Il piacer delle dame

In the newly renovated Clam-Gallas Palace, the instrumental works of Italian or Italian-influenced masters will be performed, all of whom, like many others, drew inspiration from the incomparable Rome-based virtuoso Arcangelo Corelli. Their musical pieces also significantly influenced the development of violin technique, especially in the French milieu. In addition to pure Italian virtuosity, the audience will be able to enjoy the elegant French repertoire. The Collegium Marianum ensemble will perform chamber works by composers who were inspired by the Corellian sonata and concerto grosso, and were able to push these forms and playing techniques even further.
 
The violinist Pietro Locatelli was probably not a direct pupil of Corelli, as we sometimes read, but nevertheless, he spent over ten years in Rome at the beginning of his career and this stay was a major influence on his compositional style. During the course of his subsequent travels, after which he settled in Amsterdam, he encountered many other musicians. At the court in Kassel, he gave a concert with Jean-Maria Leclair, with Locatelli allegedly playing in the Italian style “like a devil” and Leclair, on the other hand, with French grace “like an angel”. Leclair, a native of Lyon, combined in his musical craft the Italian technique he learned in Turin with his experience as a French dancer, which was his first occupation. The musical work of Leclair and Locatelli significantly advanced the technique of violin playing, especially in France, where the instrument had been introduced in its solo use precisely by Italian musicians. The programme of the concert also offers works of Michele Masciti, a Neapolitan who settled in France and spread the Corellian tradition there. We named the concert after a collection published in Paris by Carlo Tessarini, which illustrates the importance of the quality of a repertoire that was played not only to appeal to a music-loving audience but suited performance by skilled amateurs, too.