Charlotte Brandes
THE ARTISTS
Pascale Beaudin, soprano
Oliver Brault & Chloe Fedor, violin
Nicole Divall, viola
Loretta O’Sullivan, cello
Andrew Appel, harpsichord
THE PROGRAM
G. Benda: Ariadne Overture & scene
Janitsch: Sonata for violin, viola & continuo
F. Benda: Sonata in F for violin & continuo
C. H. Graun: Barbaro Barbaro!
C. H. Graun: A tanti pianti miei
C. P. E. Bach: Trio Sanguineus und Melancholicus
A short note on Artful disruption!
The early romantics in Germany
If the tenor of the arts in Elizabeth Linley’s London was one of graceful and halcyon pleasure, the Germany of Charlotte Brandes was quite other. That sense of security, of looking back and seeing the end of violent revolution, the emergence of an empowered middle class society, and a controlled monarchy allowed London's music lovers to enjoy the suave and graciousness of Thomas Gainsborough and John Christian Bach. The moods and tastes of Germany were in stark contrast.
Goethe’s tragic hero Faust tells us that if at any moment he feels contentment, then at that moment he wants life to end. For the German gardener in the 18th century, the regulated geometry of the French Classical Garden felt oppressive; the contained but liberated English garden was too…contented. The German wanted artful confusion interrupted by unexpected glimpses of beauty revealed as a surprise and disappearing as suddenly as they appeared. Being lost in an unpredictable world was cherished.
For the musician, for the contemporary musician not under the demands of the reactionary Frederick the Great who refused to leave French Rococo behind, the manipulation of form, the fractioned concepts of melody, the desire to create a music that was as unpredictable as the new garden, created an esthetic that was unique in Europe and foreshadows Romanticism. C. P. E. Bach’s spirit is proto-romantic. Once he leaves the court of Sans Souci, he is a godfather of Robert Schumann.
This strange and unpredictable vision in music is reflected in a new form of theater…the Melodrama. Here, with full orchestra in the pit, a spoken play is presented while the orchestra comments in alternation with the spoken word. The most renowned composer for these plays was Georg Benda and the greatest actress, Charlotte Brandes.
The intensity of emotion, the uniqueness of communication of the melodrama continued to attract composers including Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt and Berlioz continuing to the 20th century. And that focus on powerful affections is present in the composers around Brandes and Benda.
These concerts are made possible through your donations and gifts from:
Mr. Eiji Miki
George and Ellie Warburg
Mr. Christian Draz