Le Consort

This program begins with the Fantasia con discretione, by Nicola Matteis Junior, the son of the Nicola Matteis. This very meditative poetic and introspective piece may be one of the finest for solo violin from the Baroque period.

The Mad Lover began life around 1616 as a comedy by the prolific and versatile English dramatist John Fletcher. Eccles provided the score, in which he included an abundance of instrumental pieces, such as this ground. The descending tetrachord forms a relentless, repetitive motif, one which sticks in one’s memory with a touching immediacy.

Nicola Matteis, a Neapolitan violinist of genius, brought to England an Italian lyricism and virtuosity, creating an eccentric type of Anglo-Italian melancholy. The Sarabanda Amorosa, Preludio in C Solfaut Andamento and Bore are very little movements full of characters, creating a bewildering variety of moods. The diverse bizzarie sopra la vecchia o pur sarabanda is based on a saraband-style ground base, with a set of variations for the violins in C major in a very joyful atmosphere. 

Antonio Vivaldi’s talents are beyond question: he has achieved lasting fame as one of the most inventive, prolific and virtuosic composers of the baroque period. The sonata in G minor is the very first work that Vivaldi published, when he was 23 years old. Its five sections mingle elements of the sonata da chiesa (Preludio Grave and Adagio) with dances (Allemanda, Capriccio, Gavotta). Vivaldi first plunges us into the intensely contemplative atmosphere of a Venetian church, then surprises us with dance movements in which the violins vie with each other in virtuosity.

The immensely famed Corelli became a model for his contemporaries, with a strong influence on the composers of his own time and on succeeding generations as well. The Violin sonata Op. 5, No. 12 comprises virtuosic variations on the popular ground bass in triple time known by its Spanish name La Folia – alluding to the ‘frenzy’ of the dance.

Francesco Maria Veracini was born in Florence and led a tremendous life travelling across Europe. This finale from the violin sonata in A Major, written in the high register of the baroque violin, is very challenging.

INTERMISSION 

The greatest genius of the late 17^th century in London was undoubtedly Henry Purcell. We will perform the version for harpsichord, written by Purcell himself, of the famous song “Here the Deities.” Purcell was present on all fronts: at a time when both the form and the instrument already belonged to a fast-disappearing world, he wrote the last fantasias for viols in the great English tradition. At the same time, he did not conceal his interest in the violin and the Italian sonata. Purcell had his Sonnata’s of III Parts printed at his own expense in 1683. It was a significant risk for the youthful composer, still only 24 years old. And his tragedy was to have remained misunderstood: the 1683 collection and the one of 1697 published by his widow after his death sold so badly that Frances Purcell was forced to remainder them, without being able to sell off her stock. Purcell, so beloved for his operas, had bad luck with his sonatas. Yet from the very beginnings of our ensemble we have performed the Sonata VI. This Sonata, built on a ground that repeats itself tirelessly, is a compendium of Purcell’s genius, which questions the human soul in its most intimate aspects. By its emotional intensity, this extraordinary work reminds us of the death of Dido by the same composer.

We are very happy to present in this program Miss Philarmonica, a mysterious woman composer who pseudonymously published sonatas in a highly personal style tinged with Italian colouring and English mournfulness. We were the very first to record her Sonata Sesta in G Major and to bring this long-forgotten composer to life! 

The Andante BWV 974 was originally written by the venetian composer Marcello for oboe and orchestra. Johann Sebastian Bach discovered the score and decided to transcribe it for his own instrument, the harpsichord. The Sonata No. 12, La Follia, by Vivaldi is a masterpiece of the trio sonata repertoire, irresistible in its sheer momentum. The variations are built up impressively: by turns slow and fast, introspective and passionately fiery, they unfold organically with stylistic mastery, taking performers and listeners alike on a journey from intimacy to virtuosity.

Notes copyright 2024 by Sophie de Bardonnèche

Le Consort, a leading Baroque chamber ensemble, comprises four young musicians who interpret the trio sonata repertoire with enthusiasm, sincerity, and modernity. The group’s mission is to bring together compelling musical personalities in the service of chamber music from the repertoire of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. From Corelli to Vivaldi, from Purcell to Couperin, the dialogue between the two violins and the basso continuo displays a wealth of contrasts between vocality, sensuality, and virtuosity. Le Consort takes this genre, the quintessence of Baroque chamber music, and interprets it with a personal, dynamic, and colorful language. 

With a core which has remained constant since their founding in 2016, Le Consort performances approach a level of musical integration typically found in long-standing string quartets.  In 2017 they claimed First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Loire Valley International Early Music Competition, chaired by William Christie. Their most recent recording, Philarmonica, was praised by Gramophone: “Historically informed performance worn so naturally, and works known so intimately, that these musical stories could have come from Le Consort’s own pens and souls.” Their previous recordings, including OPUS 1 (featuring the unpublished sonatas of Jean-François Dandrieu), and Specchio Veneziano (trio sonatas of Vivaldi alongside music of his less familiar contemporary, Giovanni Reali), have earned numerous awards and extensive critical acclaim.  

In October 2024, Le Consort returns to North America for concerts in California, Michigan, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ottawa, Canada. The ensemble has performed extensively throughout Europe, including at Radio France Auditorium and Louvre Auditorium (Paris); the Dijon Opera; the Deauville Easter Festival; the Arsenal in Metz; the MA Festival Brugge and in Antwerp de Singel (Belgium); the Pau Casals Foundation (Spain); and at the Misteria Paschalia Festival in Krakow (Poland). They have also been featured on numerous broadcasts on France 3, France Musique, France Inter, and Radio Classique.

Le Consort is in residence at the Banque de France, the Singer-Polignac Foundation, and the Abbaye de Royaumont.

Le Consort appears by arrangement with David Rowe Artists.   

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