Gallant Central Swiss symphonic music
A rarity for strings and horns is edited here for the first time and will be premiered in January.
The name of Lucerne composer Joseph Franz Xaver Dominik Stalder crops up time and again when older Swiss orchestral music is on the agenda; Hermann Scherchen already contributed to the "spiritual defense of the country" with the edition of a symphony in 1942. While studying theology in Milan, Stalder (1725-1765) came into contact with the music of Giovanni Battista Sammartini. He then worked as a musician and teacher in central Switzerland, but also as a conductor in London, Paris and Monaco. Until his death at the age of almost forty, he was organist of the Lucerne Hofkirche.
Nun hat der Solothurner Organist Hans-Rudolf Binz eine Sinfonie in C-Dur, die vierte aus den Six Symphonies Italiennes for strings and two horns op. 5. It is based on an original print from the Solothurn Central Library. In addition to an in-depth preface, a detailed revision report provides information on all deviations in the musical text from the main source. The editor has also added a simple continuo realization. As early as 1961, an earlier researcher praised the "extraordinarily fresh style" of Stalder's music and the "conciseness" of his compositional forms.
This rarity must be all the more welcome today for an accomplished amateur orchestra. The Bern Ludus Ensemble under the direction of Jean-Luc Darbellay will not miss this opportunity and will perform the piece for the first time next January on the basis of this new edition (see below).
Hopefully the edition will soon be supplemented by the five remaining symphonies from this opus - without the regrettable misprint "keyboard instrument" on the title page.
Joseph Franz Xaver Dominik Stalder, Sinfonia IV in C major from VI Symphonies Italiennes op. 5 for 2 violins, viola, 2 horns ad lib. and basso continuo, edited by Hans-Rudolf Binz (Musik aus der Sammlung der Zentralbibliothek Solothurn, vol. 7), score, M&S 2308.01, Fr. 24.00, Musikverlag Müller & Schade, Bern 2015
Performances with the Ludus ensemble:
Sunday, January 29, 2017, 5 p.m. in the Church of St. Paul in Mulhouse (F)
Monday, January 30, 2017, in the Petruskirche Bern
