The collection of toccatas Apparatus musico-organisticus, published in 1690, immediately established Georg Muffat as one of the greatest organists of his century. A veritable reference in the organ repertoire, appreciated for it's stylistic diversity, this work testifies to Muffat's ambition to blend European styles while exploring the expressive possibilities of the Baroque organ. Bernard Foccroulle deploys a range of emotions that underline the breadth and harmonic richness of the toccatas, performed on an organ emblematic of the French style that suits them so well, to which is added the delicate Sonata a violino solo, executed with brio by Marie Rouquie.

APPARATUS MUSICO-ORGANISTICUS

Gunar Letzbor, the St. Florian Boys' Choir and Ars Antiqua Austria here present Georg Muffat’s splendid Missa in Labore Requies. Muffat (1653-1704) was a consciously and intentionally heterogeneous composer, melding characteristics of German, French and Italian music into his own in a most individual manner. For the recording, the Gurk Cathedral proved to be an ideal location, allowing the spatial effects of the five choirs to be impressively reproduced. The two vocal choirs can be heard to the right and left of the imaginary middle axis, as are the string and wind choirs, whilst the trumpet choir sounds forth majestically from an elevated center position. In this way, one can comprehend why this monumental work represents the pinnacle of the genre – perhaps comparable only to H. I. F. Biber's Missa Salisburgensis.

Classical Music

Georg Muffat (1653-1704) after studying as a youngster with Lully in Paris, was involved most of his life with the Catholic Church. He worked as cathedral organist in Alsace, moved to Bavaria as a law student, and then settled for a time in Vienna. Following employment as organist to the Archbishop of Salzburg, interrupted by a period of study in Rome with the renowned keyboard player, Bernardo Pasquini, he took a final position as organist to the Bishop of Passau. Among his compositions is the Armonico Tributo of 1682, five multi-movement, five-voice sonatas which Muffat left open as to various instrumental possibilities, even including performance as concerti grossi. One easily hears the influence of Corelli, whom Muffat met while in Rome, but there are also moments when one surmises that Handel knew these scores well. The music, perfectly gorgeous in this smaller instrumental version, mixes the French and Italian styles, as well as chamber-sonata and sonata da chiesa movements. "Of the seven-member Ars Antiqua Austria, one can only bestow the greatest praise for such wonderfully stylish performances, superb ensemble, a welcome lack of mannerisms, and faultless recorded sound." (Goldberg)

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Gottlieb Muffat was the youngest son of composer Georg Muffat, inheriting a prodigious talent at the keyboard. The cosmopolitan nature of his works shows the influence of French, German and Italian styles, and his music was of such quality that it was extensively 'borrowed' by Handel. The elegant and at times spectacularly ornamented and virtuoso Componimenti Musicali suites are amongst Muffat's few surviving works. Naoko Akutagawa's recording of Graupner's Partitas (8.570459) has been described by MusicWeb International as "captivating from beginning to end".

Gottlieb Muffat, youngest son of composer and Kapellmeister Georg Muffat, was a keyboard virtuoso whose career was based around the Viennese Imperial Court. Muffat, with his own elegantly ornamented style, absorbing influences from Germany, France and Italy, is remembered as a composer from whom Handel borrowed extensively- a common practice of the period. These premiere recordings represent the remarkable rediscovery of manuscripts sequestered and dispersed after the Second World War. Naoko Akutagawa's previous recordings from Muffat's Componimenti musicali were described by MusicWeb International as 'galvanically virtuosic.' Naoko Akutagawa was born in Hiroshima in 1974, and began playing piano at the age of three. At 16 she switched to the harpsichord, studying first at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and then at the Hochschule fur Musik Wurzburg, Germany, as a student of Glen Wilson. Her recordings have been broadcast by the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The powerful Catholic Archbishop of Salzburg, renowned for the extraordinary religious ceremonies held at his cathedral, received a splendid festival mass from Muffat. Muffat was a true European: he studied music in Paris with Lully, was an organist in Alsace, and had positions in Vienna, Prague, and Salzburg. He was a man who fused Italian, French and German styles, adding his extravagant verve, especially for this 1690 Pentecost. The music is written for twenty-four different voices and has to be distributed through the space by five choirs, along with impressive effects from the trumpets and percussion. The Royal Chapel allows this “immense” music to be set in space as it deserves. Le Banquet Céleste (Damien Guillon) and La Guilde des Mercenaires (Adrien Mabire) rise to the challenge of performing this work of exceptional proportions!

The flourishing of period instrument performance may have accustomed the world's ears to the sound of mean tuning, but institutional instruments such as the pipe organ have yet to catch up. There are very few organs in the world capable of playing in mean temperament, so period-style recordings are necessarily limited; thus the fortunate necessity of this CD of Georg Muffat's 'Apparatus musico-organisticus' being recorded on the Klosterneuberg Abbey organ in Austria. Beyond its authentic tuning, it has an amazing variety of tone colors, which Muffat's score takes full advantage of.
Muffat, a student of Jean-Baptiste Lully, lived and composed at the cusp of a new era in European history. He stepped beyond the limitations of national character, and sought to incorporate elements of Italian and German music in his own French compositions. He was also aware of the new tonality put forth in the 'Well-Tempered Clavier' by his contemporary, J. S. Bach. Though Part I of the 'Apparatus' uses mean tuning, he was eager to experiment with the newer even temperament, which he did in Part II, so it could not be recorded on this instrument. Given the choice, however, Part I is much more interesting listening.

MUFFAT: Organ Works, Vol. 2

MUFFAT: Concerti Grossi Nos. 7 - 12