Combattimento: The French Connection
About the Event
In 1714, Johann Georg Pisendel, a renowned violinist from Dresden, spent several months in Paris. During his time there, he acquired a beautiful trio sonata titled "La Convalescente" by François Couperin. This sonata, believed to have been composed in 1713, caught the attention of Johann Sebastian Bach, who would later create his own sonata in a similar French style around the same time. Although Pisendel's own compositions are scarce, we do have a brilliant violin concerto from a later period. Another member of the Bach‐Pisendel‐Telemann club, Georg Philipp Telemann, had a deep understanding of the French style and often incorporated Italian elements into his music. This can be heard in his e minor quartet. Couperin, known for his lamentations for Good Week, inspired Oswaldo Golijov's meditative piece Tenebrae. Maurice Ravel also paid homage to Couperin in his famous 1917 work, originally written for piano and later orchestrated. However, these pieces, with their intriguing mixture of ancient forms and modern style, also shine in a chamber music setting.
Combattimento specializes in performing music from the baroque period, particularly works from the 17th and 18th centuries. Our repertoire includes both well‐known and lesser‐known pieces that showcase the fantasy and movement so prominent in baroque music. Each member of Combattimento brings soloistic qualities to the ensemble, and we are eager to share our accumulated knowledge and experience with the public. Through years of collaboration, we have developed a close‐knit ensemble with a distinct sound and playing style — energetic, fiery, and full of attention to stylistic details.
Practical Information
The Bösendorfer Series is a series of intimate piano recitals in which nine top pianists shine behind our Bösendorfer Imperial Grand grand piano. The Bösendorfer Series is made possible in part by Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam.
