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Jan Dismas Zelenka

10K views 27 replies 15 participants last post by  Bernamej 
#1 ·
I purchased some Zelenka the other day, specifically, a complete set of his sonatas.

I like him, he's like a sadder J. S. Bach.
 
#6 ·
So far I've really enjoyed his Sinfonia(and its actually in A minor) . Of course I'm stuck on multiple movement pieces that resemble symphonies.

There are a surprising number of a good cds. He seems to be great at writing orchestral suite type things, which is the type of thing I most enjoy, so outside of that, I'm not the biggest help. There is a piece with a strange title, "Hypochondrie" that I keep hearing about.
 
#7 ·
One of my favorite composers, he has such a personal and mature style! Very german and heavy, but totally different from Bach/Telemann.
His trio sonatas for two oboes and BC are really amazing if you like heavy baroque counterpoint. -
For more lyrical pieces I recommend the 2nd movement of the Ouverture ZWV188 (at 07:40 ) and the 2nd movement from the Concerto ZWV186.

But his masses is where he put his enthusiasm:
 
#9 ·
I currently have two "must hear" Zelenka recordings. Save your money and then ASAP:



The lead musician on that is Holliger, and this recording seems essentially to have rescued Zelenka from obscurity.



This seems to be the recording that persuaded many people that Zelenka is a major genius from the late Baroque deserving much more attention.

There are a few more Zelenka recordings that I intend to hear in the near future, but for now - based on their reputations as well as my own experience - I can fervently recommend these two.
 
#10 ·
Other great Zelenka recordings include:











Zelenka played the violone, the largest and lowest member of the viol family, analogous to the double bass in the violin family of stringed instruments. The composer was a daring and innovative master of counterpoint. His works are often virtuosic and difficult to perform, but always fresh and surprising, with sudden turns of harmony, being always a challenge for their interpreters. In particular, his writing for bass instruments is far more demanding than that of other composers of his era. Not surprisingly, Zelenka was admired by J.S. Bach as evidenced in a letter from Bach to his son, Carl Phillip Emmanuel. Zelenka was even known to have been a guest in Bach's home in Leipzig.
 
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#12 ·
Well... personally I prefer Zelenka's choral works to the instrumental... but I still quite enjoyed the instrumental works by the Camerata Bern. Of the four I posted, I think my favorite would have been the I Penitenti al Sepolchro del Redentore which is by the same group as your second example (the Missa Votiva). It's been a while since I listened to the others. From what I recall the Lamentations (as might be expected) were less driven or rhythmic than other works by Zelenka, but I recall being quite impressed by the work. The performers is every instance are top-notch, with such brilliant singers as Robin Blaze and Michael Chance.
 
#21 · (Edited)
One of my favorite pieces by Zelenka and also one of my favorite requiems. It is such a beautiful piece but it's also funny because the it often doesn't really match the somber mood of most requiems. For instance, it starts out sounding almost like something that would come from Händel's Water Music (among many other pieces) and the Dies Irae is peculiarly happy (maybe Zelenka was secretly hoping for the day of wrath, but who knows). More likely, the upbeat nature of the work is meant to develop a more positive viewpoint on death, but this may just be an unjustified conclusion. Nonetheless, the piece features some of Zelenka's most beautiful and intimate moments, such as the interaction between the vocalist and the chalumeau in the Christe Eleison.

 
#23 ·
r/classicalmusic - Happy Birthday Jan Dismas Zelenka

His birthday is 10-16-1679

Here are some of his compositions:


1. 6 Sonatas:

2. "Complete Orchestral Works":

3. Concertos and sonatas for Orchestra:

4. Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei:

5. Litaniae Lauretanae 'Salus Infirmorum':

6. Litaniae Omnium Sanctorum: Jan Dismas Zelenka - Litaniae Omnium Sanctorum, ZWV 153

7. Litaniae de Vergine Maria: Jan Dismas Zelenka - Litaniae de Vergine Maria, ZWV 149. {w/ original Manuscript}

8. Litaniae Xaverianae: Jan Dismas Zelenka - Litaniae Xaverianae - ZWV 155 - Adam Viktora, Inégal

9. Mass in D minor(This was composed by A. Caldera, but, Zelenka did some additions to this work as well): A. Caldara / J.D Zelenka - Mass in D Minor 'Providentiae.' w/ score.

10. Miserere(C Minor): Jan Dismas Zelenka – Miserere, ZWV 57

11. Miserere(D Minor): Zelenka - Miserere in d minor, ZWV 56. {Autograph score + 4k HD}

12. Missa Charitatis: MISSA CHARITATIS (ZWV 10) by Jan Dismas Zelenka {Audio + Full score}

13. Missa Circumcisionis:J.D Zelenka - Missa Circumcisionis, ZWV 11. Perf: Dresdner Kapellknaben.

14. Missa Corporis Domini: MISSA CORPORIS DOMINI (ZWV 3) by Jan Dismas Zelenka {Audio + Full score}

15. Missa dei Patris: MISSA DEI PATRIS (ZWV 19) by Jan Dismas Zelenka {Audio + Full score}

16. Missa Divi Xaverii: Collegium 1704 - Zelenka - Openingsconcert Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 29 augustus 2014, deel II

17. Missa "Fidei": MISSA FIDEI (ZWV 6) by Jan Dismas Zelenka {Audio + Full score}

18. Missa Dei Filii: Jan Dismas Zelenka – Missa Dei Filii

19. Missa Gratias agimus tibi: Jan Dismas Zelenka - Missa Gratias agimus tibi, ZWV 13

20. Missa Omnium Sanctorum: Zelenka: Missa Omnium Sanctorum, ZWV 21

21. Missa "Purificationis": MISSA PURIFICATIONIS (ZWV 16) by Jan Dismas Zelenka {Audio + Full score}

22. Missa Sanctae Caeciliae: Jan Dismas Zelenka - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae, ZWV 1 (c. 1711)

23. Missa Sancti Josephi: Jan Dismas Zelenka - Missa Sancti Josephi in D Major, ZWV 14 (c. 1731)

24. Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis: Jan Dismas Zelenka – Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis

25. Missa Votiva in E minor: Jan Dismas Zelenka: Missa Votiva in E minor - Václav Luks (HD 1080p)

26. Psalmi Vespertini:
(1) Jan Dismas Zelenka: "Psalmi Vespertini"-1st. cycle (1725) [Zwv 66,72,75,82,83,108 & 50/97]-complete

(2) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lOXkh8COA2RCBc5xHj0kSXNtOb07gGB1c

(3) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m2hcVB1-Qwk6YLC4xOwskDiV2vvuv6TPI


27. Requiem in C minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoueMUEi4Xo&ab_channel=S.P.'sscorevideos

28. Requiem in D Major: Zelenka Requiem ZWV 46 Collegium 1704 Václav Luks

29. Requiem in D Minor: Zelenka - Requiem in D Minor, ZWV 48 {Urtext score}


30. Te Deum(D Major): Bach & Zelenka: Jan Dismas Zelenka: "Te Deum" [ZWV 146] - Collegium 1704/ Luks (20.08.11) (1of2)

31. Te Deum(B-flat Major): Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745) - Te Deum
 
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