choral music by Giovanni Bononcini who was delivered to England as Handel’s operatic rival

It’s because in addition to writing operas, Bononcini took half in the remainder of London’s burgeoning musical life. He was energetic within the authentic Academy of Historical Music, and he might have written his grand setting of the Te Deum for it. That is the primary recording of the unique, London model of the work; Bononcini revised it and later offered it in Vienna. His setting of Laudate Pueri may be linked to the Academy of Historical Music, and naturally these can be as live performance works as each items set the Latin textual content. However two years after his arrival in London, Bononcini was commissioned to jot down an anthem for the funeral of John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough. The ensuing piece, When Saul was King was carried out at Westminster Abbey by greater than 70 singers and gamers. 

We start with a shorter piece, Ave Maris stella, which nonetheless exhibits Bononcini’s talent at combining melodic allure with constructional curiosity. Certain by a strolling bass, he treats us to a pleasant number of vocal scorings because the verses unfold, ending with some fantastic choral counterpoint.

In the case of the Te Deum, it’s fascinating to check the work to Handel’s massive scale essays within the style. Handel appears to have taken on board the English mannequin of Purcell, with a largely choral texture integrating quick solo moments. Bononcini, nonetheless, offers us 13 actions which embody solo arias for soprano and alto, plus duet and trio arias in addition to choruses. When it comes to works which are acquainted, Bononcini is rather a lot nearer to, say, Bach’s Magnificat on this work. He has a knack of mixing fairly old school development, together with strolling basses and choral counterpoint, with a beautiful melodic felicity. Sure there are grand moments, however splendidly melodic ones too. He doesn’t create a large-scale, spectacular construction from smaller moments, within the method of Handel, as an alternative it’s merely a different and fascinating journey by way of the textual content.

With Laudate Pueri we’re in the identical sound world, although the choral writing within the opening motion with its wealthy use of sources – scoring of two excessive and two low vocal traces (not unusual in seventeenth-century Italian sacred music) and no fewer than 4 violin components within the instrumental ensemble – makes it particularly memorable. And once more, there is an interesting gracefulness to Bononcini’s melodic writing.

When Saul was King is gloriously austere, with a hanging accompanied recitative and aria for alto (Helen Charlston) at its centre which makes for a pared down but richly satisfying work. Right here, you are feeling that Bononcini is responding each to the scenario and to the way in which English music may need approached the textual content.

The performances are uniformly successful, making us take the music critically and by no means seeming to bask in any particular pleading. The result’s a minor revelation, a composer whose music deserves to be higher recognized and whose large-scale choral works might simply sit alongside these of Handel. Within the music on this disc, Bononcini shows the knack of managing to have one foot previously while all of the whereas writing music that’s appealingly approachable.

Giovanni Bononcini (1670-1747) – Ave Maris Stella
Giovanni Bononcini – Te Deum
Giovanni Bononcini – Laudate pueri
Giovanni Bononcini – How are the mighty fallen
Rowan Pierce (soprano)
Esther Lay (mezzo-soprano)
Helen Charlston (alto)
Man Reducing (tenor)
Giles Underwood (bass)
Choir of Queen’s School, Oxford
Academy of Historical Music
Owen Rees (conductor)
Recorded 23-25 June 2023, Church of St Michael and All Angels, Oxford
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD905 1CD [1:11:10]