Baroque soloists "Fattoamano" by Turini, F., Corelli, A., Vivaldi, Caldara, Pugnani, Dandrieu, J., Gentili, No (2024/2024), Konzerthalle, Bamberg, Germany

Playing strings with »soul«, »anima« or »Âme« – this is how the soundpost in the corpus of string instruments is called in various languages. With this relatable background, our chamber music ensemble offers a mesmerising glimpse into the 17th and 18th centuries: The concert takes us back to the fairytale era of powdered wigs, when European courts hosted sumptuous festivities. The music of the Baroque period saw an aesthetic transition: it was increasingly believed to be there to »speak to the human heart«. Composers embraced the spirit of the time, pleasing audiences with intensely emotional works – as if it was imperative to express all the feelings and moods that could possibly be packed onto a sheet of music. On their period instruments, our baroque soloists shed light on the trio sonata, one of the most important genres of that time: They present a dazzling panorama of works by well-known grand masters such as Vivaldi and Corelli, but also by other equally intriguing composers who made their mark in the Italian and French metropolises. The works captivate with their expressive depth, their improvised figurations and ornamentations, as well as their partly daring harmonies. Another feature of the concert, »La Opera Prima«, is a magical number: all the works are from the respective Opus 1 – and these first published works focus on very exciting milestones in the particular artistic development. With the intelligently compiled programme, our musicians will surely be able to captivate the audience both emotionally and with virtuosity, elevating moments and lots of inventiveness as well as variation art – after all, Molière was certain: »Imagination is a faculty of the soul.«