In the Classical period, Haydn and Mozart immediately come to mind. But our own composers from this period are certainly no less accomplished than their German-speaking colleagues. Composers from the Netherlands were highly sought after far beyond their borders. Paris in particular was a coveted destination for many Flemish artists. The operas of the Liège native André Ernest Modeste Grétry (1741-1813) were immensely popular with the Paris public, François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829) at the age of 25 impressed everyone with his requiem, after which he became an important figure in French symphonic culture, and Bruges native Hébert Leemans (1741-1771) also built a fine career in the French capital.
This latter composer takes the spotlight in this article. The Terra Nova Collective under the direction of Vlad Weverbergh is releasing a composer portrait of Leemans on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of his death. But before this portrait is presented, the question first arises: who was this Hébert Leemans?
The "Bruges Mozart"
Hébert Philippe Adrien Leemans was born into a family of musicians. His father, Adriaan Leemans (1707-1750), moved from Lier to Bruges in 1737 to become the city carillonneur and organist of the Sint-Donaaskathedraal. Less is known about Hébert Leemans' brothers, although it is clear that they were also involved in music. His brothers were active at the Confrerie van het Concert (1750-1780), an organization where amateur musicians gave both private and public concerts. Here the young Hébert Leemans could discover the repertoire.
It is not known exactly when Leemans moved to bustling Paris, but in 1765 his Opus 1 was sent to press. To finance his move, he received financial support from his godmother, Anna van Caloen, who was married to burgrave Pieter de Vooght. He would dedicate a composition to her in 1767. To earn an income, Leemans soon began teaching children from aristocratic middle-class families singing and cello. He quickly became a praised teacher. Presumably Leemans also gave concerts, as he was described as a virtuoso in Mercure de France (March 1769), but the instrument was not mentioned in this context.
As a composer, Leemans devoted himself to three major genres: vocal compositions, symphonies and chamber music. His vocal airs and ariettes, including Que l'attente me tourmente (1768), he composed for his students. His songs contain an airy liveliness with simple but appealing accompaniment. His symphonies are in line with the vocal works since Leemans wrote them in the style that pleased his students. A total of 14 of his symphonies have been preserved — there is knowledge of work that has been lost but not of their content — all in an Italo-Mannheim style mixed with French lyricism and, with two exceptions, they all contain four movements including the beloved minuet. Leemans also wrote his chamber music with his aristocratic clientele in mind. They are small, charming works that, importantly for sales figures, are composed for flexible instrumentation.
Leemans died unexpectedly at the age of 30. He died before French symphonic culture really came into bloom. As a result, Leemans was never able to take advantage of the craze for making a name for oneself like his contemporaries, including Gossec who wrote 24 symphonies, could. Terra Nova Collective wants to give this Bruges native in Paris the recognition he deserved and decided to breathe new life into his oeuvre.
Composer portrait by Terra Nova Collective
Terra Nova Collective advocates for Belgian musical heritage. Forgotten composers are put back in the spotlight with a composer portrait. Composers featured previously include Joseph Ryelandt (1870-1965), Amand Vanderhagen (1753-1822) and Henri Joseph Tobi (1741-1809).
In 2021 it was exactly 250 years since Hébert Leemans died. This was the perfect moment for Terra Nova Collective to dedicate their seventh composer portrait to the Bruges native. With four CDs, they bring Leemans' remarkable career to life. They do all this on historical instruments.
The first volume in this Leemans series was a double CD with his 14 symphonies. Now a second release follows with his Six quatuors, opus 3 (1769). Originally the three last quartets were for flute, bassoon, violin and cello and for the three first there are various options available: 1. for oboe, bassoon, violin, cello; 2. or a pair of violins and a pair of cellos: 3. or for string quartet. This already nicely illustrates the flexibility of Leemans' chamber music. Terra Nova Collective chose the first option with oboe.
The quartets have a certain lightness. The melody seems to float almost suspended while imitation between the different musicians gives the music a playful character. In the bass part, remnants of the Baroque and galante style resound, while despite the many notes in the bass part, a slower harmonic progression and the development of the melody conceal classical influences. This makes some passages evoke echoes of Vivaldi while others have a more Mozartian character.
The six quartets do not appear in order on the cd. Instead, a symmetrical construction based on alternation was chosen. Quartet number 2 and number 6 each have three movements while the remaining four have only two. The two compositions with three parts each were selected as outer movements, opening the cd and closing it again. For variation, the quartets with oboe and flute alternate with each other. Through this alternation in timbre, the distinctive character of these two woodwind instruments comes across particularly well to the listener. It gives the cd as a whole a very balanced effect. Which perfectly aligns with the philosophy of classicism.
3.8/5
WHO: Terra Nova Collective conducted by Vlad Weverbergh
WHAT: Hébert Leemans: Chamber Music
LABEL: Et'Cetera KTC1751
ORDER: volume 1 with symphonies | volume 2 with chamber music