Vanni Moretto on the release of Theresia’s new CD on Ernst Eichner

By Emilia Campagna - February 28, 2024

Theresia has just released a new CD on the CPO label: a recording of Ernst Eichner's Symphonies conducted by Vanni Moretto.
‍

A new CD has just been released on the CPO label: Theresia’s recording of Ernst Eichner’s Symphonies conducted by Vanni Moretto, whom we had the pleasure of interviewing briefly.

Vanni Moretto, what is the significance of this release?

For me, it is a very important recording because it offers an opportunity to rediscover the music of a forgotten composer. During his lifetime, Eichner was a great bassoonist and violin virtuoso, and that is what he was primarily recognised for. Although his fame as a virtuoso was substantial, it complicated the later reception of his compositions. Unlike his more widely recognized composer colleagues in Mannheim, Eichner’s legacy was overshadowed, leaving a fainter imprint on musical history. What’s more, and we don’t think about it today, but at that time instrumental music was a subordinate genre compared to opera. As Eichner focused on a genre that was less emphasized, his name fell into oblivion after his death.

What is the musical program on the CD?

The CD contains four symphonies from as many opus, i.e. collections published with an opus number. This was common practice at the time, and we must remember that an increasing opus number does not guarantee a chronological sequence: composers would publish when they had the opportunity, perhaps bringing back scores written earlier and not yet published. In the case of Eichner, who has a very short compositional span, this is not a problem because his style remains very homogeneous and coherent.

How did you choose the four symphonies?

In my view, the symphonies selected from op. 11, op. 10, op. 1, and op. 7 are particularly representative of his style. Prior to initiating this project, I conducted a survey of the existing Eichner recordings on the market (which, truth be told, are quite scarce) to ensure that I wouldn’t duplicate programs already covered by others.

In a previous interview you described yourself as an explorer, even a miner of early music: how and when did you discover Eichner?

I stumbled upon him, as I often do, by chance. Libraries are my goldmines; when I study a composer, I follow paths in search of all sources, both literary and musical. Around 2009, while studying Francesco Zappa, I discovered that he and Ernst Eichner had been published in common collections. Later on, I found him again by researching musical incipits, discovering that there are similarities between incipits of compositions by Eichner and Mozart, with apparent quotations from Mozart, which shows us that both were looking for common musical archetypes. I grew fond of this composer, and when talking with Mario Martinoli, Artistic Director of Theresia, I found out that he also was familiar with him and shared my interest in Eichner. That’s how the idea came about of working together on a recording project.

In a world where the consumption of music has changed a lot, what is the importance of recording and releasing CDs?

I have a very complex relationship with recording, and am always struggling between being diplomatic and completely sincere. Recording music is to me is an ever-evolving phenomenon, the nature of which is now completely different from what it was in the early days. Initially it was recorded to faithfully document a musical performance, now if we ask a sound engineer to simply “document,” it is likely that they will be offended. Technology has allowed us to intervene in the recording to the point of bordering on perfection, but it is a utopian perfection that makes the CD light years away from the experience of live listening, in which it is normal to hear small errors, or smudges. After all, recording allows us to spread the repertoire and reach an audiences far and wide. Nevertheless, for me there remains the fact that it cannot replace the experience of a live performance, which is unique for both listeners and performers. Any musician knows the energy that may or may not come from the audience: in the concert hall, something unrepeatable, unique and certainly unrecordable is created.

What musical gems does your treasure trove hold for us? Can you share any insights into your upcoming projects?

I am planning to resume my project on Francesco Zappa and Frank Zappa in a concert with a “pop” angle in which music by both of them will be performed. I will then be engaged with the Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, which I will conduct in a programme that brings together the music that travelled from Milan to Sweden in the 18th century, performing compositions by Chelleri, Antonio Brioschi, and Sammartini. Finally, a commitment as a composer also awaits me: my third “important” opera, commissioned by the Austrian Capital of Culture 2024, will be staged. It is Der Wassermann vom Grundlsee, on a libretto by Stefano Pintor, a reinterpretation of an ancient legend about the discovery of the regional salt deposits by the merman of Grundlsee lake. It will be particularly fascinating site because it will be an open-air performances on the shores of Lake Grundlsee.

“Ernst Eichner: Symphonies” is available for purchase and online streaming here.

Vanni Moretto, the music digger

By Emilia Campagna - June 21, 2022

"I found a mine full of priceless gems" - let's meet conductor Vanni Moretto, who is going to lead Theresia in a beautiful musical program devoted to Ernst Eichner's Symphonies
‍

“I found a mine full of priceless gems” – let’s meet conductor Vanni Moretto, who is going to lead Theresia in a beautiful musical program devoted to Ernst Eichner’s Symphonies

Read the Italian version – Vai alla versione italiana

New orchestral project for Theresia that will be in residence in Mondovì, Piedmont, from 25 June working on a musical program on the Symphonies of Ernst Eichner. Theresia will be directed by Vanni Moretto and the residency will end with two concerts in Asti (1st July) and Mondovì (2nd July).

We met Vanni Moretto and asked him to tell us some details about the program and about his musical activity.

Maestro, you will conduct Theresia for the first time: how did this collaboration come about and what do you expect from this relatively young orchestra?

I’ve known Theresia for a long time and its reputation precedes it: the orchestra has always realized interesting and valuable projects, so I expect great things. I have been working for some time on Northern Italian authors active between 1730 and 1830, and this has led me to develop many concert programs focused on the relationship of these authors with European composers. Since I have been working for a long time on a repertoire in many respects ideal for an orchestra like Theresia, after a series of meetings with the Artistic Director Mario Martinoli we decided to venture into a recording of some unpublished symphonic works by Ernst Eichner, a composer with great potential.

Not only the conductor but also the composer is new to Theresia: what can you tell us about Eichner?

He is a very interesting composer because he suffers from at least three influences. On one hand, he brings in his music the elements of Northern Germany, the Empfindsamkeit or “sensitive style” made of multiple affections and changes of mood; on the other hand, we feel the gallant influence of the Italian school of Galuppi, a style that I jokingly define (without any desire to be simplistic) “prefabricated”, made of modules that can be combined and interchangeable; finally, the most known influence is that which comes from the School of Mannheim, from whom it takes some formal expedients such as the very long crescendo and the wide melodic development typical of the violin writing of that particular place and moment.

The program includes some Symphonies: what kind of orchestra is that of Eichner?

It is a fairly rich orchestra, with two horns and two oboes in addition to strings. It is quite surprising that apart from a Symphony in Eichner’s orchestra there is never a part of “obligated bassoon”, and this in spite of the fact that he was a virtuoso bassoon and that he wrote several Concertos for his instrument.

How do you explain this absence?

I think it’s because Eichner had two very distinct careers, as a composer and as a bassoonist. But it’s my guess, based mainly on how his life is told in the sources.

Speaking of distinguished careers, you are also a composer: how would you describe your works?

The careers in my case are four and not two (in addition to conducting and composing, I do research and play the violone). It’s always hard to talk about yourself as a composer. Let’s say I like to play with the known: we live in a very “semantic” world in which some pieces of music, or even simple “sound signals” have reached a permanence and a sort of shared sense. There are some “classics” that everyone recognizes, and I’m not just talking about Mozart or Beethoven, but also about the theme song on the news. I like to wink and play with materials, even if my music is also much more.

Regarding your activity as a researcher, it is very intense: scrolling through the list of authors you performed (Antonio Brioschi, Francesco Zappa, Pasquale Ricci just to name a few) it seems to be in front of an “explorer” of Italian music of the eighteenth century. Do you recognize yourself in this definition?

I avoid calling myself a musicologist in the first place because I would not have the title to make use of this term. I like the term “explorer” but even better I would say that I found a mine full of priceless gems: at a certain point, I realized how in Milan, in the city and the surrounding area, since the 30s of the 1700s much has been invested in instrumental music. You see, music sources mostly talk about vocal music, but if we look at other, less obvious sources, such as administrative documents, we see how politicians financed orchestras and therefore the creation of new repertoire. The problem is that then many archives were stolen during the many invasions that have occurred; the consequence is that to find music then you have to go and look for it in Darmstadt, Paris, Prague or Stockholm.

Which was your most exciting discovery?

The first, absolutely: Antonio Brioschi, who I started studying in 2004. At the time he was mentioned with two lines in the New Grove Dictionary, and there was some excellent university research by Sarah Mandel Yehuda and Bathia Churgin, but nothing about the aspect of performance practice. We (the society Archivio della Sinfonia Milanese, which also deals with research, recording and publication) have discovered new sources, studied the places where his music was performed and revived the performance practice, recording four CDs for a total of 28 symphonies, which I still propose to the orchestras I conduct.

What do you think the mine still has for you in this activity of “music digger”? Is the vein still rich?

Not only is the vein still rich, but it is also connected to the Mitteleuropean one, with composers who came to study in Milan like Cannabich and Christian Bach. Although he never came to Italy, Eichner is certainly among the authors who could make their own and elaborate the fruitful stylistic experiences gained by the Italian exponents of the gallant style; in this way he, more than others, contributed to complete the sumptuous fresco of the European classicism season. But we are still talking about drops in an endless sea!

Sometimes I am overcome with melancholy at the thought that I will come to the end of my days having done only a very small part of what I would like. But then I look at these beautiful scores of Eichner and I understand that it is already a great gift to be able to do my part in this endless, wonderful path of knowledge.

Italian version

Nuovo progetto orchestrale per Theresia che sarà in residenza a Mondovì, in Piemonte, dal 25 giugno per un programma sulle sinfonie di Ernst Eichner. Theresia sarà diretta da Vanni Moretto e la residenza si concluderà con due concerti ad Asti (1° luglio) e a Mondovì (2 luglio). Abbiamo incontrato Vanni Moretto per farci raccontare qualche dettaglio del programma e della sua attività musicale.

Maestro, Lei dirigerà Theresia per la prima volta: come è nata questa collaborazione e cosa si aspetta da quest’orchestra relativamente giovane?

Conosco Theresia da tempo e la fama precede l’orchestra, che ha realizzato sempre progetti interessanti e di valore, quindi mi aspetto ottime cose. Io mi occupo da tempo di autori nord italiani attivi tra il 1730 e il 1830, e questo mi ha portato a sviluppare molti programmi concertistici centrati sulla circuitazione e sulla relazione di questi autori con i compositori europei. Dato che da tempo sto lavorando ad un repertorio sotto molti aspetti ideale per un’orchestra come Theresia, dopo una serie di incontri con il Direttore Artistico Mario Martinoli abbiamo deciso di azzardare una registrazione di alcuni lavori sinfonici inediti di Ernst Eichner, un compositore dalle grandi potenzialità.

Anche il compositore, e non solo il direttore, è una novità per Theresia: cosa ci dice di Eichner?

È un compositore interessantissimo, perché risente almeno di tre influenze. Intanto porta nella sua musica gli elementi del Nord della Germania, l’Empfindsamkeit ovvero “stile sensibile” fatto di molteplici affetti e cambi di stato d’animo; poi sentiamo l’influenza galante della scuola italiana di Galuppi, una scrittura che io scherzosamente definisco (senza assolutamente voler essere riduttivo) “prefabbricata”; ovvero fatta di moduli accostabili e intercambiabili; e infine l’influsso più noto è quello che gli viene dalla Scuola di Mannheim, di cui prende soprattutto alcuni espedienti formali come i lunghissimi crescendo e lo sviluppo melodico ampio tipico della scrittura violinistica di quel particolare luogo e momento.

Il programma prevede alcune Sinfonie: che tipo di orchestra è quella di Eichner?

È un’orchestra abbastanza ricca, con due corni e due oboi oltre agli archi. Ci colpisce, nell’orchestra di Eichner, che a parte una Sinfonia non si trovi mai una parte di “fagotto obbligato”, e questo a dispetto del fatto che lui fosse un fagottista virtuoso e che avesse scritto diversi Concerti per il suo strumento.

Lei come si spiega quest’assenza?

Credo sia dovuto al fatto che Eichner aveva due carriere ben distinte, quella di compositore e quella di fagottista, ma si tratta di una mia supposizione, basata soprattutto su come la sua vita viene raccontata nelle fonti.

A proposito di carriere distinte, lei è anche compositore: come descriverebbe i suoi lavori?

Le carriere nel mio caso sono quattro e non due (oltre a dirigere e comporre, faccio ricerca e suono il violone). E’ sempre difficile parlare di sé come compositore. Diciamo che mi piace giocare con il conosciuto: viviamo in un mondo molto “semantizzato” in cui alcuni brani musicali, o anche semplici “segnali sonori” hanno raggiunto una permanenza e una sorta di senso condiviso. Ci sono dei “classici” che tutti riconoscono, e non parlo solo di Mozart o Beethoven, ma anche della sigla del telegiornale. A me piace ammiccare, giocare con i materiali, anche se la mia musica poi è anche molto altro.

Per quanto riguarda la ricerca, la sua attività è intensissima: scorrendo l’elenco degli autori da lei resi nuovamente all’ascolto del pubblico (Antonio Brioschi, Francesco Zappa, Pasuale Ricci solo per citarne alcuni) sembra di trovarsi di fronte a un “esploratore” della musica italiana del Settecento. Si riconosce in questa definizione?

In effetti io evito di definirmi un musicologo innanzitutto perché non avrei il titolo per fregiarmi di questo termine. Esploratore mi piace ma ancora meglio io direi che ho trovato una miniera piena di gemme inestimabili: a un certo punto mi sono reso conto come a Milano, in città e nel circondario e poi a macchia d’olio in territori ben più estesi, a partire dagli anni 30 del ‘700 si sia molto investito sulla musica strumentale. Vede, le fonti musicali parlano prevalentemente di musica vocale, ma se andiamo a cercare in altre fonti, meno ovvie, ad esempio documenti amministrativi, si vede come i politici finanziassero le orchestre e quindi la creazione di nuovo repertorio. Il problema è che poi tanti archivi sono stati trafugati durante le molte invasioni che si sono succedute e per trovare la musica poi bisogna andare a cercarla a Darmstadt, a Parigi, a Praga o a Stoccolma.

Qual è stata la sua scoperta più entusiasmante?

La prima, assolutamente: Antonio Brioschi, che iniziai a studiare nel 2004. All’epoca era citato con due righe sul New Grove, e c’erano alcune ottime ricerche universitarie di Sarah Mandel Yehuda e Bathia Churgin, ma nulla che riguardasse l’aspetto della prassi esecutiva. Noi (l’associazione Archivio della Sinfonia Milanese, che si occupa anche di ricerca, registrazione e pubblicazione) abbiamo scoperto nuove fonti, studiato i luoghi in cui la sua musica veniva eseguita e ridato vita ad una prassi esecutiva, arrivando a registrare ben quattro cd per un totale di 28 sinfonie, che io ancora propongo alle orchestre che dirigo.

In questa sua attività di “picconatore” della musica cosa pensa che le riservi ancora la miniera? La vena è ancora ricca?

Non solo la vena è ancora ricca, ma è anche collegata a quella mitteleuropea, con i compositori che vennero a studiare a Milano come Cannabich e Christian Bach. Eichner, pur non essendo mai venuto in Italia, è sicuramente tra gli autori che, facendo proprie ed elaborando anche le fruttuose esperienze stilistiche maturate dagli autori galanti del bel paese, più di altri contribuirono a completare il sontuoso affresco della stagione del classicismo europeo. Ma stiamo pur sempre parlando di gocce in un mare sterminato!

A volte sono assalito da malinconia al pensiero che arriverò a finire i miei giorni avendo fatto solo una piccolissima parte di quello che vorrei, ma poi guardo a queste bellissime partiture di Eichner e capisco che è già un grande dono poter fare la mia parte in questo sterminato, meraviglioso percorso di conoscenza.