The English Concert
Encyclopedia
The English Concert is a baroque orchestra
playing on period instruments based in London
. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord
by Trevor Pinnock
for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket
. The orchestra has been led by Nadja Zwiener since September 2007.
and others in November 1972. The date of foundation is often given as 1973, probably because they started with seven people and only later progressed onto the orchestral repertoire as their number increased. They were one of the first orchestras dedicated to performing baroque
and early classical music on period instruments, their repertoire from then to now ranging approximately from Monteverdi
to Mozart.
Their London debut was at the English Bach Festival in 1973, which led to their first recording in 1974, Sons of Bach harpsichord concertos, on CRD records. They first played at The Proms
in 1980, and toured North America
in 1983. The group gained much recognition from their prolific number of recordings with Archiv Produktion
from 1978 until 1995, during which they recorded most of the major baroque repertoire.
The Choir of the English Concert (or permutations of that phrase), was formed in 1983 to perform Rameau's Acante et Céphise
. It continued assembling as needed for recordings and performances with the group until the mid-1990s, when the decision was made to make it a regular choir on a level with the orchestra, in preparation for their performance of Bach
's Mass in B Minor. Performances of oratorio
s and large-scale vocal works became more common after this. Rather than use established soloists in the arias and solo sections of these works, the choir
was thought to be so good that the soloist material was shared amongst the regular members, a practise that Andrew Manze continued.
From 1996 to 2001 The English Concert was engaged in a major concert project entitled 'Great Religious Works of the 18th Century'. This was launched with Messiah
performances, continuing in 1997 with J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor performed in Italy, France, Germany, Austria and at the BBC Proms. Next was Bach's St. John Passion
and Mozart's Requiem in 1999. In 2000 there were 18 performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, in locations from Tenerife to Tokyo. The six-year cycle was completed with a performance of Haydn's Die Schöpfung at the 2001 Lucerne Festival. The Christmas Oratorio
performed in Spain, Italy and Germany in December 2002.
Trevor Pinnock stepped down as director in 2003 to pursue solo and other conducting projects. Orchestra members decided to hand over to violinist Andrew Manze
, who was at that time associate director of The Academy of Ancient Music. One of his first projects as director was a reconstruction of the first performance of Handel
's Water Music
, sailing down the River Thames
on a barge. This was filmed for the BBC and released on DVD. With Manze's leadership came a new series of recordings with Harmonia Mundi
.
The English Concert continues to appear at the major London venues, including the Wigmore Hall
, Cadogan Hall
and South Bank Centre
, as well as touring internationally and playing at major music festivals. In September 2007, harpsichordist Harry Bicket
succeeded Andrew Manze as director. Notable collaborations in the last three seasons have been with such internationally acclaimed figures in historical performance as violinist Fabio Biondi, oboist Alfredo Bernardini, conductor Laurence Cummings
, director Rinaldo Alessandrini, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani
, soprano Elizabeth Watts
, countertenor David Daniels, and director and recorder player Maurice Steger
.
Viola:
Cello:
Violone:
Recorder:
Horn:
Flute:
Oboe:
Bassoon:
Lute:
Under the direction of Harry Bicket:
Baroque orchestra
The Baroque orchestra is the type of orchestra that existed during the Baroque period, commonly identified as 1600-1750. Its origins were in France where Jean-Baptiste Lully added the newly re-designed hautboy and transverse flutes to his vingt-quatre violons du Roy...
playing on period instruments based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
by Trevor Pinnock
Trevor Pinnock
Trevor David Pinnock CBE is an English conductor, harpsichordist, and occasional organist and pianist.He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years in baroque and early classical...
for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket
Harry Bicket
Harry Bicket is a British conductor, harpsichordist and organist.Bicket was educated at Radley College, Christ Church, Oxford, where he was organ scholar, and the Royal College of Music...
. The orchestra has been led by Nadja Zwiener since September 2007.
The English Concert and Choir
The English Concert was founded by Trevor PinnockTrevor Pinnock
Trevor David Pinnock CBE is an English conductor, harpsichordist, and occasional organist and pianist.He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert which he helped found and directed from the keyboard for over 30 years in baroque and early classical...
and others in November 1972. The date of foundation is often given as 1973, probably because they started with seven people and only later progressed onto the orchestral repertoire as their number increased. They were one of the first orchestras dedicated to performing baroque
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...
and early classical music on period instruments, their repertoire from then to now ranging approximately from Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
to Mozart.
Their London debut was at the English Bach Festival in 1973, which led to their first recording in 1974, Sons of Bach harpsichord concertos, on CRD records. They first played at The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
in 1980, and toured North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1983. The group gained much recognition from their prolific number of recordings with Archiv Produktion
Archiv Produktion
Archiv Produktion is a subsidiary label of Deutsche Grammophon founded in 1948.The first head of Archiv from 1948–1957, was Fred Hamel, a musicologist who set out the early Archiv releases according to 12 research periods from 1. Gregorian Chant to 12. Mannheim and Vienna...
from 1978 until 1995, during which they recorded most of the major baroque repertoire.
The Choir of the English Concert (or permutations of that phrase), was formed in 1983 to perform Rameau's Acante et Céphise
Acante et Céphise
Acante et Céphise, ou La sympathie is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau, first performed on 19 November 1751 at the Opéra in Paris. It takes the form of a pastorale héroïque in three acts. The librettist was Jean-François Marmontel. The opera was written to celebrate the birth of the Duke of...
. It continued assembling as needed for recordings and performances with the group until the mid-1990s, when the decision was made to make it a regular choir on a level with the orchestra, in preparation for their performance of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's Mass in B Minor. Performances of 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 and large-scale vocal works became more common after this. Rather than use established soloists in the arias and solo sections of these works, the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
was thought to be so good that the soloist material was shared amongst the regular members, a practise that Andrew Manze continued.
From 1996 to 2001 The English Concert was engaged in a major concert project entitled 'Great Religious Works of the 18th Century'. This was launched with Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
performances, continuing in 1997 with J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor performed in Italy, France, Germany, Austria and at the BBC Proms. Next was Bach's St. John Passion
St. John Passion
Several composers have written works known by the title St John Passion, which denotes a passion based on the Gospel of John...
and Mozart's Requiem in 1999. In 2000 there were 18 performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, in locations from Tenerife to Tokyo. The six-year cycle was completed with a performance of Haydn's Die Schöpfung at the 2001 Lucerne Festival. The Christmas Oratorio
Christmas Oratorio
The Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 incorporating music from earlier compositions, including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734 and a...
performed in Spain, Italy and Germany in December 2002.
Trevor Pinnock stepped down as director in 2003 to pursue solo and other conducting projects. Orchestra members decided to hand over to violinist Andrew Manze
Andrew Manze
Andrew Manze is an English violinist and conductor.As a guest conductor Manze has regular relationships with a number of leading international orchestras including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra,...
, who was at that time associate director of The Academy of Ancient Music. One of his first projects as director was a reconstruction of the first performance of Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's Water Music
Water Music (Handel)
The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements, often considered three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717 after King George I had requested a concert on the River Thames...
, sailing down the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
on a barge. This was filmed for the BBC and released on DVD. With Manze's leadership came a new series of recordings with Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi is an independent music record label founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz in Arles . The Latin phrase means "world harmony"....
.
The English Concert continues to appear at the major London venues, including the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
, Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
and South Bank Centre
South Bank Centre
Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, UK, on the South Bank of the River Thames between County Hall and Waterloo Bridge. It comprises three main buildings , and is Europe’s largest centre for the arts. It attracts more than three million visitors annually...
, as well as touring internationally and playing at major music festivals. In September 2007, harpsichordist Harry Bicket
Harry Bicket
Harry Bicket is a British conductor, harpsichordist and organist.Bicket was educated at Radley College, Christ Church, Oxford, where he was organ scholar, and the Royal College of Music...
succeeded Andrew Manze as director. Notable collaborations in the last three seasons have been with such internationally acclaimed figures in historical performance as violinist Fabio Biondi, oboist Alfredo Bernardini, conductor Laurence Cummings
Laurence Cummings
Laurence Cummings , MA , ARCM, FRCO, HonRAM is a British harpsichordist, organist, and conductor. Cummings was educated at Solihull School, Christ Church, Oxford and the Royal College of Music...
, director Rinaldo Alessandrini, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani
Mahan Esfahani
Mahan Esfahani is an Iranian-American keyboardist; he is the first harpsichordist named as a BBC New Generation Artist. As a concerto soloist, recitalist, and collaborative musician, he has gained an international reputation on a variety of early keyboards.- Biography :Born in 1984 in Tehran,...
, soprano Elizabeth Watts
Elizabeth Watts
Elizabeth Watts is a British soprano.Watts studied archaeology at Sheffield University and graduated with first class honours. Beginning in 2002, she studied music at the Royal College of Music with Lillian Watson. She graduated in 2005 with distinction and the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother...
, countertenor David Daniels, and director and recorder player Maurice Steger
Maurice Steger
Maurice Steger, born 1971 in Switzerland, is a musical director and as a recorder player one of the most influential and popular soloists of his generation....
.
Related ensembles
There was, for a time, a chamber ensemble drawn from the principal members, The English Concert Chamber Ensemble, which released a few recordings as 'Members of The English Concert' or using their individual names. The English Concert Winds were a group of wind players from the orchestra who released a recording.Some notable past members
Violin:- Simon StandageSimon StandageSimon Andrew Thomas Standage is an English violinist and conductor best known for playing and conducting music of the baroque and classical eras on original instruments.- Biography and career :...
- leaderConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
1972-1991 - left to direct Collegium Musicum 90Collegium Musicum 90Collegium Musicum 90 is an English baroque orchestra playing on period instruments. It was founded by violinist Simon Standage and conductor Richard Hickox in 1990 and was jointly directed by them until the death of Hickox in November 2008.Collegium Musicum means something like musical guild and... - Elizabeth Wilcock
- Micaela Comberti
- Graham Cracknel
- Peter Hanson - leader 1992-1997 - now leads the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et RomantiqueOrchestre Révolutionnaire et RomantiqueThe Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, founded in 1990 by John Eliot Gardiner, performs Classical and Romantic music, using the principles and original instruments of historically informed performance. The orchestra has recorded symphonies, operas, concertos, and other works of Beethoven,...
- Rachel PodgerRachel PodgerRachel Podger is an English violinist specialising in the performance of baroque music. She often conducts baroque orchestras from the violin, and in 2004 took up a guest directorship with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, having previously been leader of The English Concert from 1997 to...
- leader 1997-2002 - Roy GoodmanRoy GoodmanRoy Goodman is a conductor and violinist, specialising in the performance and direction of early music...
- John HollowayJohn Holloway (musician)John Holloway is a British baroque violinist and conductor, currently based in Dresden, Germany. John Holloway is a pioneer of the early music movement....
Viola:
- Trevor Jones
- Katherine McGillivray
- Alfonso Leal del Ojo Chamorro
- Louise Hogan
Cello:
- Anthony PleethAnthony PleethAnthony Pleeth, born in 1948 in London, is an English cellist, specialising in the historically informed performance of music of the 18th and 19th centuries on period instruments.-Biography and career:...
- 1972-1985 - Jaap ter LindenJaap ter LindenJaap ter Linden is a Dutch cellist, viol player and conductor. He specialises in performance of baroque and classical music on authentic instruments....
- David Watkin
- Jane Coe
- Alison McGillivray
- Jonathan Manson
- Joseph Crouch
Violone:
- Keith Marjoram
- Amanda MacNamara
- Peter McCarthy
Recorder:
- Philip PickettPhilip PickettPhilip Pickett is an English musician, recorder player and director of early music ensembles, notably The New London Consort.- Student days :...
Horn:
- Anthony HalsteadAnthony HalsteadAnthony Halstead is a leading figure in the period-instruments movement. First known as a virtuoso on the natural horn, he has gradually moved into the role of conductor and has directed the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and most notably Hanover Band.Halstead...
Flute:
- Stephen PrestonStephen PrestonStephen Preston is an English flautist specialising in period performance of baroque and classical music on original instruments. Additionally he plays modern flute and choreographs historical forms of dance.- Biography and Career :...
- Nicholas McGeganNicholas McGeganNicholas McGegan OBE is a British harpsichordist, flautist, conductor and early music expert....
- Lisa BeznosiukLisa BeznosiukLisa Beznosiuk is an English flautist of Ukrainian and Irish descent, specialising in period performance of baroque and classical music on historical flutes.-Biography and career:...
Oboe:
- David ReichenbergDavid ReichenbergDavid Reichenberg was an American oboist and a highly respected specialist on the baroque oboe. He was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa and learnt the flute, violin and piano as a child. He began his oboe studies with Dr Myron E. Russell of the University of Northern Iowa...
- Paul GoodwinPaul GoodwinPaul Goodwin is an English conductor, and former oboist.As an oboist he studied oboe with Janet Craxton and, following his graduation from the University of Nottingham with a degree in composition, specialized in contemporary oboe techniques and the baroque oboe at the Guildhall School of Music...
Bassoon:
- Alberto Grazzi
Lute:
- Nigel NorthNigel NorthNigel North is an English lutenist and guitarist.-Student days:He studied guitar on a scholarship to the junior department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama , taking up the lute in 1969, at the age of 15. He maintains he was more or less self-taught on the instrument...
Recordings
Under the direction of Andrew Manze:- C.P.E. Bach: Symphonies Wq.183 and cello concerto
- BiberHeinrich Ignaz BiberHeinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Born in the small Bohemian town of Wartenberg , Biber worked at Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally left his Kroměříž employer and settled in Salzburg...
: Missa Christi resurgentis - HandelHANDELHANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
: As steals the morn... arias & scenes for tenor (with Mark PadmoreMark PadmoreMark Padmore is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.Born in London 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent in England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge...
, tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
) - Mozart: Eine Kleine NachtmusikEine kleine NachtmusikThe Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K. 525 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787. The work is more commonly known by the title Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The German title means "a little serenade", though it is often rendered more literally but less accurately as "a little night music"...
- Mozart: violin concertos nos. 1Violin Concerto No. 1 (Mozart)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 in B flat major, K. 207, was originally supposed to have been composed in 1775 , along with the other four wholly authentic violin concerti. However, analysis of handwriting and the manuscript paper on which the concerto was written suggest that the...
, 2Violin Concerto No. 2 (Mozart)Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major K. 211 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775. The concerto has the usual fast-slow-fast structure. The movements of the work have the tempo headings:# Allegro moderato# Andante# Rondeau, Allegro...
, 3Violin Concerto No. 3 (Mozart)The Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Salzburg in 1775. Mozart was only 19 at the time.- Movements :The piece is in three movements:AllegroAdagioRondeau. Allegro- I. Allegro :...
, 4Violin Concerto No. 4 (Mozart)Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major K. 218 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775 in Salzburg. The autograph of the score is preserved in Biblioteka Jagiellońska, Kraków.- Structure :...
, 5Violin Concerto No. 5 (Mozart)The Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775, premiering during the holiday season that year in Salzburg. It follows the typical fast-slow-fast musical structure.- Background :...
. - Vivaldi: seven concertos ‘for the Holy Roman Emperor’
Under the direction of Harry Bicket:
- BachBạchBạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
: Brandenburg Concertos & Orchestral Suites (with David Daniels, countertenor)
External links
- http://www.englishconcert.co.uk/ - official website
- Bach-cantatas.com: The English Concert
- Picture of recording of Bach's 4-harpsichord concerto in 1981
- Picture from the late 1980s