Johann Christoph Schmidt: 5 Overture Suites

Featuring

Anton Steck
L'Arpa festante
Johann Christoph Schmidt

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Instruments

Anton Steck, the concertmaster, plays violins by Jakobus Stainer (1652) and Alessandro Gagliano (Naples, 1701), and also owns a rare Francesco Emiliani violin from Rome (1734).

Historical Context

Most of Johann Christoph Schmidt's compositions were lost in 1760 when the Prussians burned the princely palace in Pirna, destroying documents of 17th-century Protestant church music.

Interpretation

L'arpa festante, the ensemble on this album, uses original instruments appropriate to the period of composition to accurately reproduce the original tone colors of the works.

Composer Biography

Johann Christoph Schmidt, a composer on this album, was born in Hohnstein, Saxony, in 1664, and his father, a former choirboy under Heinrich Schütz, raised him in the tradition of Dresden Protestant church music.

Composition History

The five overtures on this album are preserved in "Schranck No: II," a collection that holds the instrumental repertoire of the Dresden court ensemble from the early 18th century.

Performer Biography

Anton Steck, the concertmaster for this recording, was concertmaster of the legendary Musica Antiqua Köln at age 25 and later led Concerto Köln from the concertmaster's desk.

Compositional Technique

Johann Christoph Schmidt, the composer, blended French and Italian musical forms in his overtures, such as in Overture No. 3, which includes an Intrada and Sinfonia alongside an Overture and Air.