Gustav Leonardt

In January 2012, the nestor of early music in the Netherlands died: Gustav Leonhardt. Together with Harnoncourt he belonged to the pioneers of authentic performance practice. Leonhardt was a gentleman at the keyboard. His aristocratic mastery of the French harpsichordists alone, with all those complex decorations and declamations, was unrivaled. And yet he regarded Bach as the greatest composer ever. 'His music is incredibly versatile, interesting, intelligent. (…) What is the secret? If only we would know that! ', According to Gustav Leonhardt in an interview with the Reformatorisch Dagblad. This reissue, undoubtedly inspired by the publicity surrounding Leonhard's death, includes performances by Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Die Kunst Der Fuge and the Goldberg Variationen.

Kuhnau’s six Biblical Sonatas are among the most fascinating keyboard curiosities of the baroque. Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722), Bach’s immediate predecessor as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, was a versatile composer, performer and polymath who produced fine works in a wide range of formats. These Biblical Sonatas were written as domestic programme music to illustrate - indeed, to describe - the following Old Testament stories: the Battle between David and Goliath; Saul Cured by David through Music; Jacob’s Marriage; Hezekiah’s Restoration to Health; Gideon, Deliverer of Israel; and Jacob’s Death and Burial.

Transcriptions of chamber works to orchestral works have been interesting asides for composers for a long time - whether the transcription are alterations of a composer's own songs or chamber works to full orchestral size or those of other composers for which the transcriber had a particular affinity. Stokowski's transcriptions of Bach's works are probably the most familiar to audiences. The two transcriptions on this recording are the creations Gustav Mahler and his election to transcribe the quartets of Beethoven and Schubert is not surprising: Mahler 'transcribed' many of his own songs into movements or portions of movements for his own symphonies. Listening to Mahler's transcriptions of these two well known quartets - Franz Schubert's String Quartet in D Minor 'Death and the Maiden' and Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet in F Minor 'Serioso' - provides insight into both the orginal compositions and the orchestration concepts of Gustav Mahler. The themes of these two works would naturally appeal to Mahler's somber nature. Mahler naturally extends the tonal sound of each of these transcriptions by using the full string orchestra and in both works it is readily apparent that his compositional techniques within string sections are ever present.

Around a quarter of a century ago, scholars embarked upon fruitful research into composers active between the mid-19th century and the lead-up to World War One, many largely hitherto ignored by all but music historians, consisting of at least two generations who focused either on ‘absolute’ music (in central Europe) or music for the theatre (in Italy and France). Philipp Scharwenka (1847–1917) was one such figure.

The compositions for violin and piano recorded here were written between 1945 and 1960. Although Kurt Albrecht, Mátyás Seiber and Joachim Schweppe never met and their biographies took very different turns, they ultimately appear connected through their contemporaries. National Socialism and the Second World War left their mark on the lives of all three composers.

Originally two separate albums recorded in the late days of stereo LPs, this two-disc set of Bach's works for harpsichord was released together for less than the price of a single LP. But even at twice the price of the original LPs, these performances would be worth purchasing for two reasons. First, the harpsichordist is Gustav Leonhardt, and while there are surely more virtuosic harpsichordists in the world, there are few finer musicians and fewer still finer souls.

The catalog may contain more ebullient, elaborately ornamented versions of Bach’s Partitas and English Suites, yet Gustav Leonhardt’s knowing mastery offers its own rewards. His subtle deployment of agogics to compensate for the harpsichord’s lack of dynamics markedly contrasts to the choppy, discontinuous phrasing we often hear in the name of authenticity. What’s more, the relaxed lilt of Leonhardt’s basic tempos constantly reflects the music’s dance origins.

Gustav est un compositeur qui ne parvient pas à surmonter le décès de sa fille Putzi. Quand il reçoit une lettre qui lui est adressée par erreur et signée de l'amant de sa femme Alma, l'architecte Walter Gropius, sa vie se brise un peu plus. Alma, qui a déjà fait beaucoup de sacrifices pour son mari et affronte également la mort de sa fille, est confrontée à un choix. …

Gustav Leonhardt's account of [the symphonies] is the one to have if you want them on period instruments. They are lively and alert, and distinguished by fine musical intelligence… It is difficult to imagine a better partnership to provide authentic versions of these three fine works.