Florilegium - 'Music for a King' Recording

by Florilegium in London, England, United Kingdom

We did it
On 9th November 2018 we successfully raised £4,250 with 42 supporters in 35 days

Florilegium needs your help to raise £4,000 towards our recording 'Music for a King - Chamber works from the Court of Frederick the Great'

by Florilegium in London, England, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

The stretch target of £5,500 will help us getting the CD to the widest possible audience.

The extra support will be used in the first instance towards our CD launch event at our 6th March 2019 concert at Wigmore Hall.


Our Aim

We need your support to raise £4,000 towards our next recording 'Music for a King - Chamber works from the Court of Frederick the Great' with Channel Classics Records.


About Florilegium

Since its creation in 1991 Florilegium has established itself as one of Britain’s most outstanding period instrument ensembles, gaining a reputation for stylish and exciting interpretations, from intimate chamber works to large-scale orchestral and choral repertoire.

Concert venues include Sydney Opera House, Esplanade (Singapore), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzerthaus (Vienna), Beethoven-Haus (Bonn), Handel-Haus (Halle) and Frick Collection (New York). Over the years they have performed more than 1,200 live concerts, 75 of these have been at London’s Wigmore Hall. Among the numerous residencies Florilegium have held was Ensemble-in-Residence at London’s Wigmore Hall from 1998 to 2000, and since 2008 they have been Ensemble in Association at the Royal College of Music, working regularly with students in areas of Historical Performance.

Florilegium’s recordings for Channel Classics have been awarded many prizes including two Gramophone Award nominations, most recently in 2016 when their Telemann Concerto and Cantata CD was shortlisted in the category best baroque chamber music CD. Their recordings have also won numerous BBC Music Magazine awards, Editor’s Choice from Gramophone, Edison Award in Holland, Diapasons d’Or and Chocs de la Musique in France.

For more information about Florilegium visit www.florilegium.org.uk

About Florilegium's 'Music for a King' Recording

Inspired by James Gaines’s novel “An Evening in the Palace of Reason” (2006) we have been researching composers who were employed by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, one of the greatest musical patrons of the 18th century. Feared as a battle-hardened general, and well known to be an atheist and philosopher, the King was also a passionate flautist and when not out extending the State of Prussia, would lead regular concert performances at court with some remarkable characters in his employ. Perhaps the most famous was the court harpsichordist Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach who also composed many sonatas and concertos for the flute-playing King. Johann Sebastian set out in 1747 to visit CPE, his favourite son, in Potsdam and it was this visit that inspired the King to offer a near impossible “royal theme” for the great Bach to extemporise on, and as a result Bach’s great work entitled Musical Offering BWV 1079 was born. Other exceptional musicians under the employ of Frederick who we will present on this recording include the violin virtuoso Franz Benda, the second court harpsichordist Carl Friedrich Fasch, opera composer Carl Heinrich Graun, his older brother, chamber musician and violin virtuoso Johann Gottlieb Graun, keyboard composer Johann Muthel and Johann Joachim Quantz, private flute instructor to the King and most highly paid of all the court musicians.

What makes our project special

The works we will be recording have hardly seen the light of day since they were composed for performance at the court of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. With the King’s regular evening concerts at the Palace as inspiration for many new compositions during his long reign, it is no surprise that some gems fell into obscurity. We have selected some of the smaller scale, intimate, remarkable yet forgotten masterpieces that we feel need to be reintroduced to audiences today, and by supporting this project you will help us achieve this ambition.

What we will record 

Johann Sebastian Bach, Ricercar a Tre

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Duett in G major for solo violin and flute H598

Franz Benda, Sonata for violin and continuo in E major

Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, Andantino and Variations for solo harpsichord

Carl Heinrich Graun, Sonata for cello and continuo in C major

Johann Gottlieb Graun, Quintet in A minor

Johann Gottfried Muthel, Sonata for flute and continuo in D major

Johann Joachim Quantz, Trio Sonata in E minor

When and where

This new programme will be recorded from 7th to 9th November in one of our favourite churches in North London – St.Michael’s in Highgate where we most recently recorded our Telemann Concerto and Cantata CD.

We plan to edit and produce the CD in time to launch at our Wigmore Hall concert on 6 March 2019 when we will present this recorded programme live for our audience. 

Why do we need your help?

A recording project like this needs a big investment from Florilegium. We are responsible for covering the costs of research, preparation of modern editions of the repertoire, and recording costs including player fees, keyboard provision and venue hire. As always, our Partners in this enterprise will be Jared Sacks and Channel Classics who will cover the substantial recording, production and post-production costs as always delivering an exceptional recording and informative and attractive information booklet.

We are looking for people to join our circle of supporters to help us make this project a reality and take the next vital step in Florilegium’s artistic development. We need your help to raise £4,000 between now and the start of the recording session in November.

What people are saying about Florilegium

- 'Florilegium is a bright star in the musical sky' (Peter Millican, CEO, Kings Place London)

- 'Formed in 1991, the ensemble was so impressive that they were appointed Resident Wigmore Ensemble in 1998. It has been wonderful to see their international concert career flourishing and complemented by their many prize-winning recordings' (William Lyne, Director Emeritus, Wigmore Hall).

- 'The RCM is delighted to enjoy a close association with performers whose virtuosity inflects historical principles with such personality, character and verve.' (Professor Colin Lawson CBE, Director, RCM)

- 'Florilegium are brilliant, innovative, rigorous and daring in equal measure, with the generosity to share their art with the widest possible public and the next generation of talented artists, be they urban music scholars or indigenous villagers.' (HE Nigel Baker, HM Ambassdor, British Embassy to the Holy See)

- 'Florilegium’s lithe sound, committed focus on producing the very best results, alongside their infectious enthusiasm, all contribute to make them special within the arts in the UK'. (David Hill, Music Director, The Bach Choir)

Thank you!

Thank you for your support - we couldn't do it without you!

Please make a pledge now and help us spread the word by sharing our campaign online through Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #FlorilegiumMusicforaKing and tagging @FlorilegiumUK.

If you have any questions about the campaign, or Florilegium in general, please email [email protected].

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£10 or more

£10 Reward

A big thank you from all of us at Florilegium

£20 or more

£20 Reward

A copy of Florilegium’s new CD before international release

£50 or more

£50 Reward

A copy of Florilegium’s new CD before international release signed by all members of Florilegium

£100 or more

£100 Reward

A copy of Florilegium’s new CD before international release signed by all members of Florilegium and 1 year’s subscription to the Friends of Florilegium

£125 or more

£125 Reward

2 tickets for our CD launch concert at Wigmore Hall on 6th March 2019 plus a copy of the programme signed by all players

£250 or more

£250 Reward

Your name in the CD liner notes as a foundation donor, a copy of Florilegium’s new CD before international release signed by all members of Florilegium, and the opportunity to attend a recording session in person (between 7-9 November at St Michael’s Highgate)

£350 or more

£350 Reward

The exclusive opportunity to sit in the recording box with the sound engineer and producer to observe the recording close up

£500 or more

£500 Reward

The same benefits as a £250 pledge, plus 1 year’s subscription at Patron level to the Friends of Florilegium and an invitation to you and a guest to celebrate over drinks with the ensemble after the final recording session.

£750 or more

£750 Reward

The same benefits as a £500 pledge but you become a member of the Director’s Circle of the Friends of Florilegium

£1,000 or more

£1000 Reward

A private recital in the comfort of your own home for you and your dinner guests by members of Florilegium. Ashley Solomon (Director of Florilegium) will personally design a programme with you

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