Halsam American Brick Build - Single Story House

In the mid-1950s' Halsam offered interlocking brick building toys made from pressed wood. I'm assembling each of the models shown in the instruction booklet for their 60/1 and 60/2 building sets. I'm calling it the Halsam American Brick Build.

The first build in the instruction book is a single story house.

It introduces a lot of basic building concepts. Note that the photo is processed to make it easy to pick out individual bricks. This is important. In order to ensure maximum stability for the upper window frames, the brick needs to be sitting on an 8-peg brick, not a 4-peg. 

And the 4-peg bricks are scored in such a way that they give the appearance of single bricks when used properly. Most of the builds favor alternating 8-peg and two 4-peg layers. As you can see from the example below, the alternating method (right) looks more realistic.

The build itself was pretty simple.

Single Story House (front)

Another important concept introduced was the chimney. It's basically three 8-peg bricks and two angled roof pieces. They're turned upside down. If you use three bricks (as the instructions indicate), there's enough weight to hold the angled pieces in place. And the whole assembly helps keep the roof angled properly.

Single Story House (back)

Heinrich Schütz: Becker-Spalter, Op. 5 - Artistry on Every Page

In 1602 theologian Cornelius Becker wrote a German metrical psalter.  Der Psalter Dauids Gesangweis was published without melodies. The collection proved popular, and  Becker set all 150 psalms for the 1628 edition.

Psalmen Davids: Hiebevorn in Deutsche Reimen gebracht durch was reprinted in 1640 and revised and expanded in 1661.

Several early Lutheran composers set Becker's texts for liturgical use -- Heinrich Schutz being the most successful. Some of his settings still appear in modern hymnals.

The words -- and the music -- were meant for congregational singing. Schütz's artistry is present on every page, making the most of what would seem to be limited materials.

The melodies are tuneful and easy to sing. The harmonies are simple and transparent. These psalms follow the natural rhythms of the text. It gives these hymns a supple lightness.

Hans-Christoph Rademann's interpretation is spot-on. The Dresdner Kammerchor sings with unaffected simplicity, letting the inherent beauty of these settings shine through.

These works were never meant to be heard all in one sitting. Rademann wisely varies tempos and instrumental accompaniments to provide contrast. And it works. Most of the time I was quite happy to just hit play and listen through to the end.

Heinrich Schütz: Becker-Spalter, Op. 5
Dresdner Kammerchor; Hans-Christoph Rademann
Schütz Complete Recording, Vol. 15
Carus 83.276

Franz Xaver Richter Sinfonias, Sonatas & Oboe Concerto - Mannheim School Masterpieces

This release presents a sampling of Franz Xaver Richter's work while attached to the Mannheim court. it's an interesting choice for a program. By some accounts, Richter was the odd man out at court.

Franz Ignaz Beck, Carl Stamitz, and the other court composers were interested in pushing boundaries. This Mannheim School developed the dramatic gestures and four-movement structure that would become the language of the classical symphony.

Richter was somewhat more conservative, and it's easy to hear that in this program. The Sinfonia in B major is a four-movement work, but the drama is somewhat understated. I had the same impression of the Sinfonia in G minor. Richter seems to build on Handel's foundation.

The Oboe Concerto in G minor also sounds modeled on Baroque templates. The two trio sonatas, on the other hand, seemed more lively. If the sinfonias are post-Baroque, then the trios are pre-Classical.

Wild dynamic contrasts are still missing, but there's a natural and less formal expressiveness in these works.

The Capricornus Consort Basel have a warm ensemble blend. Xenia Löffler playing of the baroque oboe is exceptional. The sound is smooth and full. Her expressive reading of the music makes the melodic lines seem to undulate at times.

Richter may not have been as cutting edge as his Mannheim colleagues, but he was still a skilled composer. Recommended to anyone interested in the music of the 1700s (early or late).

Franz Xaver Richter
Sinfonias, Sonatas & Oboe Concerto
Capricornus Consort Basel; Peter Barczi, conductor
Christophorus

Diabelli Project 205 - Duet for Clarinet and Marimba, Part 2

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

Below are the results of my second 10-minute composition session. I expanded the cadence I started last time in the marimba (beginning in the fourth system). Then it seemed appropriate to start working that five-note motif.

Where to next? I'm not sure. We'll find out together next week.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Clementi Piano Sonatas, Opp. 25, 33 & 46 - more than mechanical

Mozart wrote, "Clementi is a good clavicembalist and with this, there is no more to say. He plays well with his right hand, his strong point is the passages in thirds. For the rest he has no sentiment or taste, - in a word he is simply a mechanicus."

I'm not sure I entirely agree with that assessment -- especially after listening to this recording. Yes, Clementi often uses thirds. But his music is technically challenging. And in the right hands (as they are here), quite interesting.

Most of the sonatas on this release come from the early 1790s when Clementi was in direct competition with Mozart. The textures of the Op. 25 and Op. 33 sonatas are transparent. Clementi does favor the right hand, giving it the complicated runs while the left outlines the harmonies (or in some cases simple melodies).

I found the Op. 46 sonata especially interesting. It was written in 1820, fifteen years after the previous sonatas. It's a more complex work, with thicker textures and more of a balance between the hands. And yet, it's a sonata that was published the same year as Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109. Clementi's sonata pales in comparison. It's a simpler work and one that almost sounds old-fashioned. Advanced for Clementi, but lagging compared to his contemporaries.

However, these works lack neither sentiment nor taste. All are skillfully constructed. And taken on their own merits, are quite attractive.

Stefan Chaplikov plays elegantly, and with a light touch. The rapid passages flow smoothly and seemingly without effort. Chaplikov favors soft rather than loud dynamics, but that's in keeping with the music. If you like Mozart and Haydn piano music, you should enjoy this release as well.

Muzio Clementi: Keyboard Sonatas
Op. 33, Nos. 2 & 3; Op. 46, Op. 25, Nos. 1 & 3
Stefan Chaplikov, piano
Naxos