Paisiello in Vienna

Variations on “Nel cor più non mi sento”

‘Paisiello in Vienna – Nel cor più non mi sento’ is een nieuwe CD, opgenomen in Museum Geelvinck in 2015, door Dirk Fischer voor Brilliant Classics, met composities voor mandoline (Alon Sariel), gitaar (Izhar Elias) en fortepiano * (Michael Tsalka) van Bortolazzi, Hummel, Giuliani, Wanhal and Beethoven.

Fortepiano Böhm, 1820, bruikleen van Gijs Wilderom

Brilliant Classics 95301, http://www.brilliantclassics.com/articles/p/paisiello-in-vienna/

Release datum: 3 december 2015

Alon Sariel – www.alon-sariel.com – originele Pilade Mauri mandoline (ca. 1850)

Izhar Elias – www.izharelias.com – originele Carlo Guadagnini gitaar (1812)

Michael Tsalka – www.michaeltsalka.com – originele Joseph Böhm fortepiano (ca. 1820)

Over deze CD: 
In 2016 is het 200 jaar geleden dat de operacomponist Giovanni Paisiello is overleden. Tegenwoordig zal niet iedereen weten wie Paisiello is, maar in zijn tijd was hij met zijn ruim 80 opera’s een van de meest productieve en geliefde componisten van komische opera’s (Opere buffe). Het uitgangspunt voor de CD Paisiello in Vienna is “Nel cor piu non mi sento”, een van de populairste aria’s in het vroeg 19e eeuwse Wenen. De componisten Beethoven, Giuliani, Bortolazzi en Wanhal schreven inventieve en duizelingwekkende variaties op dit thema van Paisiello. De variatiewerken op dit album worden afgewisseld met virtuoze stukken van Hummel en Beethoven.
De instrumenten mandoline, gitaar en fortepiano, waren in de mode in de vroeg 19e eeuw. Op deze opname klinken drie originele instrumenten uit die tijd. Alon Sariel bespeelt een Cremose mandoline uit ca.1850, Izhar Elias speelt op een Guadagnini uit 1812 en Michael Tsalka is te horen op een Böhm fortepiano van rond 1820.

Wenen in de vroeg 19e eeuw
De componisten op dit album waren bovenal zeer virtuoze instrumentalisten. Allen waren op de een of andere manier met elkaar verbonden. Zo gaven Hummel en Giuliani vaak samen concerten in Wenen. Hummel orkestreerde een of meerdere gitaarconcerten van Giuliani. Het was ook Hummel die zijn eigen mandolineconcert in 1799 speciaal voor Bortolazzi componeerde. En Giuliani speelde cello tijdens de premiere van Beethoven’s zevende symfonie.

About this release:

This ingeniously programmed concept album contains no original music by Paisiello but rather presents a selection of
works which take as their inspiration his best‐known aria. ‘Nel cor più non mi sento’ is a duet from his 1788 opera L’Amor
Contrastato, ossia La Molinara – generally referred to as La Molinara and, in an intriguing twist of history, translated in to
German as Die schöne Müllerin.

But in fact, Schubert is one of the few noted variation composers absent here. Paganini’s later set of variations is a staple of the virtuoso‐violin repertoire, but this enterprising trio of musicians have looked to lesser‐known treatments of the duet, which attained great popularity on account of its simple but winning melody, so suitable for elaboration. Bortolazzi was well-known in his day as a superb mandolin player, and composed prodigiously for his instrument just as Mauro Giuliani did for the guitar, with an intimate understanding of its technical and expressive possibilities. Wanhal’s variations were originally composed for a melody instrument such as violin or flute, but it has been arranged specially for the trio here. Beethoven’s piano‐only variation set is relatively well‐known and has been recorded many times, but the smaller works for mandolin and fortepiano are no less engaging and have received little attention:
this period-instrument performance almost has the field to itself.

Michael Tsalka plays an original 1820 Böhm fortepiano, Alon Sariel an 1850 mandolin and Izhar Elias a Guadagnini guitar from 1812, less than two decades after the works recorded here were composed. This fascinating release is completed by Hummel’s ‘Grande Sonata’ for mandolin and piano and an extensive Potpourri for guitar and piano, which gathers up several themes from hit operas of the day, not including ‘Nel cor più non mi sento’.

This original concept CD presents one of the most popular opera arias in early‐19th century Vienna, “Nel cor piu non mi sento”, from Paisiello’s opera L’Amor Contrastato, as the basis of variation works by a variety of composers: Bortolazzi, Hummel, Giuliani, Wanhal and Beethoven. The aria, in its powerful simplicity, lends itself very well for the variation form and it was gratefully used as a means of instrumental display of brilliance
and invention.

The basic instrumental ensemble used on this recording is mandolin, guitar and fortepiano, fashionable instruments at that time. The musicians play on historic instruments: Alon Sariel plays a 1850 mandolin, Izhar Elias plays a 1812 Guadagnini guitar and the Böhm 1820 fortepiano is played by Michael Tsalka.
The excellent liner notes are written by the musicians.

Track list
Disk 1
1 Variations in G Major on Paisiello’s “nel cor più non mi sento”, Op. 8 2Grand Sonata in C Major, Op. 37a: I. Allegro con spirit 3Grand Sonata in C Major, Op. 37a: II. Andante moderato siziliano 4Grand Sonata in C Major, Op. 37a: III. Rondo. Allegretto più tosto allegro 5Introduction and Variations in A Major on Paisiello’s “nel cor più non mi sento”, Op.113 6Polonaise Allegro in A Major, Op. 113 7Andante with Variations in D Major, WoO 44b 8Sonatina in C Minor, WoO 43a 9Sonatina in C Major, WoO 44a 106 Variations in G Major on Paisiello’s “nel cor più non mi sento”, WoO 70 11Pot-pourri for Guitar and Piano, Op. 53 126 Variations in G Major on Paisiello’s “nel cor più non mi sento”, Op. 42

Musicians:

Michael Tsalka – fortepiano: www.michaeltsalka.com

Alon Sariel – mandoline: http://www.alon-sariel.com

Izhar Elias – classic guitar: http://www.izharelias.com