Two contrasting books were published in 2019 to mark the 300th anniversary of Leopold Mozart's birth. Erich Broy researched the compositional style that moved away from the basso continuo and towards the Italian opera symphony. He used Wolfgang Amadeus' works for boys and the first movements of Leopold Mozart's symphonies as material. Leopold drew on the theoretical writings of Joseph Riepel, who described composing as a componere (putting together precisely defined bar parts). The masterly way in which the father taught his son can be seen in the rapid progress in his works KV 1 to KV 7 and also in the many similarities between the compositions - which causes confusion in the attribution and speaks for the quality of Leopold's work!

The scientifically precise analyses based on many musical examples in the text and in an additional volume of sheet music require professional knowledge; readers can familiarize themselves with the text with the help of musikanalyse.net/tutorials make yourself smart. The table on pages 307-309, which lists all of Leopold Mozart's known symphonies with details of the source and its dating, authenticity, stylistic classification and presumed date of composition, is valuable. In this context I mention the book by Christian Broy, Eric's brother, on the transmission of the sources and Leopold Mozart's distribution strategy (On the transmission of Leopold Mozart's large-scale musical works, Beiträge zur Leopold-Mozart-Forschung, vol. 5, Wissner Musikbuch, Augsburg 2012).

Silke Leopold enthusiastically allows us to participate in Leopold Mozart's self-sacrificing life. Even the two-column chronological table in the appendix makes the European significance of his work clear: in addition to Leopold's family data and activities, the second column shows the most important political and cultural events that he witnessed - an interesting history lesson!

The main section, illustrated in color, tells in seven chapters (each clearly divided with red quotation headlines) how the father, who was a bookbinder in Augsburg, gave Leopold a privileged Jesuit education, how Leopold cleverly established himself in Salzburg among the capricious or generous archbishops, married and marketed his works. Like a nobleman, he took his children on extensive educational trips, making useful contacts and doing business throughout Europe, while at the same time paving the way to success for his children. The many letters quoted show a great deal of intellect, authority, feeling and humor. For example: his judgments on the various denominations of Europe - including his own - become increasingly critical the further he moves away from Salzburg. The author demonstrates Leopold's genius for tone painting in vivid analyses of some of his compositions. The significance of his violin school is embedded in the context of other instrumental schools of the time. The hardening of his relationship with his "unreasonable" and profligate son is tragic, while the grandfather's concern for Leopoldli, Nannerl's son, is touching. The prominent author shines with scholarship and narrative power.

Eric Broy: Leopold Mozart - Composing in a time of stylistic change, Beiträge zur Leopold-Mozart-Forschung, Vol. 6.1 and 6.2 (sheet music volume), together 506 p., € 59.80, Wissner Musikbuch, Augsburg 2019, ISBN 978-3-95786-162-7

Silke Leopold: Leopold Mozart - "A man of much wit and wisdom", A biography, 280 p., € 29.99, Bärenreiter/J.B. Metzler, Kassel/Stuttgart 2019, ISBN 978-3-7618-2086-5

Catalog of works by Leopold Mozart:
Cliff Eisen: Leopold-Mozart-Werkverzeichnis (LMV), Beiträge zur Leopold-Mozart-Forschung, Vol. 4 (ed. Internationale Leopold Mozart Gesellschaft), 272 p., € 39.80, Wissner Musikbuch, Augsburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89639-757-7

We still barely understand how music and emotion are connected. The scientific community does not even agree on what emotions actually are and how to classify their various manifestations. This means that individual studies on the emotional effect of music remain piecemeal. This preliminary groping in the fog opens up room for original and surprising suggestions as to how expressivity in music can be explained.

Bernd and Daniela Willimek are making an attempt with a "striving tendency theory", which is based on the ideas of music psychologists Ernst Kurth and Deryck Cooke, among others. "Emotions conveyed and evoked by music" are said to be explained by "identification with abstract volitional content". With reference to Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, the authors create a theory that is intuitively difficult to understand and rather unsystematically interspersed with metaphor (a major tonic represents a "person standing upright"). On the other hand, the two do not say a word about historically influential gestalt-theoretical approaches, which should explain the directional energies of tones much more plausibly and naturally than their own approach. The numerous individual musical analyses that can be found in their book Music and emotions - studies on the theory of striving are original and stimulating, but without really clarifying or supporting their theory. The same applies to the series of experiments that the couple carried out at grammar schools and German schools abroad. Obviously, they worked with a fairly homogeneous group of subjects with the same musical socialization, which in itself does not justify the universal claim of the theory in any way.

It cannot be ruled out that the striving tendency theory could make interesting contributions to explaining the expressiveness of music. However, it would have to be made much clearer and more systematic - docked to existing theoretical concepts and results of music psychology, with methodologically sound interfaces for experimental testing.

Bernd and Daniela Willimek: Music and emotions. Studies on the theory of striving, 125 p., € 20.00, Deutscher Wissenschafts-Verlag, Baden-Baden 2019, ISBN 978-3-86888-145-5

Johann Jacob Froberger (1616-1667) - "the Franz Liszt of the 17th century" - is known as a clavierist, as a composer of toccatas, canzonas, ricercari and suites. His most famous works are probably his "Lamenti" and "Tombeaus" or the two meditations ..faict à Madrid sur la Mort future resp. ...faist svr ma Mort fvtvre. Verbal instructions such as "avec/à discrétion" have long indicated that Froberger's own performance amounted to much more than what his surviving musical texts contain. His legendary fame is based not only on two extensive autograph collections and countless copies as well as three complete editions, but also on the fact that an additional autograph briefly surfaced in 2006, but has not been accessible to researchers or editions since then. Reasons enough for a symposium that took place in October 2016 in Stuttgart, the city of Froberger's birth, to mark his 400th birthday, and for the subsequent publication of the papers presented there.

"Avec discrétion" Rethinking Froberger brings to light current findings that go far beyond Froberger himself. Although new sources provide substantial clarification of details of Froberger's biography and environment, what is more astonishing is the evidence of how much Froberger was committed to the French lute tradition (Dirksen and Ledbetter) and how (also) his composing was based on existing models of composition (Gavito), i.e. that hardly any fundamental differences can be discerned between original composition and modular improvisation. The texts on Froberger's performance practice should also be of particular interest: Karin Paulsmeier's comments on the peculiarities of notation, Francesco Cera's investigations into fermata dotting and Florian Bassani's notes on performative enrichment practice based on French keyboard and vocal treatises. In addition, Martin Kirnbauer and Eugène Michelangeli raise questions about the intended instruments: polyphonic harpsichord and clavichord respectively.

The symposium report also contains a history of the concept of "discretion", insights into the types of travel at the time and an examination of musical Rome in the 17th century, where Froberger, a pupil of Frescobaldi, stayed several times. Finally, at Rethinking Froberger The question can also be asked why he did not devote himself more to vocal music.

Overall, the advantage of this comprehensive volume (including documents, illustrations, a list of sources and editions as well as a careful bibliography) lies not only in the variety of approaches, but also in the wealth of details worth knowing about the history and performance practice of 17th century music. Anyone wishing to study keyboard music from a broader perspective must pick up this book.

"Avec discrétion" Rethinking Froberger, edited by Andreas Vejvar and Markus Grassl, (Wiener Veröffentlichungen zur Musikgeschichte, Vol. 14), 544 p., € 53.00, Böhlau, Vienna et al. 2018, ISBN 978-3-205-20740-5

It all seems so light, so playful, so inspiring! Birgit Jeschonneck's book Language development with music is intended for first and second grade teachers, especially those who teach children whose first language is not German. The concept is clear and easy to understand: the children visit four dream lands invented by children's author Paul Maar. There is the colorful land of circles, the land of 1000 corners, the land of red tones and finally the small land of upside down. Jeschonneck sets clear educational objectives for each of these countries: The children should look for round or angular objects in the classroom, such as the round heating thermostat, the round clock, the angular table or the geo triangle. They learn new terms along the way.

Now each dreamland has its own well-known folk song, into which found objects are integrated using a parody technique. "The cupboard has eight corners, the cupboard has eight corners", is one example. Or the children write poetry to the tune of Green, green, green are all my clothes new lines such as: "... because my favorite thing is the fire alarm". The children playfully develop a feeling for the structure of the German language, for articles and for hyphenation.

Not every teacher will be able to go through the whole book. But the German or music teacher can use a lot of it for exciting, inclusive lessons that promote creativity and combine learning with fun. The almost 100-page book is also highly recommended for home use. In addition to many illuminating examples, there is a beautifully produced CD and a stimulating theoretical section for further reflection.

Birgit Jeschonneck: Language development with music for "Paula's Travels". Teaching and play ideas for the picture book by Paul Maar for grades 1+2, 99 pages, with CD, € 21.95, Friedrich-Verlag, Hanover 2019, ISBN 978-3-617-92026-8

The boundaries between serious and popular music in music lessons and concerts are becoming increasingly permeable, and the mutual influence of the different musical styles is an enrichment. The compositions for two violoncellos discussed below take this development into account.

The American composer George A. Speckert was born in 1951 in Missouri (USA), a center of American jazz culture. The booklet The Roots of Jazz includes arrangements of well-known catchy tunes by Scott Joplin (The Entertainer), Arthur Harrington Gibbs (Runnin' Wild) and Nick La Rocca (Tiger Rag) as well as witty original compositions by Speckert himself. Both cello parts have the same level of difficulty and do not go beyond the fourth position. The collection will give pleasure to pupils and teachers and will not fail to have an effect on the audience.

The heavy metal sonata Cantus by David Floer is technically demanding and combines heavy metal rhythms and harmonies in the form of a classical three-movement sonata. The piece is aimed at advanced cellists and combines extended cantilenas with guitar-like rock fingerings. If you want to enhance the heavy metal sound even further, you can use effects devices such as wah-wah or sound distortion to achieve the desired effect.
You can get an impression of the piece on Youtube provide.

George A. Speckert: The Roots of Jazz for two violoncellos, Ready to Play, BA 10649, € 14.95, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2019

David Floer: Cantus, Heavy Metal Sonata for two violoncellos, Floer Music Verlag, Cologne 2017, ISMN 979-0-700351-13-7

The Merel Quartet has already successfully explored the music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (and his sister Fanny) for an album (Genuin 11204: Felix: String Quartet in F minor op. 80; Four Pieces for String Quartet op. 81; Fanny: String Quartet in E flat major). The Swiss ensemble has now been joined by the young English Castalian String Quartet to record the Octet op. 20.

In the first string quartet in E flat major op. 12, however, the Merel Quartet is still among itself. The four perform the fast middle section of the Canzonetta as an elf dance, the Andante espressivo has great breath. And in the finale, Mary Ellen Woodside (violin 1), Edouard Mätzener (violin 2), Alessandro D'Amico (viola) and Rafael Rosenfeld (violoncello) combine lightness with a dramatic effect that creates a real pull. Only in the opening movement does the quartet take too many liberties in terms of agogic, so that the pulse is lost a little in the numerous small delays when quaver figures are played out too much or caesuras introduce new sections.

Together with Sini Simonen (violin 1), Daniel Roberts (violin 2), Charlotte Bonneton (viola) and Christopher Graves (cello), the octet creates a tonally balanced, narrative interpretation that ranges from fragile intimacy to orchestral power. The composer wanted the octet to play "in the style of a symphonic orchestra". The fusion of the two ensembles into a single, flexible body of sound is impressively successful. The way the tension in the development section of the first movement reverberates and the recapitulation is heralded in the rush of semiquavers chasing through the voices - that's great! A highly emotional Andante and an airy Scherzo are followed by a somewhat rumbling cello introduction and an extremely fast Presto finale that celebrates virtuosity and leaves a strong impression despite minor rhythmic inaccuracies.
 

Yes, they do exist, the works that have fallen through the cracks of history. The reasons for this are manifold: in the 20th century, it was often political circumstances that caused them to fall through the cracks, before that a wide variety of factors played a role: a lack of initial success, an unusual instrumentation, an unsuccessful text ... When such scores are unexpectedly found or are performed again after decades, there is often talk of an "unjustly forgotten" composition. Whether it then enters the repertoire or at least comes to the attention of the general public remains to be seen. One heretical question always arises: Aren't there also "unjustly forgotten" compositions - such as all-too-early youthful works or even occasional music?

In any case, the mechanisms of the repertoire do not work according to fixed rules. This is also the case with Beethoven and his rich oeuvre, not all of which is equally well known - on the contrary: there is still much to be discovered. So too the Cantata on the death of Emperor Joseph II. WoO 87 (1790), a work commissioned by the Bonner Lese- und Erholungsgesellschaft (which, incidentally, still exists today and has also admitted women as members since 2019). The old minutes of the Executive Committee contain the suggestion that "perform something musical either before or after the speech" was to be performed. However, the cantata was never performed. As it was later said: "from several causes". Perhaps Beethoven had planned the work too extensively (with a playing time of just under three quarters of an hour), perhaps it was completed too late (there were only three weeks between the commission and the memorial service on March 19), and Elector Maximilian, the brother of the deceased and Prorector of the Society, had asked for an hour of silence in the sense of a funeral service.

Beethoven's autograph was lost unplayed. A copy did not reappear until 1884, and the cantata was performed for the first time at a concert of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna at the suggestion of Eduard Hanslick. Since then it has led a shadowy existence. - Rightly so? Certainly not, because a great deal of the later Beethoven can already be heard here. It is no coincidence that the master later used musical material in other of his works (including the Fidelio) is reused.
 

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In this way, the Federal Council aims to "prevent permanent damage to the Swiss cultural landscape and preserve Switzerland's cultural diversity", as it stated in the Media release writes. And further:

"The economic impact of the ban on events on the cultural sector (performing arts, design, film, visual arts, literature, music and museums) is to be cushioned by means of emergency aid and compensation. As a first step, it is making CHF 280 million available as an initial tranche for two months. During these two months, the Confederation will monitor further developments together with the cantons and cultural organizations. The following measures are planned:

Firstly, the federal government provides funds to provide emergency aid to cultural enterprises and creative artists: non-profit cultural enterprises, for example foundations, can receive repayable interest-free loans to ensure their liquidity. Cultural professionals can claim non-repayable emergency aid to cover their immediate living costs, provided this is not covered by the new compensation for loss of earnings based on the Loss of Earnings Compensation Act. This is handled by the cantons (cultural enterprises) or by Suisseculture Sociale (creative artists).

Secondly, cultural enterprises and cultural professionals can apply to the cantons for compensation for the financial loss associated with the cancellation or postponement of events or the closure of businesses. The compensation covers a maximum of 80 percent of the financial loss. The Confederation shall bear half of the costs awarded by the cantons.

Thirdly, amateur associations in the fields of music and theater can be supported with a financial contribution for the financial loss associated with the cancellation or postponement of events."
 

The Federal Council has also Gatherings of more than five people prohibited. He refrains from imposing a ban on going out and instead relies on the solidarity and personal responsibility of each individual. It is important that the population understands the measures. After all, they must be adhered to by April 19. This requires a great deal of perseverance from everyone.

Georg Matter has been Deputy Head of the Culture Department since February 2018. Before joining the canton, he was a founding member and member of the management board of ProSpect GmbH in Reinach for ten years.

Georg Matter studied prehistory and early history, medieval archaeology and classical archaeology at the Universities of Basel and Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany). In 2008, he completed his doctorate at the Institut d'Archéologie et des Sciences de l'Antiquité (IASA) at the University of Lausanne. In 2012, he completed a CAS certificate course at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland on the fundamentals of business administration.