Friday 10 July 2015

Boxwood and Brass

Baxwood and Brass
Harmoniemusik is the style of wind ensemble music written in the 18th century generally in German speaking countries. It was often designed for performance outside, though not exclusively so. And though many major composers wrote for the genre, there were plenty of others who had their music arranged for wind ensemble. The ensemble, Boxwood and Brass, are the UK's only period instrument ensemble exploring this repertoire, giving us the opportunity to hear the music on historically correct instruments. On Saturday 11 July 2015 there is a chance to hear them in their programme The Viennese Hofkappelle at St Peter's Church, Streatham, Leigham Court Road, London, SW16 2ND.

Nicola Barbagli, Jan Hutek (oboes), Emily Worthington, Louise Strickland (clarinets), Anneke Scott, Anna Drysdale (horns), Robert Percival, Hayley Pullen (bassoons) and Jan Zahourek (bass) will be performing music for eight and nine piece ensemble associated with the Viennese Imperial harmonie from the first decades of the 19th century, in new editions by Robert Percival. The concert includes Hummel's Octet-Partita, the first performance of a new edition prepared by Robert Percival (who plays bassoon in the ensemble) using newly discovered manuscript parts in the British Library. The additions to the score include a very substantial amount of performance directions giving a detailed insight into to the original performance practice surrounding this outstanding piece of harmoniemusik. Other music in the concert include Triebensee's Partita in B flat, Krommer's Partita Op.78 in F, and an anonymous arrangement of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique.

At eleven o'clock at night I was treated to a serenade performed by two clarinets, two horns and two bassoons - and that of my own composition... These musicians asked that the street door might be opened, and, placing themselves in the centre of the courtyard, surprised me, just as I was about to undress, in the most pleasant fashion imaginable with the first chord in E-flat!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, letter to Leopold Mozart 3 November 1781

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