Paris Quartets

Baroque ensemble L'Estro Armonico

Nadja Camichel, transverse flute

Isabel Soteras Valenti, baroque violin

Monika Ecker, baroque cello

Adhi Jacinth Tanumihardja, harpsichord

In the 1720s, Telemann's fame in Europe became so great that four leading Parisian composers invited him to their city to be the first "foreigner" to perform at the legendary Concerts Spirituels: The flautist Blavet, the violinist Guignon, the gambist Forquerai and the cellist and harpsichordist Édouard.

Although he was unable to make the journey immediately, he wrote six quartets for them in 1730 - now known as the "Paris Quartets". This first collection, called "Quadri", was written in a mixed style, thus containing elements of both the Italian and French traditions, and is probably also to be understood as a response to Couperin's "Les gout réunis" of 1724. After the music of Italy and France had developed in very different ways for decades and had been experienced by contemporaries as very contrasting, leading composers in France and Germany made increasing efforts to merge the styles in the first half of the 18th century. The "Quadri" each consist of 2 concerti - a "typically Italian" genre, 2 "German" sonatas and 2 "French" suites.

Each of these forms is represented once in our program. The program is rounded off by the last quartet of the second cycle "Nouveaux quatuors": also in suite form, these quartets - composed shortly before the departure for Paris in 1737 - drive the mixed style towards its climax.

The concert is part of the Continuo 2025 concert series. Supported by Kulturamt Freiburg and Regional Administrative Council

Admission free - pay after