A. Vivaldi – «The Four Seasons»

The ensemble “Chamber Soloists of Minsk”

Artistic director – Dmitry Zubov

Soloists –

Aleksei Mikutel tenor

Elene Maltseva violin

Galina Matjukova traverso flute

A long before Pushkin’s time these shores attracted crowds of such travelers as aristocrats and scoundrels, artists and merchants, adventurers and curious people. The musicians were no exception. From the beginning of the 17th century many German composers came to Venice, someone for a while to learn the techniques of new style and enrich one's musical language during conversations with prestigious masters like Heinrich Schütz did; someone to stay here for the rest of one's life like Johann Rosenmüller did.

In the 18th century Venice has became the place which was willingly visited by musicians who served at court of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, King of Poland in Dresden. Johann Georg Pisendel, Johann Joachim Quantz, Johann David Heinichen, Jan Dismas Zelenka were here for a long time and imbibing new ideas and getting acquainted with Venetian colleagues.

Vivaldi was the most attractive figure among composers who lived in Venice at that time. He highly valued conversation with Dresden musicians, create contacts that had arisen, sending his concerts and sonatas to the riverside of the Elbe many of which were devoted to J.G. Pisendel. Vivaldi dreamed of getting a chapel-master at the court of King Augustus. But this dream didn't come true, because this post was given to Francesco Maria Veracini, who was a compatriot and rival of Vivaldi. Despite this, the communication of the Venetian master and his Dresden colleagues persisted for years. Many works of Vivaldi survived to this very day and preserved in the library of the Dresden court orchestra.

In the concert of the ensemble “Chamber Soloists of Minsk” will sound the most famous work by Antonio Vivaldi

“The Four Seasons”, 4 concerts for violin, strings and Basso continuo. Since the advent of the 1st edition of this composition, which was published in Amsterdam in 1725, it has delighted listeners throughout Europe. Even in France where a completely different musical style prevailed than in Italy, the first concert of the cycle "Spring" created a real sensation. And in our time composition by Vivaldi “The Seasons” is one of the most beloved by the public, the quintessence of colorful baroque descriptive music.

In the first part of the concert will sound the works of composers Johann Joachim Quantz and Jan Dismas Zelenka who served at court of King Augustus. Quantz is one of the most famous flute players of his time, who later became the teacher of King Frederick the Great. Johann Joachim Quantz is known today not only as a composer, but also as the author of one of the most important treatises of the 18th century. This treatise comprehensively covers the issues of performing practice of the late Baroque epoch - “Method of Playing the Flute traversiere”. The programme will open with his Concerto in G Major for Flute, Strings and Basso continuo.

J.D.Zelenka was known primarily as the author of church works. In 1722 he wrote 6 Lamentationes by texts from the Old Testament “Lamentations of Jeremiah” which were to be performed at vespers service the Holy Week. One of these plays will be performed at the concert – Lamentations I for Holy Saturday.