orchestra (K)

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Kleine Cammer-Musique

Warszawa

phone (+48) (0) 601 598 514

The Dresden Hofkapelle under the reign of August der Starke (the Strong) and August the IIIrd reached a level of one of the best such orchestras in the XVIIIth century Europe. The unique style of playing and the repertoire of the Kapelle were the result of a mixture of French elements, which were favoured by August der Starke, and current news coming — with the support of his son, later too the king of Poland, August the IIIrd — from Italy. Particular contributions were also brought in by élite of virtuosos and individualities of local origin, such as concertmaster J.G. Pisendel (the arbiter elegantiarum of the currant German style), oboe and traverso player J.J. Quantz, lutenist, the legendary S.L. Weiss, pantaleonist P. Hebenstreit, several great singers with Faustina Bordoni-Hasse at the head, composers and Kapellmeisters of the orchestra such as J.D. Heinichen, J.A. Hasse, and at the court chapel J.D. Zelenka (titularly also J.S. Bach).
From 1697 the king's visites to Warsaw were always assisted — to use the court administration expression — by the Notre Orquestre de Pologne, or the Kleine Cammer-Musique, a group of usually over a dozen players, initially lead by J. Różycki and J.Ch. Schmid. From 1717 the composer and undoubtedly its kapellmeister was G.A. Ristori, a man of great merits (likewise his father) for the theatre and music in the Saxon Warsaw.
The new Kleine Cammer-Musique (dir. by Jerzy Żak) is a chamber ensemble playing historical instruments, which by its name and repertoire relates itself to that tradition. Its first concert took place at the Royal Palace in Warsaw on the 12th of December 1993, and the programme consisted of compositions by once famous Dresdeners — Pisendel, Weiss, Zelenka and Hasse. The ensemble has as its goal making again popular the forgotten and once greatly appreciated the repertoire, but also widening our notion about baroque performance practice alla corte sassone-polacca. Beside of works by J.S. Bach, G.Ph. Telemann, J.D. Zelenka and many others writing for the Dresden Hofkapelle, there is also Italian, French and Polish music in the ensemble's agenda, whose presence or influence were the constant element of the cosmopolitan court in Dresden and in Warsaw.
The ensemble performed during several festivals and early music concerts in Poland. The composition of the group varies: from a trio up to a small Baroque orchestra — depending on the programme requirements. Several distinguished musicians appeared in the ensemble’s projects, including Z. Pilch, K. Tomczak, M. Caudle, O. Pasiecznik, J. Laszczkowski, A. Mikołajczyk-Niewiedział, A. Radziejewska, K. Szmyt, J. Wisłocki, B. Hofmann and many, many more. Presently, the basic trio consists of Grzegorz Lalek - violin, Jerzy Żak - lute, Tomasz Frycz - cello. The ensemble's CD «Alessandro Scarlatti: San Casimiro, Re di Polonia, oratorio» was nominated to the Polish phonographic award «Fryderyk 2001».