| The English Concert | |
|---|---|
| Orchestra | |
 | |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Location | London |
| Music director | Harry Bicket |
| Website | englishconcert |
The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Nadja Zwiener has been orchestra leader (concertmaster) since September 2007. [1]
The English Concert was founded by Trevor Pinnock and others in November 1972. The date of foundation is often given as 1973, probably because they started with seven people and only later progressed onto the orchestral repertoire as their number increased. They were one of the first orchestras dedicated to performing baroque and classical music on period instruments, their repertoire from then to now ranging approximately from Monteverdi to Mozart. [2]
Their London debut was at the English Bach Festival in 1973, which led to their first recording in 1974, Sons of Bach harpsichord concertos, on CRD records. [3] They first played at The Proms in 1980, and toured North America in 1983. The group gained much recognition from their prolific number of recordings with Archiv Produktion from 1978 until 1995, during which they recorded most of the major baroque repertoire.
The Choir of the English Concert (or permutations of that phrase), was formed in 1983 to perform Rameau's Acante et Céphise . It continued assembling as needed for recordings and performances with the group until the mid-1990s, when the decision was made to make it a regular choir on a level with the orchestra, in preparation for their performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor. Performances of oratorios and large-scale vocal works became more common after this. Rather than use established soloists in the arias and solo sections of these works, the choir was thought to be so good that the soloist material was shared amongst the regular members, a practice that Andrew Manze continued. [4]
From 1996 to 2001 The English Concert was engaged in a major concert project entitled 'Great Religious Works of the 18th Century'. This was launched with Messiah performances, continuing in 1997 with J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor performed in Italy, France, Germany, Austria and at the BBC Proms. Next was Bach's St. John Passion and Mozart's Requiem in 1999. In 2000 there were 18 performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion , in locations from Tenerife to Tokyo. The six-year cycle was completed with a performance of Haydn's Die Schöpfung at the 2001 Lucerne Festival. The Christmas Oratorio was performed in Spain, Italy and Germany in December 2002. [5]
Trevor Pinnock stepped down as director in 2003 to pursue solo and other conducting projects. [6] Orchestra members decided to hand over to violinist Andrew Manze, who was at that time associate director of The Academy of Ancient Music. [7] One of his first projects as director was a reconstruction of the first performance (in 1717) of Handel's Water Music , sailing down the River Thames on a barge. This was filmed for the BBC and released on DVD. [8] With Manze's leadership came a new series of recordings with Harmonia Mundi.
The English Concert continues to appear at the major London venues, including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall and South Bank Centre, as well as touring internationally and playing at major music festivals. In September 2007, harpsichordist Harry Bicket succeeded Andrew Manze as director. Notable collaborations in the last three seasons have been with such internationally acclaimed figures in historical performance as violinist Fabio Biondi, oboist Alfredo Bernardini, conductor Laurence Cummings, director Rinaldo Alessandrini, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, soprano Elizabeth Watts, countertenor David Daniels, and director and recorder player Maurice Steger.
There was, for a time, a chamber ensemble drawn from the principal members, The English Concert Chamber Ensemble, which released a few recordings as 'Members of The English Concert' or using their individual names. The English Concert Winds were a group of wind players from the orchestra who released a recording. [9]
Violin:
Viola:
Cello:
Violone:
Recorder:
Horn:
Flute:
Oboe:
Bassoon:
Lute:
Trumpet:
Under the direction of Andrew Manze:
Under the direction of Harry Bicket:
Karl Richter was a German conductor, choirmaster, organist, and harpsichordist.
Trevor David Pinnock is a British harpsichordist and conductor.
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Andrew Manze is a British conductor and violinist, noted for his interpretation of Baroque violin music.
A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord. Harpsichordists may play as soloists, as accompanists, as chamber musicians, or as members of an orchestra, or some combination of these roles. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied sonatas for harpsichord or concertos accompanied by orchestra. Accompanist harpsichordists might accompany singers or instrumentalists, either playing works written for a voice and harpsichord or an orchestral reduction of the orchestra parts. Chamber musician harpsichordists could play in small groups of instrumentalists, such as a quartet or quintet. Baroque-style orchestras and opera pit orchestras typically have a harpsichordist to play the chords in the basso continuo part.
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Simon Andrew Thomas Standage is an English violinist and conductor best known for playing and conducting music of the baroque and classical eras on original instruments.
Harry Alexander Clarence Bicket is a British conductor, harpsichordist and organist. He is particularly associated with the baroque and classical repertoire.
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Millicent Irene Silver was an English harpsichordist, who began her career as a pianist and violinist.
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David Reichenberg was an American oboist and a highly respected specialist on the baroque oboe. He was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa and learnt the flute, violin, and piano as a child. He began his oboe studies with Dr. Myron E. Russell of the University of Northern Iowa. Beginning in 1969, Reichenberg studied at the Indiana University School of Music, continuing his oboe studies with Jerry Sirucek, former oboist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Graduating in 1972, Reichenberg moved to Salzburg, where he attended the Mozarteum. It was in Salzburg that Reichenberg met Nikolaus Harnoncourt, director of Concentus Musicus Wien. Reichenberg became increasingly interested in playing the oboe's repertoire on the instrument for which it had been written and, with the assistance of Harnoncourt, moved to Vienna in order to study baroque oboe with Jürg Schäftlein. He simultaneously studied oboe making with Paul Hailperin, building the instrument upon which he played for four years. Reichenberg took part in many concerts and recordings with Concentus Musicus, and gradually increased his activities with that group.
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John Butt is an English orchestral and choral conductor, organist, harpsichordist and scholar. He holds the Gardiner Chair of Music at the University of Glasgow and is music director of the Dunedin Consort with whom he has made award-winning recordings in historically informed performance. He is a prolific scholar, conductor and performer of works by Johann Sebastian Bach.
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