Improvisata

A fine piece by Emiel Wambach (1854-1924).

Initially Wambach launched his career as a violinist for the ‘Cercle Artistique’, the ‘Théâtre Royal’ and the ‘Société royale d’Harmonie’, but soon he also proved his mettle as a conductor and a composer.

On 1 July 1894 Wambach was appointed as choir master of Antwerp cathedral, his tenure lasting until 1912. This was the ideal venue for his Grote Mis (Great Mass), Stabat Mater, and In Exitu Israel. The same year 1894 saw the premiere of his lyrical drama Melusina by the ‘Antwerps Lyrisch Tooneel’ (Antwerp Lyric Theatre). In December 1899, the Flemish Opera saw the premiere of Quinten Massys, which remained the best-known of all his operas.

In 1899 he was appointed at the Antwerp Conservatory as teacher of Early Music, in 1901 followed by an appointment as teacher of harmony and yet another year later he became inspector of the Belgian music schools. When Jan Blockx retired in 1912 as director of the Antwerp Conservatory, Wambach became his successor.

During the First World War Wambach lived in the Netherlands and England, performing as a violinist and a pianist at several benefit concerts. In this period he composed 25 Oorlogsgedichten (25 War Poems) for voice and orchestra, as well as several choral works. Returning to Antwerp in 1919, he resumed his position as director and composed the cantata Huldezang (Tribute Song), and performed in 1920 under the baton of Constant Lenaerts. In 1922 he was the first to introduce a course in Music History at the Conservatory. He also took the initiative to start a large-scale expansion of the library catalogue as well as building up a collection of historical music instruments. His last compositions were a Pie Jesu, an Invocation to St Michael, and a cantata for the Blessed Sister Theresia which remained unfinished.

Nice and soft colors of the Regensburg instrument: the Hauptwerk Doppelflöte 8', accompanied by strings of man II and III.

Enjoy!

Marco