Jan Josef Ignác Brentner: Sacred Works

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Having one's compositions put out in print has always been one of the criteria of the author's success, indeed, a significant condition for the particular work's propagation and popularity. The most successful domestic composers of the former half of the 18th century included Jan Josef Ignac Brentner, who had four collections of works published. The first to appear - in 1716 - was a collection of spiritual arias Harmonica duodecatometria ecclesiastica op. 1. In these twelve arias composed on Latin texts by an unknown author, Brentner displayed his intimate familiarity with the Italian style of composition as well as a great deal of melodic inventiveness. This gave him a prominent position among Czech authors dedicated to writing spiritual music of this kind. One of the most impressive in the collection is aria No. 10 Desidero te with its remarkable virtuoso part of the solo violin. Offertoria solenniora op. 2 published in 1717 are dedicated to Raymund Wilfert, abbot of the Premonstatensian monastery of Teplá referred to in the dedication as the author's "protector and patron”. These are six compositions for a choir, two violins and bass. The composer evidently strove to make the collection as variegated as possible, which is why he made accomplished use of different styles for each offertory. Brentner's third printed collection entitled Laudes matutinae has not been preserved to this day, and so was long regarded as lost also his collection of instrumental works Horae pomeridianae op. 4 of the year 1720. This is the first ever piece of chamber music published in Prague as a fine example of the composer's instrumental works. Predominant in Brentner's music preserved in manuscript is spiritual music.Of particular value are the already mentioned motets for the deceased composed for the spiritual fraternity The Lord's Mortal Anxiety associated with the Jesuit college of the Lesser Town of Prague.