ROMAN, Johan Helmich (1694-1758) - Songs

Obra de Johan Richter (1665-1745), pintor suec (1)

- Recordatori de Johan Helmich Roman -

En el dia de la commemoració del seu 257è aniversari de decés

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Parlem de Pintura...

Johan Richter (Stockholm, 1665 - Venezia, 1745) va ser un pintor suec. El seu primer mestre va ser el decorador Johan Sylvius, amb qui va col·laborar en la decoració del Palau Reial de Drottningholm. El 1697 es va establir a Venècia ciutat on va conèixer la nova pintura vedutista i on hi va viure la resta de la seva vida. Allà es va relacionar amb el cercle dels pintors Luca Carlevarijs i Canaletto, autors que el van influenciar decisivament en la seva obra posterior, amb diferents vistes de la ciutat de Venècia, la ciutat on precisament va morir el 1745.

Font: En català: No disponible - En castellano: No disponible - In english: Johan Richter (1665-1745) - Altres: Johan Richter (1665-1745)

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Parlem de Música...

Johan Helmich Roman (Stockholm, 26 d'octubre de 1694 - Haraldsmåla, 20 de novembre de 1758) va ser un compositor suec. Es va formar amb el seu pare Johan Roman, membre de la Capella Reial Sueca. Precisament, Johan Helmich va entrar a la Capella Reial el 1711 com a intèrpret d'oboè i violí. Gràcies al suport que va rebre del rei Carles XII va viatjar a Anglaterra on va estudiar entre els anys 1715 i 1721. Allà va estudiar amb Pepusch i va entrar en contacte amb Ariosti, G.B. Bononcini, Geminiani i Handel, entre altres. En aquell temps va entrar al servei del ducat de Newcastle com a segon violinista. Després va tornar a Suècia on va assolir el càrrec de mestre adjunt de la capella el 1721 abans d'assolir el lideratge de l'orquestra de la cort el 1727. Com a compositor va escriure principalment cantates festives i el 1727 va publicar una col·lecció de 12 sonates per a flauta, la única col·lecció del seu repertori publicada en vida del seu creador. Així mateix, va ser l'inductor dels concerts públics a Estocolm. Durant la dècada del 1730 va viatjar per Europa fet cabdal en el seu posterior estil com a compositor. El 1740 va ser nomenat membre de la l'Acadèmia Reial de Ciències, fundada el 1739, gràcies en bona part a la seva promoció de la llengua sueca en les obres religioses. El 1741, i després de la mort de la reina Ulrika Eleonora, va viure un breu període de foscor abans d'assolir de nou l'èxit amb la seva famosa partitura Drottningholmsmusique pel casament reial de 1744. L'any següent va haver d'abandonar la música degut a la sordesa, cedint el seu testimoni al seu alumne Per Brant. A partir d'aleshores es va instal·lar a la remota i aïllada població d'Haraldsmåla, on va compondre música religiosa i es va dedicar a la teoria i traducció de publicacions al suec. Va ser precisament allà on va morir el novembre de 1758.

OBRA:

Vocal secular:

2 cantatas:
Pianti amiche, S, orch, Tu parti amato bene, S, bc
c70 solo songs on Swed. texts (several probably parodies);
c15 solo songs in c8 other languages

Occasional vocal:
Hoggi sul’orizonte [Festa musicale] (A. Papi), S, T, B, chorus, orch, birthday of Frederik I, 17 April 1725
Verdopple Sonne deinen Schein [Freudige Bewillkommung] (J.C. Lohman), S, B, orch; birthday of Ulrika Eleonora, 23 Jan 1726, S-HÄ, Sk
Süsse Zeiten eilet nicht [Cantata zu einer Taffel Music] (J. von Köppen), S, B, orch, New Year 1727
Statt up du trogna folk (cant., J. Neresius), S, B, orch, 23 Jan 1727
Förnöijen eder sälla paar [Bröllops music] [wedding music] (U. Rudenschöld), S, B, orch, ? late 1720s, L
Warelse som utan dagar (ode/cant., S.E. Brenner), S, chorus, orch, 23 Jan 1730
Välkommen store kung igen [Cantata vid Hans Kongl. Maj:ts … återkomst ifrån des tyske arf länder], S, T, B, chorus, orch, Nov 1731, Sk
Herren känner the frommas dagar (anthem), S, chorus, orch, funeral of Frederik I, 27 Sept 1751,

Doubtful authenticity:
Prisa Jerusalem Herren, chorus, orch, coronation of Adolphin Frederik, 26 Nov 1751, doubtful authenticity

Vocal religiosa:

Svenska Mässan [Ky-Gl with Swed. text], S, chorus, orch, c1752, S-HA, L, V
Frögdens Herranom al verlden [Ps c], S, B, chorus, orch, ?1743, ed. in Äldre svensk musik, v (Stockholm, 1938)
O Gud vi lofve Tig [TeD], S, T, chorus, orch, L
c10 other choral pieces, mostly psalms, Klm, L, Sk
Dixit Dominus, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1747, partial reworking of Dixit Dominus, 1742, by L. Leo
Beati omnes, attrib. Roman, doubtful authenticity
c100 works for 1/2vv, bc/str on psalm texts metrically paraphrased by Swed. poets, incl. c75 probably authentic [23 in form of cantatas or verse anthems, incl. Tig vi lofve O Gud (TeD), 2vv, bc; c52 in 1 movt], L
c70 songs on non-biblical Swed. texts, 1v, bc, incl. c35 probably parodies of the inst. works, c35 on texts by Swed. poets
Numerous reworkings of pieces by other composers, incl. Carissimi, Fux, Handel and Pepusch

Instrumental:

Orch.:
thematic catalogue in Bengtsson, 1955
Musique satt til en festin hos Ryska Ministren Gref Gollowin [Golovinmusiken], suite, 1728, S-L
Bilägers musiquen (Royal wedding music) [Drottningholmsmusique], suite, 1744, ed. C. Genetay (Stockholm, 1958)
7 suites;
1 ed. H. Rosenberg (Stockholm, 1944);
1 suite, doubtful authenticity
17 sinfonias, a 3 and 4;,
1 ed. in Äldre svensk musik, iv (Stockholm, 1935);
3 ed. in MMS, iv (1965);
nos. 16 and 20 ed. C. Genetay (Stockholm, 1951);
6 ed. in The Symphony 1720–1840, F2: The Symphony in Sweden (New York, 1982);
sketches for 2 sinfonia movts;
1 sinfonia, doubtful authenticity
4 ovs.;
8 pieces and other sketches, L, Sm
4 vn concs.;
2 [D, F] ed. in Äldre svensk musik, ii, iii (Stockholm, 1935);
1 conc., B , ob, str, ed. H. Blomstedt (Berlin, 1959);
conc., D, ob d’amore, str;
conc., G, fl, previously attrib. F. Zellbell

Chbr.:
thematic catalogue in Bengtsson, 1955
12 sonate, fl, vle, hpd (Stockholm, 1727); ed. P. Vretblad (Stockholm, 1937); ed. U. Schmidt-Laukamp (Berlin, 1995)
13 trio sonatas, 2 vn, bc; ed. P. Vretblad (Stockholm, 1947–9); 1 ed. in Äldre svensk musik, i (1935); 1 trio sonata, d, vn, vc, bc; 2 trio sonatas, only bc extant
5 sonatas, 1 inst, bc; duet, a, 2 vn; piece, A, 2 vn, L, Sk
15 Assaggi, vn;
6 ed. in MMS, i (1958);
3 assaggi fragments, vn;
23 études, vn, incl. 9 doubtful authenticity
12 sonatas, hpd; ed. P. Vretblad (Stockholm, 1947;
2 R in Autographus musicus (Beverly Hills, CA, 1976));
1 sonata, C, hpd, doubtful authenticity
Miscellaneous pieces and minuets, Sk, Uu
XII Sonate … del Signore Romano, libro Io, 2 fl, bc (Amsterdam, n.d.), spurious

theoretical works
En uti harmonie öfrad p clav-cymbal: Reglor, Anmårkungar underrttelser at vl spela Bas, och accompagnera p clav-cymbal, spinett och org-värk, S-Skma (1753/R1994; see Hansell, Nordenfelt and Tegen) [trans. of F. Gasparini: L’armonico pratico al cimbalo, Venice, 1708/R]

Font: En català: No disponible - En castellano: No disponible - In english: Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758) - Altres: Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758)

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Parlem en veu pròpia o en veu d'altri...

JOHAN HELMICH ROMAN (1694 - 1758) was the central figure in the musical life of the Swedish era of peace following this country's decline as a great power, and is regarded as one of the foremost composers Sweden has ever had. During his years of study in England 1716-21 and in the course of a journey to England, France, Italy and Germany 1735-37 he aquired detailed knowledge of the musical trends of the period. As conductor of the court orchestra he did important work from the 1720's to the 1740's. Amongst other things he introduced Handel's music in Sweden and took active part in the development of public concert life in Stockholm in the 1730's. His rich production includes occasional music for celebrations at court etc., sacred choral works, sacred and secular songs as well as works for different instrumental ensembles. Roman's style incorporates impressions from many quarters, chiefly from Handel and contemporary Italians such as Lotti, Leo, Ariosti, G.B. Bononcini and Geminiani, probably also Locatelli and Tartini. At a remarkably early stage one finds in him the stylistic manner of the late baroque with an admixture of "style galant", something which is particularly noticeable in the instrumental works. These comprise orchestral suites with several movements, sinfonias of three and four movements, trio sonatas, solo sonatas with basso continuo, compositions for solo violin and keyboard music. In the vocal field his chief contributions were the promotion of a Swedish monody in the form of song with continuo and his conscious endeavour to show "the flexi- bility of the Swedish language for church music".

Roman's compositions for solo violin is an interesting group of works in his instrumental production. He was himself an accomplished violinist, especially in his younger years, before increasing deafness precluded the possibility of further activity as executant. He was also pedagogically active. In his "assaggi" with several movements (essays, experiments, studies) and small pieces of the nature of etudes for solo violin he left a contribution to the 18th century repertoire for unaccompanied violin that is probably without parallel as regards quantity. Many of these are musically rich compositions, and they must still be acknowledged to have great didactic value, not least for the study of the violin playing and the technique of the late baroque. From stylistic point of view they have little in common with J.S. Bach's compositions for solo violin, with which Roman was not aquainted. Rather it appears that Geminiani was one of his chief models; there are, too, certain resemblances with Locatelli's violin style and G.Ph. Telemann's "fantasias" for the instrument. That Roman himself valued his Assaggi appears from the fact that he planned to have them printed. This would have been the only contemporary printed edition with works by him besides the twelve "Sonate a flavto traverso, violone e cembalo", Stockholm 1727. The printing of the works for solo violin had, however, to be disrupted. Most probably for economic reasons. A unique specimen of a first printing with two movements in g minor on two pages (31.5 x 20.5 cm) are preserved in the library of the Royal Academy of Music. 

This printing is furnished with the following remarks: "this is a sonata from the exercises for the violin by the late Court Intendant and conductor Doctor Roman, published in print by himself, but subsequently withdrawn, so that copies are rather rare", and the dating "Stockholm the 26th June 1740". The data are confirmed by an advertisement in "Stockholms Post Tidningar", May 12th 1740, where we read of "a beautiful musical piece or so-called assaggio a violino solo", and the reader is further advised that it is "intended to continue with such wirk in the keys most in vogue". There is also other evidence in support of the assumption that at least most of Roman's assaggi were in existence about 1740 and were composed mainly during the 1730's. The other compositions "in the keys most in vogue" mentioned in the advertisement are preserved only in manuscript. The most important of these sources is a comprehensive and beautifully written but incompletely preserved collection by Roman's colleague and successor Per Brandt (1714-67). This includes a good twenty compositions, the majority complete, but some very fragmentary. In a way typical for the period the notation of Roman's assaggi presupposes that the performer is familiar with the contemporary practice and style of playing, e.g. in the form of chords which are intended to be broken up into arpeggios. Sometimes a fermata marks the place for an improvised "cadenza", and in numerous instances it is assumed that the soloist will perform certain embellishments, rhythmic variations etc. that are apparent from the notation only in part or not at all. Both in his autograph and in the print Roman gives several examples of the execution of passages that Brandt has abbreviated in his notation; a number of these instructions as well as other differences of detail between the sources afford a good point of departure for the execution of other similar passages. The above text was loosely written from the extensive introduction to the Assaggio for solo violin, printed by Edition Reimers around 1975. This is an excellent edition full of examples of baroque style violin playing - and it of course contains the six Assaggi by Roman. They are arranged in a way that seems plausible, but one is not completely certain if the assaggi were meant to have four movements each etc.

Project Runeberg (source/font: aquí)

Gaudiu i compartiu! 

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Informació addicional... 

INTERPRETS: Susanne Ryden (soprano); Nils-Erik Sparf (violin); Kari Ottesen (cello); Sven Aberg (guitar); Eva Nordenfeldt (1936-1995, harpsichord); Bjorn Gafvert (organ)
RECICLASSICAT: ROMAN, Johan Helmich (1694-1758)
CLASSICSONLINE: ROMAN, J.H. - Songs

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