Müthel: The 5 Keyboard Concertos Marcin Świątkiewicz & Arte dei Suonatori

• Johann Gottfried Müthel (1728 - 1788): Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in C Minor:
• 1Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in C Minor: I. Andante11:28
• 2Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in C Minor: II. Adagio11:13
• 3Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in C Minor: III. Allegro ma non troppo08:50
• Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in D Minor:
• 4Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in D Minor: I. Moderato09:04
• 5Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in D Minor: II. Adagio07:58
• 6Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in D Minor: III. Allegro di molto05:16
• Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in D Major:
• 7Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in D Major: I. Moderato07:03
• 8Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in D Major: II. Adagio10:46
• 9Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in D Major: III. Allegro ma non troppo05:48
• Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in G Major:
• 10Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in G Major: I. Non troppo allegro08:52
• 11Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in G Major: II. Un poco adagio09:17
• 12Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in G Major: III. Vivace04:33
• Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in B-Flat Major:
• 13Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in B-Flat Major: I. Allegro07:49
• 14Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in B-Flat Major: II. Poco adagio10:09
• 15Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in B-Flat Major: III. Allegro06:19
• Total Runtime02:04:25

Info for Müthel: The 5 Keyboard Concertos

Johann Forkel, the biographer of J.S. Bach, numbered Müthel among the most remarkable of Bach’s pupils. Another of the great chroniclers of 18th century music, Charles Burney, described Müthel's works as 'so full of novelty, taste, grace, and contrivance, that I should not hesitate to rank them among the greatest productions of the present age.’ Nevertheless, today Johann Gottfried Müthel (1728-88) is very far from being a household name – or indeed known at all. One reason for this may be that shortly after his encounter with Bach and an ensuing study tour during which he met other greats of German music – Hasse, C.P.E. Bach and Telemann – Müthel disappeared from the musical centre stage. In 1753 he moved to Riga, the capital of what was then the Province of Livonia, a part of the Russian Empire. There he worked as Kapellmeister at one of the aristocratic households of the city, before becoming organist of St Peter’s Church, a position he probably held until his death. In Müthel's five concertos for keyboard and strings we nevertheless meet a composer very much of his time: the ‘era between eras’ between the Baroque and Viennese Classicism. Although based on the pattern of J.S. Bach's keyboard concertos they are distinctly individual, displaying sophisticated rhythms and harmonic playfulness. Through the alternation of orchestral effects and chamber-music character Müthel achieves an unusual degree of variety, and also includes operatic ingredients, such as the recitativic episodes in the opening movement of Concerto No.5 or the dramatic Adagio middle movement of Concerto No.4. Presenting them on this set of two CDs, the young Polish harpsichordist Marcin Świątkiewicz is also making his début on BIS. He is supported by his compatriots in the acclaimed period band Arte dei Suonatori, who clearly relish the often intricate and always eventful orchestral parts.

“Marcin Swiatkiewicz ist ein brillanter Solist, und das ebenfalls polnische Ensemble ‘Arte dei Suonatori’ präsentiert sich in einem attraktiven, lebendigen und schillernden Klanggewand.” Pizzicato; “Ces pages sont remarquablement interpretés par Marcin Swiatkiewicz et l'ensemble Arte dei Suonatori.” (Classica)

"In her informative note, Regina Rapp suggests that Muthel's concertos 'live or die by the subtlety with which they are performed'. Well, they certainly live here. Played on a fine, sonorous copy of a 17th-century Ruckers harpsichord, Marcin Świątkiewicz relishes both the flambuoyant virtuosity of the fast movements and the delicate sentiment of the Adagios…recommended to anyone who enjoys CPE Bach's concertos and wants to venture into one of the century's more agreeable forgotten byways." (Gramophone Magazine)

"If you like C.P.E. Bach or just harpsichord concertos in general then this is something with which you truly need to become acquainted. I wasn’t expecting to be bowled over by this music and these performances in this way, but I am now a zealous convert." (MusicWeb International)

Marcin Świątkiewicz, harpsichord
Arte dei Suonatori

No biography found.

Booklet for Müthel: The 5 Keyboard Concertos