Johann Helmich ROMAN Music for A Royal Wedding
Drottningholm Music
Little Drottningholm Music Uppsala Chamber Orchestra
conducted by Anthony Halstead NAXOS
[72'45"] budget-price by Chia Han-Leon Swedish Baroque composer Johann Helmich Roman wrote his Drottningholm Music for the wedding of Adolphus Frederik and Princess Lovisa Ultika, in August 1744. The wedding, held at the Palace of Drottningholm, lasted four days. Throughout the festivities, banqueting and ceremonies, Roman and his fellow musicians provided the music. The set of 24 pieces of the Drottningholm Music were not played in sequence, as having it on CD here suggests, but were selected and arranged as the occasion required. Roman also kept eight pieces in reserve, which are known as the Little Drottningholm Music OK, OK, you want to know how it sounds like, right? It's very friendly and entertaining, very easy on the ear and yet interesting enough to make the brain go "Ah!". The pieces average 2½ minutes each - little pieces of aural candy! The melodies are all there and the orchestration a delight. Roman was greatly impressed by Handel when he was in London from 1715-1721. The influence can be seen in some of the pieces here which display a ceremonial pompousness coupled with that dancing momentum. The use of wind, including horns and trumpets, is apt and happy. There are also a few places where timpani are used, but never to the point of being militant. Besides the Handelian influence, I could not for the life of me shake the feeling that Roman was also influenced by Rameau (try his | |
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