Marek Štryncl, Ensemble Philidor, Musica Florea, Musica Aeterna, Boni Pueri Czech Boys' Choir - Zelenka: Melodrama de Sancto Wenceslao. Music from 18th Century Prague (2001)

Tracklist

01. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Symphonia. Allegro. assai
02. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Chorus. Allegro. Fortitudo mea
03. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Aria. Allegro. Haec coeli
04. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Recitativo. Hem! Quoe ista?
05. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Aria. Andante. En! Pietatis adamas
06. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Recitativo. Dura certamina
07. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Aria. Allegro. Huc palmas deferte
08. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Recitativo. Haec summa Gloriae
09. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Prolusio. Aria. Allegro. Augusta domus Austriae
10. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Aria. Allegro. I, Phoebe, umbras pelle
11. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Recitativo. En, en Fidei aemula
12. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Aria. Andante. Huc, Virtutes, festinate
13. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Chorus. Allegro. Eja de sigments
14. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Recitativo. Eja Peitati
15. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Aria. Jam calle secundo
16. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Ritornello. Piu andante
17. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Recitativo. Nunquid non messis tritici est?
18. Sub olea pacis, Act I, ZWV 175: Aria. Meto culmos, lego spicas
19. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Recitativo. Quicunque glorificaverit me
20. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Aria. Allegro. Angelicae mentes
21. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Chorus. angelorum En prompti ad mandata
22. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Aria. Adagio. Ave Deus, ave redite
23. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Recitativo. Proh! quae aeris inclementia
24. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Aria. Andante. Veni, Auster, lux perennis
25. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Recitativo. Per me Reges regnant
26. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Aria. Allegro. assai Exurge, Providentia
27. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Recitativo. Corona Gloriae in manu Domini
28. Sub olea pacis, Act II, ZWV 175: Aria. Andante. Huc coeli principes
29. Sub olea pacis, Act III, ZWV 175: Aria. Allegro. Reviresce, effloresce, pacis olea
30. Sub olea pacis, Act III, ZWV 175: Recitativo Aptate tympana
31. Sub olea pacis, Act III, ZWV 175: Aria & Chorus Vive, regna, Ferdinande
32. Sub olea pacis, Act III, ZWV 175: Aria. Allegro. Nova gaudia, nova jubila
33. Sub olea pacis, Act III, ZWV 175: Aria. Allegro. En, duplo sole Czechia
34. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Epilogus. Recitativo. Eja! Eja votivi omnia
35. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Epilogus. Aria. Allegro. Exsurge Martis Gloria
36. Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175: Epilogus. Chorus. Vivace. Vos Oriens adoret

The coronation of Charles VI as Czech king in Prague was the event of 1723. Besides the Imperial Kapellmeister J. J. Fux's monumental opera Costanza e Fortezza, the greatest attention was paid to the melodrama Sub olea pacis, created by Fux's pupil Jan Dismas Zelenka, who at the time had been double-bassist in the Dresden court orchestra for more than a decade. In a succession of allegories, the composer guides us through the history of the Czech lands and evidences the genealogically founded title of the Habsburg royal couple to the crown of Bohemia, as well as their reign's benefit for the Czech people. Owing to its quality, the music clearly eclipses this encomiastic work's other components. Zelenka ingeniously works with instrumentation and frequently makes effective use of obbligato solo instruments (including the chalumeau). Over 150 performers appeared in the play, among them the thirteen-year-old František Benda. The performance at the Jesuit Klementinum met with a tremendous response among the noble audience and the royal couple alike, while the Jesuits sold over 4,000 (!) printed librettos. The work's most recent and similarly spectacular staging was at Prague Castle in 2000, performed by leading Czech and other European ensembles. This critically acclaimed recording was made on that very occasion.

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