Neapolitan Music for Christmas

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was not only a philosopher, revolutionary, teacher and writer, but even an accomplished composer. As such, he has the Italian composer Francesco Durante Brack described as: Le plus grande harmoniste D'Italie, CEST-à-dire du monde (the largest Harmoniker Italy and therefore the world). Quite so enthusiastic you will not see the day, but this was actually a good Durante composer who knew how to write catchy harmonious, melodious, almost popular church music.

Durante has 1684 to 1755, almost the same time as Johann Sebastian Bach, lived. He was the seventh of eleven children of a poor wool Kämmer, the. In Frattamaggiore, which is a suburb of Naples, served as sacristan and choir The Durante were poor, but Francesco had an uncle, the priest and musician in one person at that time was not a rare combination and conveniently also taught at the Conservatory. Here the younger Durante his education, was later himself a professor at the conservatories of Naples, undertook several trips (to Dresden to the Saxon court to the Esterhazy in Eisenstadt), but on the whole, he spent all his life in Naples. Because he was one of the few composers who earned their living not with opera, but with music for church and concert. From its many masses, motets, litanies and Psalms a beautiful sound Magnificat and as late work a great Requiem (1746) project particularly pointing - works that belong to the best in the first half of the 18th century, and long remained after Durante's death in the repertoire, which at that time was exceptional.

Since the late 17th century were Christmas music, especially those in the form of cantatas and motets, in Naples tradition. This melodically catchy works for soloists, choir and orchestra, which can easily take half an hour, were inserted in the Christmas season in the church. They were called Pastoral music, and as such they established the tradition of pastoral fairs that had continued throughout southern Europe, in Austria and southern Germany until well into the 19th century.

Now the Kölner Akademie has adopted under Michael Alexander Willens on two CDs of these works. Die Kölner Akademie, which is a chamber orchestra, which is based on historical performance practice, but not overworked, very ugly to sound to imitate the supposedly original sound of the time. On the contrary, the ensemble makes music pleasantly warm, pleasant, disciplined and controlled. Exceptional are the wind, the gentle and pleasant temperature blowing oboes and horns in particular that stand out by blowing clean, slag-free intonation and beauty of sound. So you'd like to hear more often. The accompanying choir sings precisely tonsicher and enjoyable expressive.

So does baroque music, which, however, already half located at Durante towards the classical, simple fun. What is offered here is a beautiful Christmas music, known off the oratorios and Concerti Grossi and perhaps because so worth listening.