ou 1904 du disque " Pièces à deux pianos " ou pour un Bechstein, ou Tröndlin… toujours à la recherche de la diversité et du singulier. C'est également cette passion du " sonner juste " qui l'a poussé à créer Anima Eterna, véritable laboratoire des acoustiques du XVIII au XX.

After exploring the universe of Ravel, Anima Eterna continues its voyage of discovery through twentieth-century French music with Francis Poulenc. In Jos van Immerseel’s view, Poulenc is one of the most significant personalities of the twentieth century, coupling immense erudition with surprising spontaneity. Not to mention the fact that Poulenc was also a particularly brilliant pianist.

The music of Johann Strauss reflects a lifestyle, a refinement … a true Viennese tradition. At the same time, this music simply creates joie de vivre, an almost uncontrollable urge to dance. It is these feelings and these emotions Anima Eterna and its leader, Jos van Immerseel communicate with delicacy and conviction; also with a view to the greatest possible proximity to the score as it was conceived at the time of its creation.