Zelenka, Jan Dismas (1679 - 1745)

[Guest]

According to this list, Zelenka has yet to feature in a BaL. Perhaps the more senior members of this board can verify this.

If so, is this because Zelenka hasn't been truly accepted into the Western musical canon yet? Why haven't the big-HIP(ped) brigade recorded him (Herreweghe, Gardiner et al)? Does Bach cast too long a shadow over the Baroque period or is it because Zelenka's music poses a problem in terms of its oft-cited modern flourishes and "weirdness". (I'm only quoting what I've read here, that it seems 'all over the shop', changing tack, doing odd things for the time, etc.)

There's quite a lot of works available by this 'lost and found' composer on YouTube. Here's a sample piece:

[verismissimo]

Robbins Landon was a great advocate.

I'll have to see if I still have some in my "library".

[kernelbogey]

I like what I've heard of Zelenka, but not enough to position him. The OP raises the issue of the 'canon' of great composers and how it was arrived at. Without in any way diminishing the achievements of, say, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, one might speculate that they have been disproportionately exposed in modern concert and radio programmes.

[doversoul1]

I’d say Zelenka is probably one of the better know or more frequently played composers in early music. He is fairly often heard on TTN. There will be one on Tuesday:
3:27 AM
Zelenka, Jan Dismas (1679-1745)
Capriccio (ZWV.184) in F major
Ekkehard Hering & Wolfgang Kube (oboes), Andrew Joy & Rainer Jurkiewicz (horns), Rhoda Patrick (bassoon) Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Bernhard Forck (director)

I think Early Music Show has featured him at least once. And I think CoW did once. The problem with BaL is that the work has to be long enough to justify as the main work of a CD (there have been a few exceptions) but most early music works don’t come into this category. Another problem may be that there are not enough recordings of the same work. What I would like BaL to do is to review CDs of collections as a ‘project’. Andrew does best to include music from the Baroque era and before but it will be good if BaL takes more notice of early music.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ofiLN9AR9w

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Dismas_Zelenka

[doversoul1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Dismas_Zelenka

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANpy0luQebs

Zelenka: Requiem pour Auguste II | Collegium 1704

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZNYtML_Zrg

Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679--1745)
Missa Omnium Sanctorum ZWV 21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANpy0luQebs

Zelenka: Requiem pour Auguste II | Collegium 1704

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGz1zpMBso

Collegium 1704 - Zelenka - Openingsconcert Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 29 augustus 2014, deel II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCL2CWQaH4A

Jan Dismas Zelenka: Missa Votiva in E minor - Václav Luks

Jan Dismas Zelenka - Missa Divi Xaverii ZWV 12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGz1zpMBso

Poor Zelenka is always referred to as the Czech contemporary of JB Bach. On one occasion when his work was played on Through the Night, I can’t remember who the presenter was but we were informed that Zelenka’s instrumental works had been known for sometime before his sacred works were discovered. I had assumed, completely unfounded, that it was the other way round.

[jayne lee wilson]

Seems worth copying this from summer 2013...
(not sure how many Nibiru issues will still be available... https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...zelenka+nibiru
I have become fonder of the CPO Orchestral box since, it complements the more emotionally-charged DG Bern set well...(though the latter is the one you'll probably fall in love with...)
A lot of these may be on Qobuz now, so seek them out there.)

I had a major crush on Zelenka this summer and discovered the tiny specialist label NIBIRU, who have recorded most of his greatest sacred works with the performers ENSEMBLE INEGAL/PRAGUE BAROQUE SOLOISTS directed by ADAM VIKTORA, and a wonderful group of soloists. Among the highlights...

MISSA OMNIUM SANCTORUM ZWV 21
MISSA PURIFICATIONIS BEATAE VIRGINIS MARIAE ZWV 16
MISSA SANCTISSIMAE TRINITATIS ZWV168
MISSA SANCTI JOSEPHI ZWV 14
and the oratorio IL SERPENTE DI BRONZO.
Part of the pleasure with Nibiru is the lovely CD presentation and very lively and informative notes.

COLLEGIUM 1704 \VACLAV LUKS have made fine recordings too:
on ACCENT - OFFICIUM DEFUNCTORUM/REQUIEM
on ZIGZAG - MISSA VOTIVA ZWV 18 and the oratorio I PENITENTI AL SEPOLCRO ZWV 63

One of his greatest masses, the MISSA DEI PATRIS, can be found on CARUS with BAROCKORCHESTER STUTTGARTetc/FRIEDER BERNIUS, with another fine MISSA VOTIVA too (the Luks one is the wilder of the two, the Bernius one more polished.)

All of these have given me huge pleasure - the crush became a true love...

There's a lovely, truly classic DG Collectors' Edition of the ORCHESTRAL WORKS and TRIO SONATAS with CAMERATA BERN/ALEX VAN WIIJNKOOP https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Classical...rds=zelenka+dg and soloists including Barry Tuckwell and Heinz Holliger, whose first recordings of the Trio Sonatas are included. I prefer this to the Period Instrument CPO/Sonnentheil set of the Capriccios https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zelenka-Com...ds=zelenka+cpo (though the latter do well enough & have the lovely, delicate HIPPs textures), as the Camerata aren't a large group and play with more warmth and a greater sense of responding to each other across the stage...

PAUL DOMBRECHT'S ensemble have a classic period-instrument recording of the TRIO SONATAS on ACCENT.

Overall I feel the most inspired of his works are the Masses and the Trio Sonatas, but just plunge in anywhere really... if you can download, one of the liveliest instrumental works is the intriguingly named HIPOCHONDRiE A 7 CONCERTANTI in A major. (Presto Classical offer all the DG set separately as separate lossless files).