Early music back then, right now and in the near future (?)
The wind soloists of B’Rock ensemble, together with Pianist Alexander Melnikov, present a lively and exciting program which stimulates reflection upon the aspect of revival through times. The program we bring is an exact copy of the opening concert of La Société de musique de chambre pour instruments à vent, given on 6 February 1879, at the Salons Pleyel-Wolff in Paris. This Société was a group of first-class musicians in Paris, founded by celebrated Flutist Paul Taffanel. It had the aim of bringing wind chamber music to another level, by promoting local and foreign newly written pieces for winds, as well as to breathe new life into the wind repertoire of the past. The Belle Époque was a flourishing and inspiring time for new compositions, a time of increased mechanical complexity in the design and the manufacturing of wood and brass wind instruments. Interestingly, while more than 150 pieces were written for the Société within its first 15 years of existence, (including Charles Gounod’s ‘petite symphonie’ of 1885), equal attention was given in the programs of the Société to the old, often newly discovered, pieces of Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.
Four elements are presented in our concert, maintaining a dogma that the Société kept in each of their six annual concert programs: a Classical piece (the Octet for winds by Beethoven) An Early soloistic piece (J.S.Bach’s b minor flute Sonata) a Newly commissioned piece (Barthe – Aubade pour Quintette à vents) and something Foreign / Exotic (Rubinstein Quintet for piano and winds).
This program is a showcase of how adventurous programming in those days was. Considering the past and looking into the future, it inspires us to plunge into an artistically and intellectually challenging project, namely reviving this Société activities. A fascinating way to engage in the 19th century French wind playing manner.
