Felice Giardini & J. C. Bach: Quartets & Quintets – L’Astrée

The prestige that the Royal Academy of Turin enjoyed among the British aristocracy was undoubtedly contributed, from the end of the 17th century to the 19th, by the alliance that existed between the courts of Savoy and St. James. The presence of English aristocrats and their teachers at the Royal Academy consolidated a network of relations between London and Turin that has only recently been explored. At the same time, the world of Freemasons played an important role. In short, despite the obvious differences between the two centers, Turin and London were so closely linked throughout the 18th century by manifold contacts that literary figures, painters, sculptors and musicians from Piedmont came to seek their fortunes in the United Kingdom. Thus, through loose but by no means weak threads, the most diverse people were connected who had had the opportunity to get to know each other in Turin or to move in the same circles. This was also the case with the composers Felice Giardini and Johann Christian Bach, who were among the leading composers of the galant style in England and from whom high-quality quartets and quintets can be heard here, interpreted by the ensemble L’Astrée, which specializes in performing the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries according to historical criteria and on original instruments.

Reviews

klassik-heute.de 03/2023: “L’Astrée succeeds exquisitely in shaping not only the high quality of the compositions united here, but also the intermediary of the pre-classical era of Johann Christian Bach and, precisely, Felice Giardini: As a result, the works on this CD gain a special stylistic position, which for today’s listeners conveys the appeal of music between the ages and, thanks to their excellent arrangement, promises immediate musical enjoyment.”

Pizzicato.lu 12/2022: “The performers’ expertise for this music results in convincing interpretations that let each leading voice and also the continuo come into their own. They characterize the works with a light hand and technical confidence, so that the character of the music desired by the contemporaries comes to fruition with an appealing gesture. The works are played as they were loved, as entertaining music to delight in.”