TRPTK has released the new album Miscellanea by Menno van Delft & Artem Belogurov: an intimate look into the musical life of the 18th century.
As a musician, you might be asked whether you are interested in a pile of copies of scores left behind from the extensive collection of the legendary Christopher Hogwood (1941-2014), one of the British pioneers of the Early Music movement. This happened to harpsichordist Menno van Delft who, together with ArtemBelogurov, one of his former Master students, worked through no less than twelve boxes of historical material: a true voyage of discovery!
Selecting and combining
Working closely together, Belogurov and Van Delft brought order to the extensive collection. They also made a preliminary selection of works to be performed, in which all possible combinations were conceivable, from solo to six-handed! But also a four-handed fugue for organ or a combination of harpsichord and fortepiano, were among the possibilities.
Amerongen Castle
The adventurous TRPTK label, immediately expressed its interest in a recording project. Amerongen Castle was chosen as the location, a place that breathes music with its collection of historical instruments. Van Delft: “The music hall has fantastic acoustics and the residents were extremely hospitable. We were able to record there every evening for two weeks, after the tourist-tours during the day. We really lived there.”
Belogurov: “I was completely in love with the rare Kirkman harpsichord they have there, a beautiful instrument.”
Inspired recordings
Inspired recordings were made in this inviting atmosphere, with WA Mozart’s ‘Sonata pour deux clavecins ou piano-forte in D Major, KV 448’ given a performance on fortepiano and harpsichord for the first time. A discovery for Van Delft is the work of Siegfried Schmiedt (c1756-1799), who is represented with his ‘Fantasia in A Minor’ and ‘Sonata No. 4. He also finds the ‘Vivace’ from the ‘Concerto in E Major’ by Hirich Conrad Kreising (c1700-1771) masterful. Belogurov mentions the ‘Sonata No. 2, Op.2’ by Georg Simon Löhlein (1725-1781) and the ‘Sonata per Gravicembalo Solo in C Major, Op. 15’ by Gottfried Weber (1779-1839). A curiosity is the ‘Sonata No.1’ by Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwenke (1767-1822), which quotes extensively from the aforementioned sonata by WA Mozart. No less than 21 compositions make up the 3-CD box set ‘MISCELLANEA’. Rarely has a more penetrating look been offered into the keyboard music of the 18th century, with various well-known, lesser known and forgotten musical masters.
More beauty on the way?
Naturally, the handsome edition is provided with extensive liner notes. And ….. Belogurov and Van Delft tell us that we might be releasing more material from the Hogwood collection in the near future. In short: keep an eye on TRPTK news if you are interested!