The Sebastians Recreate Versailles String Orchestra For Works By Lully, Corelli, and Muffat

On Saturday, May 11, at 5PM at The Sanctuary of Brick Presbyterian Church, the Sebastians will present The 24 Violins Cross the Alps. The renowned early music ensemble has been widely celebrated for its thoughtful programming and innovative interpretations, and this concert explores the resonances of Jean-Baptiste Lully's famed orchestra, Les Vingt-quatre Violons du Roy (The 24 Violins of the King), through music by Italian Corelli and German Muffat.

The opulent Vingt-quatre was one of the most prestigious ensembles in 17th-century Europe, known for its uncommon rigor and unified style. In this 80-minute program, presented without intermission, the Sebastians resurrect their own version of Lully's renowned ensemble to explore the interconnections between French, Italian, and German Baroque music through the works of Jean-Baptiste Lully, Arcangelo Corelli and Georg Muffat.

Before Lully, Italy was considered the center of quality violin playing; after him, while plenty of musicians continued to make a pilgrimage to Italy, many Italians instead settled in Paris. Musicians, including Georg Muffat, came from distant lands to observe Lully's work with the Versailles orchestra. Muffat studied in Paris as a young man and later wrote a detailed account of the musical practices he observed in Lully's orchestra-one of the most complete treatises on French baroque bowing, an unusual technique that will also be highlighted in the Sebastians performance. Muffat's music also shows the strong influence of French ornamentation, dance forms, and expressive styles.

Lully's impact was also felt back in Italy: Arcangelo Corelli, often held up as the epitome of Italian baroque style, was commonly sought after in Rome to lead large orchestras that themselves resembled the Vingt-quatre string band. Although Corelli did not visit Paris and his music is distinctly Italian, orchestras all across Europe improved as a result of the reputation of Lully's orchestral discipline, paving the way for the modern orchestral sound.

The Sebastians honor Lully's remarkable contributions to the development of the French orchestral sound in this uniquely conceived and boundary-crossing program.

Artistic Director and harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman says, "After last season's hugely satisfying 24 Violins of the King, featuring music of Lully and J.S. Bach, we are thrilled to continue exploring the impact of this great orchestra in our season finale. Muffat studied with both Lully and Corelli, and he also wrote a detailed description of Lully's bowings and musical practices. We can hear that French influence in Muffat's writing for large string band. On the other hand, the professionalism of Corelli's orchestra may never have come without the reputation of Lully's disciplined orchestra. The shadow of the Vingt-quatre looms across Europe! Performing and enjoying these grand, sumptuous pieces in one concert is a real treat."

The concert interweaves works by Lully, Corelli, and Muffat, featuring the largest group of strings the Sebastians has ever assembled-twenty-nine musicians in total, drawn from NYC's deep bench of high-caliber baroque professionals. A reception will follow to celebrate the ensemble's eleventh season finale.

Concert Information:

The 24 Violins Cross the Alps
Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 5PM
The Sanctuary of Brick Presbyterian Church
1144 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10128
Link: https://www.sebastians.org/event/the-24-violins-cross-the-alps/

Program:

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-87)
Excerpts from:
Atys, LWV 53 (1676)
Le bourgeois gentilhomme,LWV 43 (1670)
Les plaisirs de l'île enchantée, LWV 22 (1664)
Trios pour le coucher du roi, LWV 35

Georg Muffat (1653-1704)
Armonico tributo (Salzburg, 1682):
Sonata no. 3 in A major,
Sonata no. 4 in E minor
Passagaglia Grave, from Sonata no. 5 in G major

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Concerto grosso in D major, op. 6, no. 7 (Amsterdam, 1714)
Trio Sonata in E major, op. 4, no. 6 (Rome, 1694)

Artists:

Dongmyung Ahn, Lydia Becker, Nicholas DiEugenio, Aniela Eddy, Annie Garlid, Peter Kupfer, Isabelle Seula Lee, Daniel Lee, Francis Liu, Madison Marshall, Rebecca Nelson, Rose Nelis, Alissa Smith, Edson Scheid, Jessica Troy, Beth Wenstrom, Shelby Yamin, Jude Ziliak, violin and viola
Nathaniel Chase, Adrienne Hyde, Ana Kim, Cullen O'Neil, Ezra Seltzer, Nathan Whittaker, Wen Yang, violoncello, viola da gamba, violone, and contrabass
Rex Benincasa, percussion
Adam Cockerham, Joshua Stauffer, theorbo and guitar
Jeffrey Grossman, harpsichord

Ticket Information:

Tickets are available at sebastians.org: In-person + digital: $30-$50; Digital only: $20. Students of any age can attend concerts for free by emailing music@sebastians.org (limited availability); Those who would like to attend concerts but cannot afford a ticket, community comp tickets can be requested by emailing music@sebastians.org (limited availability).

The Sebastians' concerts are made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

The Sebastians' concerts are also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

About the Sebastians:

The Sebastians are a dynamic and vital musical ensemble specializing in music of the Baroque and classical eras. Lauded as "everywhere sharp-edged and engaging" (The New York Times), the Sebastians have also been praised for their "well-thought-out articulation and phrasing" (Early Music Review) and "elegant string playing... immaculate in tuning and balance" (Early Music Today). Their 2018 unconducted St. Matthew Passion with TENET Vocal Arts was called "shattering" and "a performance of uncommon naturalness and transparency." The Sebastians' recent seasons have included dozens of originally conceived programs, including collaborations with poets, choreographers, and actors; a musical installation in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; programs dealing with musical "immigration" and nationalism; and major works of J.S. Bach led from the keyboard. The Sebastians are currently in residence at the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments.

About Jeffrey Grossman:

Keyboardist and conductor Jeffrey Grossman specializes in vital, engaging performances of music of the past, through processes that are intensely collaborative and historically informed. As the artistic director of the acclaimed Baroque ensemble the Sebastians, in recent seasons Jeffrey has directed concerts including Bach's St. John and St. Matthew Passions and Handel's Messiah from the organ and harpsichord, in collaboration with TENET Vocal Artists, and he is a frequent performer with TENET, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles across the country. Recent seasons include his conducting operas of Haydn and Handel with Juilliard Opera, leading Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 with the Green Mountain Project in New York and Venice, and conducting a workshop of a new Vivaldi pastiche opera for the Metropolitan Opera. As musical director for the 2023 and 2019 Boston Early Music Festival Young Artists Training Program, he conducted Jacquet de La Guerre's Cephale et Procris and Handel's Orlando from the harpsichord. For thirteen seasons, he toured portions of the rural United States with artists of the Piatigorsky Foundation, performing outreach concerts to underserved communities. Jeffrey can be heard on the Avie, Gothic, Naxos, Albany, Soundspells, Métier, and MSR Classics record labels. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he holds degrees from Harvard College, the Juilliard School, and Carnegie Mellon University. Jeffrey teaches performance practice at Yale University.

Photo Credit: Grace Copeland

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