Les Nations

About

An evening of chamber music at Břevnov Monastery will introduce listeners to the work of French and Italian masters who consciously incorporated various national styles into their compositions. François Couperin called the combination of the best of Italian and French styles “les goûts réunis.” In this spirit, he composed a collection called Les Nations, which consists of four suites. Each begins with a trio sonata in the style of Corelli, followed by a series of dance movements in the French style. A native of Naples, Michele Mascitti found a home in Paris, where he spent the rest of his life as a renowned composer and violin virtuoso. His compositional style remained mostly Italian, but French influences can also be found in his works, especially his sonatas. Louis Gabriel Guillemain was clearly inspired by Telemann’s quartets in his collections of sonatas. His “gallant conversations” between three equal melodic voices and basso continuo clearly approach the ideals of the following era, Classicism.
 
The program will be enriched by excerpts from Laurence Stern‘s travelogue Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, read by Justin Svoboda. Laurence Stern wrote about his travel experiences in the form of humorous reflections full of sparkling observations and irony.

Musicians

COLLEGIUM MARIANUM
Jana SEMERÁDOVÁ | artistic director
Lenka TORGERSEN | Baroque violin
Hana FLEKOVÁ | viola da gamba
Jan KREJČA | theorbo
Filip HRUBÝ | harpsichord
 
Justin SVOBODA | recitation


 
La Concordia delle Nazioni
or music united nations

The program of the 26th edition of Baroque Soirées will present an inspiring dramaturgy presenting the intertwining of national styles in the context of important musical centers and composers such as George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, François Couperin, Francesco Geminiani, and Johann Adolph Hasse, who influenced entire generations of composers and musicians.