Antonio Campillo: traverso, Maite Larburu:  violin
Catherine Bahn: viol
Jorge López-Escribano: harpsichord

Programme:

Jean-Baptiste Quentin Le Jeune (1718 - ca.1750):
Sonates en trio et a Quatre parties:
Quatour IV:
Allegro / Adagio / Moderement / Moderement
(op. 11)

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764):
Pieces de clavecin en concerts:
Premier Concert:
La Coulicam / La Livri (rondeau gratieux) / Le Vezinet

Louis-Gabriel Guillemain (1705 - 1770):
Six sonates en quatours ou Conversations Galantes, second livre
Sonate en Quatour VI
Allegro / Aria gracieusement et Altro / Presto

Odmor

Jean-Fery Rebel (1666 - 1747):
Les Caractères de la danse
Prélude / Courante / Minuet / Bourée / Chaconne / Sarabande / Gigue /
Rigaudon / Passepied / Gavotte / Sonate / Loure / Musette / Sonate

George PhilippeTelemann (1681 - 1767):
Nouveaux Quatours en Six Suites
Quatour VI
Prélude (A discrétion-trés vite-A discrétion) / Gai / Vite / Gracieusment / Distrait / Modéré
(TWV 43)

About the Programme:

Recreation de Musique: Theater and Virtousity in Paris

In the early eighteenth century, there was a growing interest in chamber music both at the court of Louis XIV and at Parisian homes. New venues, also sprouted to accommodate these performances, such as the Concert Spirituel, which was created in 1725, to promote new music and to provide a platform for virtuoso international musicians. We owe the title of our program to Jean-Marie Leclair, who made his debut in 1728 at the Concert Spirituel. He was first known as a dancer and a ballet master from Turin, before his reputation as a violinist was known. He was a student of Somis and Corelli. His first “Recreation de Musique” were composed in 1736. Towards the mid-eighteenth century, the era of Louis XV, the art of the salon, the appreciation for the subtle and refined were cultivated. The grand chambers in Versailles were transformed into small rococo apartments. The salons were filled with artists, philosophers and musicians.

Jean-Fery Rebel (1666-1747) was a student of violin and composition of Lully, and was a member of the 24 Violons du Roi. “Les Characteres de la danse” is a melange of various dances a la mode. It was performed by the most famous dancers of the period. His dance music were extremely successful, no doubt, due to the contrasts of a grand palette of rhythms, timbres, nuances and affects in his orchestration and writing. It was originally published in 1715 (also the year of the death of Louis XIV), for 2 violins, basso continuo, with optional flute, oboe and bassoon in some movements. Towards the end of the reign of Louis XIVth, due to military defeats and personal tragedies, the king withdrew from active social life. The days of grand spectacles of music and theater and dance were coming to an end, although he would still continue to listen to smaller chamber works in his apartment, by his favorite artists. Some musicians associated to these gatherings were Marais and Forqueray(viols), Jaquet de la Guerre and Couperin (harpsichords), Robert de Visee, Jean-Fery Rebel (violin), and Descoteaux and Rebille (flutes).

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) composed his only chamber work, the Piece de clavecin en concerts in 1741. They are very different then the trio sonatas of Corelli. Instead of the usual continuo, the harpsichordist is the virtuoso accompanied by violin, flute and viole. The obbligato harpsichord part is reminiscent to the obbligato sonatas of Bach, written 20 years earlier. Rameau uses the other instruments to enrich
the texture and colours of the harpsichord part, which in itself could be played alone. Earlier, it was Couperin who had influenced Rameau to compose for solo harpsichord, the “Piece de Clavecin” and in 1734 it was Mondonville, who influenced Rameau to compose in the new genre, the accompanied sonata. Mondonville’s Piece de Clavecin en sonates were accompanied only by violin.
These pieces have movement titles dedicated to characters, person or place.

Inspired by the trios sonatas of Corelli, Couperin was one of the first French composers to integrate the new Italian style with the French musical style of Lully. He claimed to have composed the first Sonata in France. Rebel, Leclair and La Guerre composed their works subsequently. The composer to instigate four–part writing was G.P. Telemann. Telemann’s earliest works from Eisenach, also had influences of Corelli and post-Lullian French composers. In 1736, during his visit to Paris, Telemann had his first set of Six quatours ‘a violon, flute, viole ou violoncelle et basse continue, published, followed by second set of Nouveaux quatours, two years later. These are Telemann’s most original and innovative contribution to the chamber music genre. The colourful instrumentation and the various dialogues between the four musicians imply a conversation without words. His quartets must have inspired Jean-Baptiste Quentin le Jeune and Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, “Conversations Galantes et amusantes”,(1743 and 1756).

Galant style, defined by Voltaire, “is seeking to please” it is a terminology that is derived from court manners but became the idea of the Enlightenment. In the 18th century, musically, it implies light accompaniment, periodic melodies and the proper manner of performing equally. The opening of Sonata IV, Op. 12 by Quentin le Jeune embarks and ends with a unison D major scale, similar to the opening of many quartets by Guillemain, the symbol of friends conversing on equal terms. The graceful conversation then goes on in pairs and variations, like a pas de quatre that pairs off to two couples dancing. Such as in good conversation, each person takes their turn to share their idea. In speaking or in music, with great affection amongst friends and colleagues, we express ourselves to one another, life as we know it. Not much information is known about Quentin. He was a violinist in the Paris Opera in 1718 and he was a prolific composer. His quartets alone are Op. 11, 12,15, and 17.

Guillemain (1705-1770), was also violinist who also studied in Italy (with G.B. Somis). He became a musicienne ordinaire to Louis XV in 1737. In Sonata No. 6, the unison scale begins in the last movement, Presto. The first movement begins with a scene of three colleagues colourfully recounting their version of a story to a fourth. Each person tries to begin, but as it unfolds, they tell it together. His “Conversations” are technically demanding for all four voices. For example, the idiomatic violin parts have double stops, string crossings, and intricate bowing passages. These pieces were composed with certain virtouoso musicians in mind. Telemann’s quartets were performed by one of the best musicians in Paris. Michel Blavet (traverso), Guignon (violin), J.B.A. Forqueray (viole), and Prince Edouard (harpsichord). Even if the subject matter was difficult, the conversation spoken still has ease and grace. The Italians equated galant, with singing. The middle movement of the Sonata VI, is an aria gracieusement, singing gracefully. We are reminded of the paintings of Antoine Watteau, such as his Embarkation of Cythera, with elegant couples in conversation and involved in some love game typical of that period. The backdrop of the scene is a landscape of hazy atmosphere that is in contrast to the decorative figures. Although dreamy and happy, the painting also has a note of poetic melancholy.

Enlightenment sought refinement of humankind and its society sought refinement of detail and décor in everything. “Recreation” defined is an activity that amuses and stimulates. As it was then and it is now, we hope our musical conversations and recreations, leaves food for thought, so that the fleeting musical moment is transformed into an unexplainable encounter that remains long after.
 

Bio:
L’Áttimo Fuggente is an ensemble that performs music from the XVIII century using period instruments . It is formed by: Maite Larburu (violin), Catherine Bahn (viola da gamba), Antonio Campillo (traverso), Jorge López-Escribano (harpsichord). L’Áttimo Fuggente is mainly interested on presenting to the audience early music reperoire that has not been performed very often or that has been not performed at all. They have performed in the Barcelona Early Music Festival Fringe and Utrecht Early Music Festival Fringe, 2007 as well as various places in the Netherlands.