Schmittbaur: Symphonies L'arte del mondo & Werner Ehrhardt

• Joseph Aloys Schmittbaur (1718 - 1809): Symphony in F Major:
• 1 Symphony in F Major: I. Allegro molto 02:43
• 2 Symphony in F Major: II. Andante molto 03:36
• 3 Symphony in F Major: III. Menuetto - Trio 03:00
• 4 Symphony in F Major: IV. Presto assai 03:37
• Symphony in B-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 3:
• 5 Symphony in B-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 3: I. Allegro assai 05:32
• 6 Symphony in B-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 3: II. Allegretto 03:23
• 7 Symphony in B-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 3: III. Menuetto - Trio 03:30
• 8 Symphony in B-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 3: IV. Rondo. Andantino - Prestissimo 06:43
• Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 1:
• 9 Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 1: I. Allegro con spirito 03:25
• 10 Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 1: II. Andante cantabile 02:33
• 11 Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 1: III. Menuetto - Trio 03:18
• 12 Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 1: IV. Rondo. Allegro assai 02:05
• Symphony in C Major:
• 13 Symphony in C Major: I. Adagio pianissimo - Allegro assai 09:17
• 14 Symphony in C Major: II. Romance. Adagio molto 04:37
• 15 Symphony in C Major: III. Menuetto. Allegro - Trio 03:53
• 16 Symphony in C Major: IV. Prestissimo 04:16
• Total Runtime 01:05:28

Info for Schmittbaur: Symphonies

In 1776, Carl Ludwig Juncker wrote enthusiastically about the music of Joseph Aloys Schmittbaur (1718-1809): "Inexhaustible for any kind of music, with a special peculiar beauty, dignity and truth". The new recording by Werner Erhardt and his ensemble L'arte del mondo with selected symphonies by Schmittbaur, all but one of which were composed in Cologne, proves that this unjustly forgotten composer wrote great music.

Schmittbaur, who was born in Bamberg, received his training from the Würzburg court organ builder Johann Seuffert, and was also a pupil of Niccolo Jacomelli in Bologna. In 1754 he was appointed to the Rastatt court chapel, becoming its Kapellmeister in 1766. After the dissolution of the Rastatt Chapel, he was concertmaster in the Karlsruhe Court Chapel. From January 1775 Schmittbaur was appointed Cathedral Kapellmeister in Cologne, where he had a lasting influence on musical life through the concerts of the "Musical Academies". In 1777 he became court kapellmeister in Karlsruhe, where he helped the chapel there to achieve a high reputation. After Schmittbaur's death, his music was long forgotten. But unjustly so, as this recording by l'arte del mondo under the baton of conductor Werner Ehrhardt shows. Three symphonies Op. 2 (1776) are heard, which date from Schmittbaur's time in Cologne as Cathedral Kapellmeister and have a cheerful, sometimes even humorous character throughout. The fourth symphony is entitled "bey Gelegenheit der Höchsten Vermählung" and was composed by Schmittbaur in 1797 for the wedding of the daughter of the hereditary prince of Baden, Carl Ludwig. This late work also proves to be a colourfully orchestrated piece rich in contrast.

Werner Erhardt is enthusiastic about this first recording on the German harmonia mundi label: "Schmittbaur possessed unbroken creative power and great ingenuity up to a ripe old age. In the symphonies, one can see very well how very individually he developed his very own formal concepts and composed in an immensely creative, witty, surprising and humorous way. Rarely have my musicians been in such a good mood as when recording his music. The people of Cologne would say: 'Von nix kütt nix', and that is, so to speak, the greatest praise!"

L'Arte del mondo
Werner Erhardt, conductor

No biography found.

Booklet for Schmittbaur: Symphonies