Les Muffatti
Encyclopedia
The ensemble Les Muffatti was created in 1996 in and around the Brussels Conservatory by a group of twelve idealistic musicians who wanted to ensure that the Baroque repertoire for string orchestra was sufficiently addressed in their education. The members agreed to work on several projects per year, inviting a different music director for each one.
When the group began to realize that its potential as a steady ensemble was growing quickly, and each member had specialized in Baroque strings, they decided, by the end of 2003, to present Les Muffatti to the public and give it a more official character. The group attracted new members and began to look for a regular music director, settling on Peter Van Heyghen, an internationally recognized specialist in performance practices of Renaissance and Baroque music
. In June 2004, the ensemble performed its debut concert in Brussels
under his direction.
Les Muffatti was promptly noticed by several concert organizers, and immediately invited to present concerts at the Concertgebouw
in Bruges, the Handel Akademie in Karlsruhe, the Aqua Musica festival in Amsterdam, the Musica Antiqua festival in Bruges, the Holland Oude Muziek festival in Utrecht, the Musica Sacra
festival in Maastricht, and the Bozar concert series in Brussels.
The name Les Muffatti reflects not only what the ensemble considers to be its basic repertoire, but also its approach to performance practice. Georg Muffat
(1653-1704), a cosmopolitan composer, is a key historical figure in the creation of the string orchestra, and one of the first authors to have clearly mapped out the main differences between French and Italian musical styles around 1700.
Les Muffatti's favorite repertoire consists of the various Sinfonie, Sonate, Concerti, and Ouvertures for string orchestra composed between c.1680 and 1740 by such composers as Georg Muffat
, Arcangelo Corelli
, Georg Philipp Telemann
, Georg Friedrich Handel, and many others.
Future plans include focusing on Italian oratorio
s, Serenate, and Intermezzi by Alessandro Scarlatti
, Giovanni Bononcini, Antonio Caldara
, Johann Adolph Hasse
, and others; these are all compositions for string orchestra with an extended continuo
section, a few vocal soloists, and the occasional wind instrument.
For these two types of repertoire, the ensemble attempts to present to the listener as many scores as possible, the original materials of which are preserved in Belgian music libraries.
From 2007 to 2009 Peter Van Heyghen will be artist in residence of the Augustinus Muziekcentrum (AMUZ) in Antwerp.
: Armonico Tributo, Ramée RAM0502
Johann Christoph Pez
: Ouvertures — Concerti, Ramée RAM0705
Giovanni Bononcini: San Nicola di Bari, Ramée RAM0806
Giuseppe Sammartini
: Concerti grossi, Solo Concertos, Overtures, Ramée RAM1008
When the group began to realize that its potential as a steady ensemble was growing quickly, and each member had specialized in Baroque strings, they decided, by the end of 2003, to present Les Muffatti to the public and give it a more official character. The group attracted new members and began to look for a regular music director, settling on Peter Van Heyghen, an internationally recognized specialist in performance practices of Renaissance and Baroque music
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
. In June 2004, the ensemble performed its debut concert in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
under his direction.
Les Muffatti was promptly noticed by several concert organizers, and immediately invited to present concerts at the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
in Bruges, the Handel Akademie in Karlsruhe, the Aqua Musica festival in Amsterdam, the Musica Antiqua festival in Bruges, the Holland Oude Muziek festival in Utrecht, the Musica Sacra
Musica Sacra
Musica Sacra may refer to* Musica Sacra , a mixed chorus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States* Musica Sacra , a mixed chorus in New York City, United States...
festival in Maastricht, and the Bozar concert series in Brussels.
The name Les Muffatti reflects not only what the ensemble considers to be its basic repertoire, but also its approach to performance practice. Georg Muffat
Georg Muffat
-Life:He was born in Megève, Savoy, , and of Scottish descent. He studied in Paris with Jean Baptiste Lully between 1663 and 1669, then became an organist in Molsheim and Sélestat. Later, he studied law in Ingolstadt, afterwards settling in Vienna...
(1653-1704), a cosmopolitan composer, is a key historical figure in the creation of the string orchestra, and one of the first authors to have clearly mapped out the main differences between French and Italian musical styles around 1700.
Les Muffatti's favorite repertoire consists of the various Sinfonie, Sonate, Concerti, and Ouvertures for string orchestra composed between c.1680 and 1740 by such composers as Georg Muffat
Georg Muffat
-Life:He was born in Megève, Savoy, , and of Scottish descent. He studied in Paris with Jean Baptiste Lully between 1663 and 1669, then became an organist in Molsheim and Sélestat. Later, he studied law in Ingolstadt, afterwards settling in Vienna...
, Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
, Georg Philipp Telemann
Georg Philipp Telemann
Georg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually...
, Georg Friedrich Handel, and many others.
Future plans include focusing on Italian oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
s, Serenate, and Intermezzi by Alessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.-Life:Scarlatti was born in...
, Giovanni Bononcini, Antonio Caldara
Antonio Caldara
Antonio Caldara was an Italian Baroque composer.Caldara was born in Venice , the son of a violinist. He became a chorister at St Mark's in Venice, where he learned several instruments, probably under the instruction of Giovanni Legrenzi...
, Johann Adolph Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a considerable quantity of sacred music...
, and others; these are all compositions for string orchestra with an extended continuo
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
section, a few vocal soloists, and the occasional wind instrument.
For these two types of repertoire, the ensemble attempts to present to the listener as many scores as possible, the original materials of which are preserved in Belgian music libraries.
From 2007 to 2009 Peter Van Heyghen will be artist in residence of the Augustinus Muziekcentrum (AMUZ) in Antwerp.
Discography
Georg MuffatGeorg Muffat
-Life:He was born in Megève, Savoy, , and of Scottish descent. He studied in Paris with Jean Baptiste Lully between 1663 and 1669, then became an organist in Molsheim and Sélestat. Later, he studied law in Ingolstadt, afterwards settling in Vienna...
: Armonico Tributo, Ramée RAM0502
Johann Christoph Pez
Johann Christoph Pez
Johann Christoph Pez , also Petz, was a musician, Kapellmeister and composer.- Life :Pez was born in Munich. From 1676, he was the tower watchman and later the Choir director at the Church of Saint Peter in Munich...
: Ouvertures — Concerti, Ramée RAM0705
Giovanni Bononcini: San Nicola di Bari, Ramée RAM0806
Giuseppe Sammartini
Giuseppe Sammartini
Giuseppe Baldassare Sammartini was an Italian composer and an oboist.A native of Milan, he moved to London together with his brother Giovanni Battista Sammartini. He had started playing the oboe in Milan and in London took up the post of oboist in the Opera orchestra in 1727...
: Concerti grossi, Solo Concertos, Overtures, Ramée RAM1008