# Jan Dismas Zelenka



## ErFurtwanglert

I purchased some Zelenka the other day, specifically, a complete set of his sonatas.

I like him, he's like a sadder J. S. Bach.


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## ecg_fa

I like a recording of Zelenka Sacred Music I have by Kings consort on Hyperion, from
a few years ago. Very lovely.

Ed


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## PostMinimalist

I've played bass in a perfomance of the Trio Sonata in F Major. It's wonderful music but extremely tyring to play. THe oboe players nearly passed out!


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## clavichorder

Such bouncy and quirky music. I love him!


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## Air

I've heard good things about Zelenka. Any recommendations?


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## clavichorder

So far I've really enjoyed his Sinfonia(and its actually in A minor) 



. Of course I'm stuck on multiple movement pieces that resemble symphonies.

There are a surprising number of a good cds. He seems to be great at writing orchestral suite type things, which is the type of thing I most enjoy, so outside of that, I'm not the biggest help. There is a piece with a strange title, "Hypochondrie" that I keep hearing about.


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## Saturnus

One of my favorite composers, he has such a personal and mature style! Very german and heavy, but totally different from Bach/Telemann. 
His trio sonatas for two oboes and BC are really amazing if you like heavy baroque counterpoint. - 



For more lyrical pieces I recommend the 2nd movement of the Ouverture ZWV188 (at 07:40 



) and the 2nd movement from the Concerto ZWV186.

But his masses is where he put his enthusiasm:


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## Webernite

Yeah, as far as I can tell, his masses are his most important achievement. Very adventurous harmonically.


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## science

I currently have two "must hear" Zelenka recordings. Save your money and then ASAP:










The lead musician on that is Holliger, and this recording seems essentially to have rescued Zelenka from obscurity.










This seems to be the recording that persuaded many people that Zelenka is a major genius from the late Baroque deserving much more attention.

There are a few more Zelenka recordings that I intend to hear in the near future, but for now - based on their reputations as well as my own experience - I can fervently recommend these two.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Other great Zelenka recordings include:














































Zelenka played the violone, the largest and lowest member of the viol family, analogous to the double bass in the violin family of stringed instruments. The composer was a daring and innovative master of counterpoint. His works are often virtuosic and difficult to perform, but always fresh and surprising, with sudden turns of harmony, being always a challenge for their interpreters. In particular, his writing for bass instruments is far more demanding than that of other composers of his era. Not surprisingly, Zelenka was admired by J.S. Bach as evidenced in a letter from Bach to his son, Carl Phillip Emmanuel. Zelenka was even known to have been a guest in Bach's home in Leipzig.


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## science

SLGO, do you like all of those equally?


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## StlukesguildOhio

Well... personally I prefer Zelenka's choral works to the instrumental... but I still quite enjoyed the instrumental works by the Camerata Bern. Of the four I posted, I think my favorite would have been the _I Penitenti al Sepolchro del Redentore_ which is by the same group as your second example (the Missa Votiva). It's been a while since I listened to the others. From what I recall the _Lamentations_ (as might be expected) were less driven or rhythmic than other works by Zelenka, but I recall being quite impressed by the work. The performers is every instance are top-notch, with such brilliant singers as Robin Blaze and Michael Chance.


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## science

Thank you!


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## mnsCA

Recent article on JD Zelenka from the Spectator:

"*Why has nobody heard of the miraculous Czech composer Zelenka?*"

http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/music/8970251/why-has-nobody-heard-of-the-miraculous-czech-composer-zelenka/


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## Bas

Some other recommendations for Zelenka:

Solo Motets - Alex Potter [counter tenor]
On the panclassics label








Missae dei Filii & Litaniae Lauretanae
On Deutsche Harmonia Mundi









Gaude latare & Missae Sanctissimae Trinitatis
On Nibiru


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## mnsCA

My favourite works by Zelenka are his six trio sonatas.

Trio Sonata No. 6 in C Minor:


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## mnsCA

More Zelenka that I am listening to:


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## Anna Strobl

As a formal choral soprano, I love this!


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## Anna Strobl




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## flamencosketches

I like what I've heard. Gonna look into getting a set of these trio sonatas.


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## Bxnwebster

One of my favorite pieces by Zelenka and also one of my favorite requiems. It is such a beautiful piece but it's also funny because the it often doesn't really match the somber mood of most requiems. For instance, it starts out sounding almost like something that would come from Händel's Water Music (among many other pieces) and the Dies Irae is peculiarly happy (maybe Zelenka was secretly hoping for the day of wrath, but who knows). More likely, the upbeat nature of the work is meant to develop a more positive viewpoint on death, but this may just be an unjustified conclusion. Nonetheless, the piece features some of Zelenka's most beautiful and intimate moments, such as the interaction between the vocalist and the chalumeau in the Christe Eleison.


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## kfriegedank

Going to place this here, a playlist of all of Zelenka's scores and manuscripts synced to a musical performance I have compiled so far, many more to come.. personally I highly recommend his Missa Gratias agimus tibi, ZWV 13:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLafpqg3vsKmeqZ960zC8TcjT1x4-I-zM7


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