Description

The grandiose eloquence of the French overture and the variety of dance pieces that were associated throughout Europe with the courtly entertainments of the Sun King had an irresistible appeal on the greatest Germanic composers of the early 18th century, as witnessed by the many French-styled dance suites they turned out. No less alluring to them was the Italian taste for concertante interplay, which they put to use in their own vision of the Italianate concerto. But these German masters went one step further, and amalgamated the two—in effect “fusing the styles”—into a musical invention they could boast as their own: the concertante suite. Montreal’s Ensemble Arion is back in its orchestral set-up to share this varied selection of works, conducted by the renowned baroque music specialist Barthold Kuijken.