The dates of birth and death of the today almost forgotten Czech composer Jan Krtitel Jiri Neruda (Germanized his names as Johann Baptiste Georg), remain so far wholly uncertain. It is assumed that he was born around 1708 in Bohemia – today part of the Czech Republic – and died in Dresden around 1780.
The Neruda family, of course, cultivated music. A brother of Jan, as well as one of his sons, were musicians. However, no relation exists with the cellist of the romantic era Alois Neruda, and neither is there with the poet of the XIX century Jan Nepomuk Neruda, from whom Neftalí Reyes, the Chilean poet, took his name to become Pablo Neruda.
Konzertmeister in Dresden
Jan Neruda studied violin in Prague while working as a violinist in a theater orchestra, where he remained until 1750 when he joined the Dresden court orchestra, becoming later its konzertmeister (its concertmaster, that is to say, the first violin). He was a notable court composer of the time. Along with sacred works, an opera, and several trio sonatas, he produced 18 symphonies and wrote 14 concertos for various instruments, including the most renowned, the Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major.
Concerto for trumpet and string orchestra in E flat major
The work, a little gem of the late baroque, was composed sometime in the period between 1740 and 1775. It was originally written for the instrument of the time known as "corno di caccia" (or in French, trompe de chasse), widely used by Bach and Haendel, whose mouthpiece was very similar to that of the modern trumpet, hence the work can be performed today without much difficulty using the modern instrument.
Movements
00 Allegro - In allegro sonata form, is very Mozart-like according to scholars, which at first seems odd but is not so strange since Mozart was almost 20 years old by the time Neruda may have finished the work.
06:37 Largo - Also in the key of E-flat, a lovely bit in the style of an aria da capo (A-B-A form).
12:29 Vivace - Written in ternary time signature, also in E-flat (I imagine because of the limitations of the original instrument), a flowing and powerful line.
The performance is by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Goiás, Brazil, conducted by Eliseu Ferreira. As a soloist, Heinz Schwebel.
