Intro
Corelli & Followers
Lilia Slavni (Holland) & Ya'akov Rubinstein baroque violins
Marina Minkin harpsichord
Myrna Herzog viola da gamba
Our program is a dialogue between Arcangello Corelli, his contemporaries and two suceeding generations of European composers marked by his music.
Corelli's music made a true revolution in the European scene, revealing new possibilities, prompting composers to relate to and explore in depth the genres of continuo sonata, trio-sonata and concerto grosso. His trio-sonatas are considered the culmination of the genre, and in his time were extolled throughout Europe:
"If music can be immortal, Corelli’s consorts will be so” - Roger North, 1710
In addition to Corelli's "immortal consorts", Ensemble PHOENIX presents several of the outright homages made to him by composers of different lands: Couperin's Apothéose de Corelli [France], Telemann's Corellisierende sonaten [Germany], Veracini's Dissertazioni sopra l’Opera Quinta del Corelli [Italy].
We shall hear also his influence expressed in the music of composers such as Leclair, Marais and Geminiani.
Program
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) - Trio Sonata / Sonata da Chiesa, Op. 3 No. 5 in D minor Grave – Andante- Allegro – Largo – Allegro
* Francesco Maria Veracini 1690-1768)- Dissertazioni sopra l’opera V del Corelli libro I – Sonata 6 in AM
Grave – Allegro – Adagio – Allegro – Largo - Allegro
* This has been recently edited and is available at www.baroquemusic.it
Thomas Billington (1754-1832) - A harpsichord version of Corelli's Concerto grosso Op.6 No.8 in G minor Fatto per la Notte di Natale
François Couperin ( 1668-1733 ) : Le Parnasse, ou l'apothéose de Corelli (1724)
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)- Sonate Corellisante No. 5 in G minor TWV 42:g4 for 2 violins and continuo (1735)
Grave - Vivace - Presto - Grave - Vivace
Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764) – Sonata in DM
Marin Marais (1656‐1728) – Les Folies d'Espagne (1701)
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762) -Trio Sonata No 3 in F major (composer's own 1739 arrangement of his solo Sonata Op 1 No 9 written in 1716)
Largo – Andante – Allegro
Photo of Ensemble PHOENIX by Yoel Levy
The program amazed with its enormous diversity. Besides a little known Iberian repertoire, it included also pieces from the Sephardi tradition and, most surprisingly, songs of the Portuguese Crypto-Jews (i.e. Maranos) recorded at their community in Belmonte, Portugal, and transcribed by Herzog... Far from being monotonous, this music is versatile both in style and emotional expression. Much of it is highly romantic, intensely emotional, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes lyric, and sometimes even humorous.The ensemble's teamwork was perfect, and their command of the various tricky instruments was thoroughly professional.
