Cesare di Castelbarco (1782-1860): Sonate caratteristiche sopra la Creazione

[MusFerd]

I would like to announce our performance of an outstanding musical discovery:

Cesare di Castelbarco (1782-1860), Sonate caratteristiche sopra la Creazione (printed Milano 1846)

The performance of the Orchester der Akademie St. Blasius directed by Karlheinz Siessl will be broadcasted as concert stream on Youtube this Sunday, 19.30 MET

The link to the stream will be published here soon - and here you can find some further information (in German, though):

https://www.tiroler-landesmuseen.at/termin/schatzkammer-innsbrucker-musikverein/

[eschiss1]

Several of his string quintets and other works are @ IMSLP with the result that I'm already curious about his music as a general thing, and am curious - thank you.

I presume from the worklist there that this work is Op.15 given there as "Characteristic Sonatas on [?Haydn's] 'Creation', for 2 Violins, Viola, Cello and Double Bass; or Violin, Cello and Piano". (The sonatas op.15 are mentioned in an issue of the Gazzetta di Milano that Google Books thinks should be in snippet view but date-estimates to around 1831 (obviously a copyright concern at 190 years old) so perhaps date from earlier than 1846, btw.)

[Alan Howe]

Guten Abend Dr Gratl!

Will this fascinating composition by Cesare di Castelbarco be recorded for commercial release on CD?

[MusFerd]

Several of his string quintets and other works are @ IMSLP with the result that I'm already curious about his music as a general thing, and am curious - thank you.

I presume from the worklist there that this work is Op.15 given there as "Characteristic Sonatas on [?Haydn's] 'Creation', for 2 Violins, Viola, Cello and Double Bass; or Violin, Cello and Piano". (The sonatas op.15 are mentioned in an issue of the Gazzetta di Milano that Google Books thinks should be in snippet view but date-estimates to around 1831 (obviously a copyright concern at 190 years old) so perhaps date from earlier than 1846, btw.)

No, it is his op. 38 - Sonate caratteristiche sopra la Creazione per grande orchestra (Milano, Luigi Scotti, 1846)...

[MusFerd]

Guten Abend Dr Gratl!

Will this fascinating composition by Cesare di Castelbarco be recorded for commercial release on CD?

Dear Alan, a recording for CD is included!

[Alan Howe]

That's very good news - thanks!

[eschiss1]

Interesting . btw I see the characteristic sonatas for orchestra he had published  then have the same titles (characteristic sonatas on Haydn's Creation and 7 Last Words) as the earlier chamber opp.14 and 15 sets- I wonder if there's any relation between them, such as the obvious...

[MusFerd]

To be exact, Castelbarco's Sonatas are not directly based on Haydn's Creation. In the preface of the first edition of the "Seven Words of Christ on the Cross"-Sonatas he comments that he was inspired by Haydn's music, but all three cycles (Seven Words of God the Creator, God the Punitive, dedicated to the biblical Flood, and God the Redeemer, i. e. of Christ on the Cross) are based on poems of the composer, published as: Cesare di Castelbarco, SETTE PAROLE DI DIO CREATORE, PUNITORE, REDENTORE PARAFRASATE IN VERSI E POSTE IN MUSICA IN TRE OPERE DISTINTE [...], Milano, 1846.

I could not find direct Haydn quotations in the Sonatas "sopra la Creazione"....

[MusFerd]

For those who might be interested - the stream can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=famd8_eJ4lU

Further information here:

http://www.akademie-st-blasius.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210321-Castelbarco-Creazione-Programmtexte-Konzert-Stream-ASB.pdf

[Mark Thomas]

Interesting. I'm no Haydn expert, but stylistically speaking I'd say the Haydn influence is very strong in this piece.