Treasures: Chamber Music from the Collection of Earl Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schonborn zu Wiesentheid

Featuring

Daniel Deuter
Markus Märkl
Heike Johanna Lindner
CordArte Ensemble
Henricus Albicastro
Johann Jakob Schnell

Philipp Heinrich Erlebach
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
Johann Sebastian Bach
Anonymous
Johann Georg Pisendel
Johann Graf Majláth

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn, a German count, had a penchant for both French and Italian styles of musical composition, which is reflected in his collection.

Historical Context

The Schönborn family, originally from the southern Taunus, held leading positions in the political and spiritual life of the Holy Roman Empire during the 17th and 18th centuries, producing prince electors, bishops, diplomats, and cathedral canons.

Compositional Technique

Henrico Albicastro's sonata in D minor, featured in Rudolf Franz Erwein's collection, requires a scordatura (alternative tuning) of the violin, enabling unusual sound combinations and eccentric melodic developments.

Album & Artwork

The album title "Treasures" refers to the chamber music collection of Earl Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn zu Wiesentheid, whose musical library forms the basis of this recording.

Performer Biography

The ensemble CordArte, founded in 1998 in Cologne, focuses on 17th-century trio sonatas for violin, gamba, and continuo, and has performed across Germany and internationally.

Composition History

The collection of Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn contains around 150 printed works and 500 manuscripts, many of which are unique, and includes personal copies made by him.

Composer Biography

Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn (1677-1754), a diplomat and imperial financial commissar, began his extensive musical collection in 1694 and played the flute, bassoon, and his favorite instrument, the cello.