Francesco Maria Cattaneo, the composer, was appointed concertmaster of the famous Dresden Hofkapelle at almost 60 years old, reaching a late peak in his career.
Historical Context
The sources for Francesco Maria Cattaneo's concertos, along with other anonymous orchestral pieces on this album, come from the 'Schranck no: II' — a collection of about 1,750 musical pieces from 18th-century Dresden, rediscovered in the mid-19th century.
Historical Context
The Dresden court music, where Francesco Maria Cattaneo worked, was considered one of the best in Europe during the 'Augustan Age' (1694/97-1763) under King-electors August II and August III.
Compositional Technique
One of Francesco Maria Cattaneo's A major concertos is two-movement and may have been performed as gradual music during court worship service, a practice of playing virtuoso instrumental music in church that is documented.
Performer Biography
Anton Steck, the solo violinist and director on this album, studied Baroque violin with Reinhard Goebel and has served as concertmaster for renowned Early Music ensembles like Les Musiciens du Louvre and Concerto Köln.
Composition History
Five of Francesco Maria Cattaneo's concertos have survived and are presented on this CD as world premiere recordings, including four violin concertos and one double concerto for violin and bassoon.
Composer's Artistic Vision
According to contemporary understanding, a virtuoso like Francesco Maria Cattaneo was expected to possess not only technical mastery but also compositional ability, as stated by Johann Kuhnau in his 1700 work, Der Musicalische Quack-Salber.
