Sturm und Drang from Geneva

"He is a lean old man with whom I soon became acquainted. He was kind enough to play me one of his solos, which was very difficult but nevertheless pleasing. Although he must be about seventy years of age, he plays with as much zeal as a young man of twenty-five." The famous English music traveler Charles Burney tells of his visit in 1770 to a great Swiss composer (if Geneva can be counted as a place belonging to the Swiss Confederation): Gaspard Fritz (1716-1783), who is still a little to be discovered here. Fritz kept himself well in practice, wrote Burney, "despite having so few opportunities to show his talents and be duly rewarded for them". Local music historians have certainly paid tribute to him; Hermann Scherchen once championed him in music editions and recordings. Concert organizers, however, tend to neglect him, even though his music is quite remarkable. Burney has aptly described him as having the zeal of a youth (even though Fritz was only 54 at the time). Handel is also said to have praised his music.

The new recording of five symphonies from Opera 1 and 6 confirms this judgment - and not only because the orchestra La Stagione Frankfurt under the direction of Michael Schneider goes about its work with verve. From the very first note, it is clear that we are not dealing with a staid Helvetic minor master. This music pulsates vividly, storms and pushes, works with contrasts and can enamor a detail in the next moment. These are the most beautiful testimonies to a musical style that wanted to appeal directly to the emotions: through immediacy, clarity, variety and spontaneity of expression. Nothing seems contrived, there is no fat on it, it is always a pleasure to listen to and you never get the impression that yet another music-historical corpse is being exhumed. Fritzen's music is alive and kicking!

Gaspard Fritz: 5 Sinfonias (op. 1 Nr. 5 & 6, op. 6 Nr. 3, 5, 6). La Stagione Frankfurt; Leitung Michael Schneider; cpo 777 696-2