University Musical Society - Ann Arbor District Library

Concerto in F Major for Soprano Recorder,
Strings, and Basso Continue
Giuseppe Sammartini
Born January 6, 7 693 in Milan, Italy
Died November 1751 in London
The recorder was much in vogue in London from
1715 until around 1735. Concertos by English
composers such as William Babel, John Baston,
and Robert Woodcock were popular not only in
concert halls but in theaters as well, where they
were performed as musical interludes between
acts. Milanese composer Giuseppe Sammartini
helped fuel the city's love affair with the recorder.
Sammartini arrived in England in 1728 or 1729,
preceded by his reputation as a recorder virtuoso.
There he presented London audiences with this
Concerto in F Major, a work infused with Vivaldi
influences and gallant character.
Concerto Grosso No. 12 in d minor,
"La Follia" (after Corelli)
Francesco Geminiani
Born December 5, 1687 in Lucca (baptized), Italy
Died September 17, 1762 in Dublin
After studying in Rome with Arcangelo Corelli
(1753-1713) and Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-
1725), Francesco Geminiani worked for several
years as a violinist and composer in his native town
of Lucca, as well as in Parma. Like many Italians
before him, he traveled to England, where Italian
music had achieved immense popularity. Both
Geminiani's talent and reputation as a disciple of
the famed Corelli allowed for a stellar career as a
solo violinist and composer. In 1731, he founded
a subscription concert society that both his own
concerti gross! and the transcriptions of works by
Corelli were performed. Geminiani had quickly
realized that the English, with their love of Italian
composers, were infatuated with the Roman
master. The Concerto Grosso No. 12 in d minor
is a chamber orchestra transcription of the last of
Corelli's Op. 5 violin sonatas—a series of variations
on "La Follia," an immensely popular melody in the
Baroque era.
UMS 11/1; Les Violons du Roy
Recorder Concerto in F Major (after
Corelli, Op. 5), with ornamentation by
eminent masters
Geminiani : •
It was not unusual in 18th-century London for
recorder virtuosos to perform works from the
popular string repertoire on their instrument,
adapting them as necessary. As a connoisseur of
England's Baroque music scene, Maurice Steger
pays homage to this tradition this evening. Joining
with the string ensemble for a concerto grosso, he
will perform the concertante part normally played
by the solo violin. The concerto grosso in question
is a Francesco Geminiani orchestration of a Corelli
sonata.
Program notes by Pierre Grondines.
According to The Independent, Maurice
Steger is "the world's leading recorder
virtuoso." With a repertoire focused on
early music, Mr. Steger is a sought-after soloist
amongst leading early music period instrument
ensembles.
A major portion of Mr. Steger's artistic activities
is devoted to recitals accompanied by harpsichord
or small chamber orchestras. But Maurice Steger is
no stranger to contemporary music: he premiered
two solo concertos for recorder and orchestra
and has performed Rodolphe Schacher's musical
fairytale Tino Flautino over 50 times.
Maurice Steger