The press about Godelieve Schrama

8/3/2019 The press about Godelieve Schrama

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-press-about-godelieve-schrama 1/16



DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM AUDIOVISION GMBH • BACHSTRASSE 35 • D-32756 DETMOLDTEL.: ++49-(0)5231-93890 • FAX.: ++49-(0)5231-26186

PADRE ANTONIO SOLER: Selected Sonatas for Harp -

Godelieve Schrama, harp -

MDG Scene 903 1627-6

Soler harpsichord sonatas in the style of Scarlatti transferred to concert harp.

Published on March 17, 2011

PADRE ANTONIO SOLER: Selected Sonatas for Harp - GodelieveSchrama, harp - MDG Scene multichannel (2+2+2) SACD

MDG 903 1627-6, 66:50 [Distr. by E1] ****:

Although Soler studied with Domenico Scarlatti and often continued thegeneral style of that composer’s 550-odd keyboard sonatas, and although

both of them spent much of their careers as music instructors to royal figures,

they are really quite different. Unlike the Italian Scarlatti, Soler was born inCatalonia and spent his later life isolated in the dour Escorial monastery near

Madrid. His musical contacts were few - only Scarlatti and Boccherini andthru the latter, Haydn. He was a humble monk who spent more time in the solitude of his cell than

the other monks. He was also an organist and chapel master. Yet he turned out some 471 works in

30 years.

Harpist Schrama writes in the note booklet about how the music of the baroque and classical period

doesn’t fit the modern concert harp very well. Although the keyboard works of Scarlatti have beenadapted for the harp, guitar, accordion and other instruments, she says that Soler’s keyboard

sonatas - which of course all these harp selections are - transfer more successfully to her instrumentthan do Scarlatti’s. She credits their greater transparency, giving the modern harpist more

possibilities to work with the natural resonance of the harp. She also says that Bach is even lesssuccessful on the concert harp. She hears a strong influence of the Moorish culture in Soler’s sonatas,

more so than the flamenco influence in Scarlatti’s - altho that is occasionally also heard in Soler.

The dozen sonatas heard here contrast more with one another than the typical Scarlatti sonatas.Some are quiet and straightforward, while others - such as No. 15 - require even greater efforts at

crossed hands than found on Scarlatti sonatas. No. 117 is full of strange notes and bizarreharmonies. Schrama also mentions the difficulties of achieving the often-required staccato quality on

the concert harp. This SACD demonstrates to my ears more than the usual all-Soler harpsichordalbum the amazingly varied cornucopia of musical colors and tastes found in Soler’s music. Soler is

an early representative of the unique musical facility which composers of Catalonian descent haveexhibited.

-- John Sunier















__________________________________________________________________________________ DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM AUDIOVISION GMBH • BACHSTRASSE 35 • D-32756 DETMOLD

TEL.: ++49-(0)5231-93890 • FAX.: ++49-(0)5231-26186 • www.mdg.de • [email protected]

Luister

März/April 2011

MDG 903 1627-6





Klassieke Zaken

Februar 2011

MDG 903 1627-6



k u e L I U I J C I ) C I t 1 t f l t

S u b j e k t i v , e k l e k t i s c h u n d e i g e n

E m " H o l l a n d - P a n o r a m a " i n d e r S t a d t W i n t e r t h u r

D e r D i r i g e n t d e s O r c h e s t e r s M u s i k k o l l e g i u mW i n t e r t h u r , J a c v a n S t e e n , s t a m m t a u s H o l l a n d —e m g u t e r G r u n d f ü r d a s M u s i k k o l l e g i u m , i h m i nd e r l e t z t e n S a i s o n , d i e e r m i t d e m O r c h e s t e r a l sC h e f a r b e i t e t , e m < < H o l l a n d - P a n o r a m a > > z u s c h e n -k e n . D a s O r c h e s t e r p r h s e n t i e r t h o l l ä n d i s c h e M u -s i k a u s V e r g a n g e n h e i t u n d G e g e n w a r t , d i e m a nb e i u n s s e l t e n b i s g a r n i e h o r e n k a n n . A n d e r eW i n t e r t h u r e r V e r a n s t a l t e r e r g a n z e n , u n d s o g i b te s n e b e n d e n O r c h e s t e r k o n z e r t e n e i n e m u s i k a -l i s c h u m r a h m t e L e s u n g , e m P o d i u m s g e s p r a c hu b e r < < N e u e n i e d e r l h n d i s c h e M u s i k i m i n t e r n a t i o -n a l e n K o n t e x t > > o d e r e m C h o r k o n z e r t m i t f l a -m i s c h - h o l l h n d i s c h e r M u s i k a u s d e m 1 6 . u n d2 0 . J a h r h u n d e r t m i t a n s c h l i e s s e n d e r F u h r u n gd u r c h d i e S a m m l u n g O s k a r R e i n h a r t < < A m R o -m e r h o l z > > . E i n e s c h ö n e G e l e g e n h e i t a l s o , s i c hu b e r d a s k u l t u r e l l e L e b e n i n d e n N i e d e r l a n d e ni n s B i l d z u s e t z e n .

E r ö f f n e t w o r d e n i s t d a s P a n o r a m a a m S a m s t a gi m S t a d t h a u s W i n t e r t h u r m i t e i n e m < < H o l l a n d -M a r a t h o n i n d r e i T e i l e n > > , d e r z u r H a u p t s a c h ee i n e n p e r s o n l i c h g e f a r b t e n U b e r b l i c k d e s D i n -g e n t e n u b e r d a s n i e d e r l ä n d i s c h e S c h a f f e n i m2 0 . J a h r h u n d e r t b o t . J a c v a n S t e e n f U h r t e a l s g e -w i e f t e r C o n f é r e n c i e r d a s P u b l i k u m w o r t r e i c hg l e i c h s e l b e r d u r c h d e n A b e n d . Z u B e g i n n e mA u s f i u g i n d e n h o l l h n d i s c h e n B a r o c k m i t d e nS t r e i c h e r n ( S o l i : K o n z e r t m e i s t e r R a l p h O r e n -d a m ) u n d d e m C e m b a l i s t e n N a o k i K i t a y a . E m< < C o n c e r t o A r m o n i c o > > v o n U n i c o W i l h e l m G r a fv o n W a s s e n a e r ( 1 6 9 2 — 1 7 6 6 ) w i e s d e n K o m p o n i s -t e n a l s K e n n e r d e s i t a l i e n i s c h e n S t i l s a u s , d e m e ra l l e r d i n g s m i t g r o s s e m E i n f a l l s r e i c h t u m f r o n t e —e m

h e r r l i c h e s S t u c k . I t a l i e n i s c h m o c h t e e s a u c hW i l l e m d e F e s c h ( 1 6 8 7 — 1 7 5 7 ) , d e s s e n z w e i s p i e l -f r e u d i g e C o n c e r t i g r o s s i i n E - D u r u n d e - M o l l V e r -g n ü g e n b e r e i t e t e n . F r e i l i c h h a t t e d a s O r c h e s t e rg u t e i n e P r o b e m e h r d a f u r b r a u c h e n k o n n e n .K o n t r a p u n k t e a u s d e m z w a n z i g s t e n J a h r h u n d e r ts e t z t e d e r e x p r e s s i v e < < C a n t u s a m o r i s > > o p . 7 8

( 1 9 7 9 ) v o n M a r i u s F l o t h i u s ( 1 9 1 4 — 2 0 0 1 ) , e m

W e r k , d a s s t i l i s t i s c h z w i s c h e n A l b a n B e r g u n dK a r l A m a d e u s H a r t m a n n p e n d e l t . Z u m H ö h e -p u n k t d e s e r s t e n T e i l s w u r d e n d i e g e i s t r e i c h e n

< < V a r i a t i o n e n u n d F u g e u b e r e m T h e m a v o nJ o h a n n K u h n a u > > ( 1 9 3 5 ) v o n H e n d r i k A n d r i e s s e n

( 1 8 9 2 — 1 9 8 1 ) , d e r i m T h e m a d e s d e u t s c h e n B a -r o c k k o m p o n i s t e n v i e l f a l t i g e A s p e k t e f r e i l e g t e ,

d i e n i c h t g e r a d e a l l t a g l i c h s i n d . D a n a c h e i n eF o l g e v o n k l e i n e r b e s e t z t e n E n s e m b l e - u n d K a m -

m e r o r c h e s t e r - W e r k e n . O t t o K e t t i n g ( g e b . 1 9 3 5 )i s t e i n e r d e r w i c h t i g e n h o l l h n d i s c h e n K o m p o n i s -t e n s e i n e r G e n e r a t i o n , d e r , w i e v i e l e s e i n e rL a n d s l e u t e , e i n e A r t s c h o p f e r i s c h e n E k l e k t i z i s -m u s p f l e g t . D i e f i l i g r a n e n < < D u e c a n z o n i p e ro r c h e s t r a > > ( 1 9 5 7 ) d e s d a m a l s Z w e i u n d z w a n z i g -

j h h r i g e n z e i g e n e i n e n K o m p o n i s t e n v o n g r o s s e mT a l e n t , d e r s i c h m i t K l a n g s i n n d i e M u s i k v o nA n t o n W e b e r n u n d a u c h e m w e n i g v o n K a r l h e i n zS t o c k h a u s e n a n e i g n e t . H e m m u n g s l o s k o n s e r v a t i vk o m p o n i e r t M i c h a H a m e l ( g e b . 1 9 7 0 ) , d e r i n s e i -n e n d r e i A p o l l i n a i r e - O r c h e s t e r l i e d e r n ( 2 0 0 2 , m i td e m a u s g e z e i c h n e t e n B a r i t o n S i m o n S c h n o r r ) u n -v e r b l u m t e S t i l k o p i e n v o n W a g n e r u n d M a h l e r a b -l i e f e r t e — e m A r g e r n i s .

D a w a r m a n f r o h u m d r e i e i g e n w i l l i g e S t i m -m e n , a l i e n v o r a n R o b i n d e R a a f ( g e b . 1 9 6 8 ) : S c me x p r e s s i v - v e r h a l t e n e s E n s e m b l e s t t i c k < < D e r E m -s a m e i m H e r b s t > > ( 1 9 8 8 ) f U h r t i n e i n e s e h r p e r s o n -l i c h e , p o e t i s c h e K l a n g w e l t , f a r b i g , z e r b r e c h l i c h ,m i t g e n a u a u s g e h o r t e m S p a n n u n g s v e r l a u f . E n d -l i c h e m K o m p o n i s t , d e r n i c h t k o p i e r t , s o n d e r nN e u e s f i n d e t . U n d d e r w i r k l i c h M u s i k m a c h t .E i n i g e s r i s k i e r t h a t W i l l e m J e t h s ( g e b . 1 9 5 9 ) i ns e i n e m H a r f e n k o n z e r t < < F a s / N e f a s > > ( 1 9 9 7 ) , d a s

m i t d e r H a r f e n i s t i n G o d e l i e v e S c h r a m a e i n e f u l -m i n a n t e I n t e r p r e t i n h a t t e . A t t r a k t i v e O r c h e s t e r -K l a n g s p e k t r e n u m g e b e n H a r f e n k l a n g e , w e l c h eo f t d u r c h A n s c h l a g e n d e r S a i t e n m i t e i n e m h a r t e nS c h l a g e l h e r v o r g e b r a c h t w e r d e n . D a s S t U c k h a tL h n g e n , i s t m i t u n t e r e t w a s p l a k a t i v u n d s t e h t o f tt r o t z M o t o r i k s t i l l . A b e r a u c h h i e r h a t s i c h e mK o m p o n i s t a u f d i e S u c h e n a c h N e u e m b e g e b e n .D a n n P e t e r - J a n W a g e m a n s ( g e b . 1 9 5 2 ) , d e r i n s e i -

n e m < < V i d e r u n t o m n e s ' > ( 1 9 8 8 ) d a s g l e i c h n a m i g em i t t e l a l t e r l i c h e G r a d u a l e v o n P e r o t i n g l e i c h s a mi n s t r u m e n t i e r t u n d m i t E i g e n e m u b e r s c h r i e b e nh a t ; a u c h d a s e i n e n o n k o n f o r m i s t i s c h e , r e i z v o l l eA r b e i t . V o n W a g e m a n s w i r d d a s M u s i k k o l l e g i u m

8021 Zürich 1 Sihlpost

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Argus Ref 28831076

Ausschnitt Seite 1 / 2

Bericht Seite 4 / 13



k u e L I U I J C I ) C I t 1 t f l t

a m k o m m e n d e n M i t t w o c h e m n e u e s T r i p e l k o n -z e r t f ü r K l a v i e r , V i o l i n e , V i o l o n c e l l o u n d O r c h e s -t e r u r a u f f U h r e n u n d e s m i t W e r k e n d e r h o l l ä n d i -s c h e n R o m a n t i k u m g e b e n .

A l f r e d Z i m m e r l i n

W i n t e r t h u r , S t a d t h a u s , 2 0 . O k t o b c r .L e s u n g : W i n t e r t h u r , T h e a t e r , 2 2 . 1 0 . , 1 5 U h r 3 0 , P o d i u m s -g e s p r a c h : W i n t e r t h u r , V i l l a R y c h e n b e r g , 2 4 . 1 0 . , 1 8 U h r ( A n m e l -d u n g e r f o r d e r l i c h 0 5 2 6 2 0 2 0 2 0 ) , O r c h e s t e r k o n z e r t : W i n t e r t h u r ,S t a d t h a u s , 2 4 . 1 0 . , 1 9 U h r 4 5 , C h o r k o n z e r t : W i n t e r t h u r , S a m m -l u n g O s k a r R e i n h a r t < < A m R o m e r h o l z ' , , 2 5 . 1 0 . , 1 8 U h r 3 0 .

8021 Zürich 1 Sihlpost


1078045 / 831.22 / 26'303 mm2 / Farben: 0 Seite 39 22.10.2007

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L a n d b o t e

A n r e g u n g u n d w e c h s e l v o l l e E m o t i o n e n

S e i n e l e t z t e S p i e l z e i t e r o f f n e -t e C h e f d i r i g e n t J ä c v a n S t e e nm i t e i n e m s c h ö n l a n g e m G e -s c h e n k : I m M u s i k k o ! l e g i u m

w a r e n a l l e h o l l a n d i s c h e n

O r c h e s t e r f a r b e n z u h ö r e n .

W I N T E R T H U R — V a n S t e e n u n d d i eS t r e i c h e r d e s O r c h e s t e r s M u s i k k o l -l e g i u m W i n t e r t h u r b e w i e s e n i m e r s -t e n T e i l d e s M a r a t h o n k o n z e r t e s m i td e r m u s i k a n t i s c h e n W i e d e r g a b e v o nC o n c e r t i g r o s s i d e s G r a f e n v o n W a s -s e n a e r u n d v o n W i l l e m d e F e s c h , d a s s

a u c h h i e r e m e i g e n e r w o h l k l i n g e n d e ru n d a n s p r e c h e n d e r B a r o c k s t i l z u H a u -s e w a r . I h m s t e l i t e v a n S t e e n d e n e m -d r U c k l i c h e n < < C a n t u s a m o r i s > v o n M a -

r i u s F l o t h u i s ( 1 9 1 4 — 2 0 0 1 ) u n d H e n -d r i k A n d r i e s s e n s ( 1 8 9 2 — 1 9 8 1 ) < < V a r i a -

t i o n e n ü b e r e m T h e m a v o n K u h n a u > >

g e g e n u b e r , d i e b e i d e d i e S c h w e l l e d e rA t o n a l i t ä t b e r U h r t , s i e a b e r n o c h n i c h td e f i n i t i v u b e r s c h r i t t e n h a b e n .

D e r z w e i t e P r o g r a m m t e i l b r a c h t ed a n n a u c h B l ä s e r u n d S c h l a g z e u g a u fd i e B u h n e , u n d d a s S t i c h w o r t < < H o l l ä n -

d i s c h e O r c h e s t e r f a r b e n > > e r f u h r e i n eb e r a u s c h e n d e V e r w i r k l i c h u n g , i n d e ms o w o h i O r c h e s t r i e r u n g e n a l s a u c h O n -g i n a l k o m p o s i t i o n e n v o n O t t o K e t -t i n g ( * 1 9 3 5 ) u n d P e t e r - J a n W a g e m a n s

( * 1 9 5 2 ) z u r D a r s t e l l u n g g e l a n g t e n . F ü r< < T r o i s M e l o d i e s > > v o n M a u r i c e R a -v e l h a t d e r E r s t e r e e i n e b l U h e n d U p -p i g e O r c h e s t e r s p r a c h e g e f u n d e n , u t i dd i e i n k u r z e s t e r Z e i t e i n g e s p r u n g e n eS o p r a n i s t i n A n a M a r i a L a b i n b o t m i ti h r e r f a b e l h a f t e n M e i s t e r u n g d e s G e -s a n g s p a r t s e i n e s t U r m i s c h b e j u b e l t eM e i s t e n l e i s t u n g . I n d e n e i g e n e n < < D u e

C a n z o n i > > b r a c h t e K e t t i n g — s e l b s t e m

g e s u c h t e r T r o m p e t e r — d a s B l a s e r p o -t e n z i a l b e s o n d e r s p l a s t i s c h z u r G e l -t u n g . W a g e m a n s s e i n e r s e i t s h a t d i e

N e u n t e K l a v i e r s o n a t e v o n S k r j a b i n i nI n s t r u m e r i t a i g r u p p e n f a n t a s i e v o l l u n -

t e r t e i l t u n d k o m b i n i e r t , u n d s e i n < < V i -d e r u n t o m n e s > > , d a s a u f e i n e m G r a -d u a l e u r n 1 2 0 0 b a s i e r t , v e r b i n d e t u n dv e r s c h m i l z t a u f g e n i a l e W e i s e d i e z w e is i e b e n h u n d e r t J a h r e a u s e i n a n d e n l i e -g e n d e n E p o c h e n i n e i n e m f a s z i n i e -r e n d e n D o p p e l s t i l .

D e r l e t z t e P r o g r a m m t e i l w a r d a n nd e r n z e i t g e n o s s i s c h e n T o n s c h a f f e n i nH o l l a n d g e w i d m e t . D a s S t u c k < < D e rE i n s a r n e i r n H e r b s t > > v o n R o b i n d eR a a f ( * 1 9 6 8 ) g e l a n g t e z u e i n e r s u g -g e s t i v e n , t e i l s f u l m i n a n t e n , t e i l s b e -

k i e m m e n d e n u n d d u r c h G e n e r a l p a u -s e n h e f t i g z e r k l u f t e t e n A u f f U h r u n g .M i c h a H a r n e l ( * 1 9 7 0 ) h a t m i t s e i n e r nT r i p t y c h o n a u f G e d i c h t e v o n A p o l l i -n a i r e h i n g e g e n a u f z a h i r e i c h e t o n a l eE l e m e n t e u n d a u f g u t e S a n g l i c h k e i tB e z u g g e n o m m e n , u n d d e r j u n g e B a -

r i t o n S i m o n S c h n o r r w u s s t e d e n V o -k a l p a r t i n j e d e r H i n s i c h t v o l l g U l t i g z u rD a r s t e l l u n g z u b r i n g e n , v o n v a n S t e e nu n d d e m O r c h e s t e r i n s p i r i e r t g e t r a g e nu n d r n i t g e s t a l t e t .

E r l a u b t , n i c h t e r l a u b tD a s a u s f U h r l i c h s t e W r k b i l d e t e d e nS c h l u s s d e s M a r a t h o n s : < < F a s / N e f a s / > >

f ü r H a r f e u n d O r c h e s t e r v o n W i l l e mJ e t h s ( * 1 9 5 9 ) , d e s e r k l ä r t e n V e r t r e -t e r s v o n A t o n a l i t ä t u n d t U f t e l n d e r E x -p e r i m e n t i e r l u s t . D e r T i t e l s o l l < < E r -l a u b t o d e r n i c h t e n l a u b t > > h e i s s e n , u n d

d a s p r o v o z i e r t e d i e A s s o z i a t i o n z u r nB i b e i w o r t : < < I c h h a b u e s a l l e s M a c h t ,a b e r e s f r o m m t n i c h t a l l e s > > . . . D i e g e -

w a l t i g e S p i e l e r e i m i t a l i e n M o g l i c t i -k e i t e n i n B e r e i c h e n d e r I n s t r u m e n t -b e h a n d l u n g , d e r G e r a u s c h - u n d D i s -s o n a n z p r o d u k t i o n , d e s R h y t h m u s u n dp e n e t r a n t e r O s t i n a t i b e g i b t s i c h w o h ii n v o l l e m B e w u s s t s e i n a n g e w a g t e s t eG r e n z e n , e n t h ä l t a b e r a u c h f a s z i n i e -r e n d e u n d w e c h s e l v o l l e E m o t i o n e np r o v o z i e r e n e M o m e n t e .

D i e H a r f e n i s t i n G o d e l i e v e S c h r a -

m a v o l l b r a c h t e m i t d e r M e i s t e r u n g d e si m m e n s e n S o l o p a r t s e i n e s e n s a t i o n e l l e

Die Nordostschweiz

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B e r a u s c h e n d e V e r w i r k l i c h u n g : A e r t v a n d e r N e e r s W l n t e r I a n d s c h a f t . B u d : p d

Die Nordostschweiz

8401 Winterthur 1


1078045 / 831.22 / 39'986 mm2 / Farben: 3 Seite 24 22.10.2007

Argus Ref 28834211





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www.classical.net

April 2011

Antonio Soler

Sonatas Arranged for Harp

Sonata #1 in A Major

Sonata #6 in F Major

Sonata #15 in D minor

Sonata #18 in C minor



Sonata #73 in D Major

Sonata #74 in D Major

Sonata #84 in D Major Sonata #100 in C minor



Godelieve Schrama, harp

Dabringhaus & Grimm MDG9031627-6, 67min, Multichannel Hybrid SACD

Antonio Soler (1729 – 1783) has only come to the fore in the last two decades or so. This is most

unfortunate for a composer who managed to write some 470 works in the space of almost 30 years.

The reasons are several, but his humble birth, his upbringing and musical education, and his

eventual isolation in the Escurial soon after taking his priestly vows in 1753, have effectively drawna veil over the more intimate details of his life. What we do know is that he was a humble monk

with a punishing working schedule which allowed him only four hours sleep at night, and that he

was wholly devoted to his post as the organist and "Magisterio de Capilla" at the same Escurial.

This highly enjoyable CD encompasses 12 of Soler's Sonatas that were originally written for

harpsichord, and as the soloist earmarks in her essay, Soler's sonatas can be played more easily on

the harp than, say, those by Domenico Scarlatti. The composer's transparent music gives the harp

player a range of possibilities to work with the natural resonance of the instrument. But these pieces

also offer great challenges, as the soloist has to work with intelligibility, articulation and very often

with the serpentine figures in the music.

Although these pieces were written by an overworked and austere monk, there is nothing holy about

them. Indeed, these sonatas are brimming with joy and life and a strong dance element so

reminiscent of Iberian folklore. Naturally, moments of melancholy and sadness do appear at times,

but these are at a premium, and generally the music is full of inventiveness and surprising turns.

The Dutch harpist Godelieve Schrama gives breezy yet fascinating performances, and her supreme

mastery of the instrument makes the music sing with unbounded bliss. A real peach of a disc in the

best MD&G traditions we have come to expect.

Copyright © 2011, Gerald Fenech.

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The press about Godelieve Schrama