City of Light: Virtuoso Parisian Music for Two \\\’Cellos

City of Light: Virtuoso Parisian Music for Two ‘Cellos. A dazzling concert followed by a sumptuous buffet of French Pastries.

Phoebe Carrai & Mark Kramer, Baroque ‘Cellos

Under the luminescence of sparkling chandeliers, ceilings covered with gold filigree and a

profusion of glittering ornaments, eighteenth-century Parisian music rooms provided the

perfect backdrop for the luxurious and graceful music of French composers. It was a time

when advances in ‘cello technique flourished and virtuosi of the instrument explored

dizzying high finger-positions, breathtaking passage work and impressive double stops. The

rich sonority of two ‘cellos inspired a wealth of ‘duet’ collections – many of which satisfied

the prevailing rage for opera, particularly that of Rameau. From a Paris archive, long

forgotten music by leading and obscure composers lay alongside anonymous pieces of

extraordinary quality and beauty. Innovations in ‘cello playing and expression coincided with

a distinct French style – a musical language so far reaching it influenced Johann Sebastian

Bach and his famous suites for solo violoncello.

The Program:

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Sonata in D Minor

 Jean Baptiste Thomas, Sonata III in G Major

Johann Sebastian Bach, Suite No. 1 in G Major BWV 1007

Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les niais de Sologne from Les Gentils Airs

Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Sauvages, Suite 1 in D Minor from Les Gentils Airs