The Hitchcock Spinet: Works by Burney, Telemann & Others
9/4/2020, 32 Tracks, 1:08:05
Featuring
Anke Dennert
Gabriele Steinfeld
Simone Eckert
The Hitchcock Trio
Johann Mattheson
Georg Philipp Telemann
John (Jean-Baptiste) Loeillet of London
Carl Friedrich Abel
Charles Burney
Francesco Maria Veracini
Francesco Geminiani
Did you know?
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Instruments
The album features a Thomas Hitchcock spinet, built in London in 1730, which was a gift to the Hamburg Telemann Society for the opening of the first Telemann Museum in 2011.
Historical Context
The Hamburg Telemann Society, founded in 1958, opened the world's first Telemann Museum in 2011, which is now part of the Composers' Quarter Association.
Composer Biography
Georg Philipp Telemann, who never visited England, had his works sold in London and appreciated the humor of English music, contrasting it with French and Italian styles.
Historical Context
London, as the largest city in the world at the time, was a hub for international artists and artistic exchange during the 18th century.
Compositional Technique
John Loeillet's Lessons for the Spinet blend typical French suite movements with an 'English impression' and utilize the spinet's distinctive timbre by arranging the composition to create varied sounds without register changes.
Instruments
Thomas Hitchcock's spinets, known for their sound and construction, were popular throughout Europe and characterized by walnut wood cases and distinctive ebony and ivory keys.
Recording & Production
This recording is the first time the historic Hitchcock spinet has been featured, aiming to showcase its tonal and polyphonic flexibility for both chamber and solo works.
