La Petite Bande Explained

La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in music of the Baroque and Classical eras played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and Mozart.

History

The ensemble was brought together in 1972 by Sigiswald Kuijken, originally for the one-off purpose of recording Lully's comédie-ballet, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, conducted by Gustav Leonhardt for the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi label. The ensemble was given its name from Lully's Petite Bande des Violons du Roi, an orchestra of 21 string players at the court of Louis XIV. The nucleus of the original group was the Leonhardt Consort along with Sigiswald Kuijken and his brothers Wieland and Barthold. Following the recording, the group continued to give concerts throughout Europe and became a permanent ensemble based in Leuven with Kuijken as director. Their initial repertoire concentrated on French Baroque music, but soon branched out into Italian and German composers, including Corelli, Handel and Bach. They also branched out from the Baroque to the Classical period with performances and recordings of works by Haydn and Mozart. The ensemble's 1982 recording of Haydn's The Creation was the first time the work had been recorded using period instruments.^[1] Their UK debut was at the 1982 BBC Proms, with a concert of pieces by Bach, Handel, and Rameau. The critic Barry Millington described the performance in The Musical Times:

La Petite Bande's recordings of operatic rarities during their first ten years include Rameau's Zoroastre, Zaïs, and Pigmalion as well as Campra's L'Europe galante and Grétry's Le jugement de Midas. From 2006 to 2012, the ensemble has largely concentrated on Bach, especially his cantatas with the goal of recording a complete liturgical year, but also his St John Passion, St Matthew Passion and Mass in B minor. Singers in these projects, each part sung by one singer, have included sopranos Gerlinde Sämann, Barbara Schlick, Elisabeth Scholl and Siri Thornhill, altos René Jacobs and Petra Noskaiová, tenors Christoph Genz, Christoph Prégardien and Marcus Ullmann, and basses Jan van der Crabben, Max van Egmond and Harry van der Kamp.

On 2 February 2009, Sigiswald Kuijken was awarded the Prize for Cultural Merit by the Belgian government. The following day, the advisory committee of the Ministry of Culture recommended that La Petite Bande's 600,000 euro annual subsidy be removed. Kuijken's students started an internet petition to save the subsidy which received 21,000 signatures. The Minister of Culture at the time, Bert Anciaux, ignored the advice of the committee and restored the subsidy until 2012 (reduced to 590,000 euro). The ensemble has since started a charitable foundation, Support La Petite Bande, to make up the shortfall. Some funding was subsequently granted for 2013 to 2016.

In 2011, Kuijken decided to leave the future direction of the ensemble to younger musicians and chose the organist Benjamin Alard to direct a new Handel project which began in April 2013.

Discography

1973 – J. Lully – Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme – DHM
1974 – A. Campra – L'Europe Galante (extracts) – DHM
1975 – G. Muffat – Suites en Concerti Grossi – DHM
1977 – A. Corelli – Concerti Grossi Op. 6, nrs. 1–4 – DHM
1978 – A. Corelli – Concerti Grossi Op. 6, nrs. 6–12 – DHM
1978 – J.-P. Rameau – Zaïs – WDR/Stil
1979 – J.-P. Rameau – Suite from Hippolyte et Aricie – DHM
1980 – A. Vivaldi – Quattro Stagioni – RCA/Seon
1980 – G. F. Handel – Partenope – WDR/DHM
1981 – A. E. M. Grétry – Le Jugement de Midas (extracts) – WDR/Ricercar
1981 – J.-P. Rameau – Pygmalion – WDR/DHM
1982 – J. S. Bach – Orchestral Suites (Overtures) BWV 1066–1069 – WDR/DHM
1982 – J. S. Bach – Violinkonzerte BWV 1041–1043 – WDR/DHM
1982 – C.W. Gluck – Orfeo ed Euridice
1983 – J. Haydn – Die Schöpfung
1984 – J.-P. Rameau – Zoroastre – WDR/DHM
1985 – G. F. Handel – Alessandro – WDR/DHM
1986 – J. S. Bach – Mass in B minor – WDR/DHM
1986 – W. A. Mozart – Davide penitente K. 469 / Ave Verum Corpus K. 618 – WDR/DHM
1987 – C. P. E. Bach – Die Letzten Leiden des Erlösers – WDR/DHM
1987 – W. A. Mozart – Requiem (Live recording)
1987 – W. A. Mozart – Flute Concertos – WDR/DHM
1988 – J. Haydn – L'Infedelta Delusa – WDR/DHM
1988 – J. S. Bach – St John Passion BWV 245 – WDR/DHM
1988 – W. A. Mozart – Concert arias – Virgin Classics
1989 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 25, 52, 53 – Virgin Classics
1989 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 90, 91 – Virgin Classics
1989 – J. S. Bach – Magnificat – Virgin Classics
1990 – J. Haydn – Die Jahreszeiten – Virgin Classics
1990 – J. S. Bach – St Matthew Passion – BMG/DHM
1992 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 88, 89, 92 – Virgin Classics
1993 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 93, 94, 95 – BMG/DHM
1993 – J. S. Bach – Brandenburg Concertos I–VI – BMG/DHM
1993 – J. S. Bach – Motetten BWV 225–230
1993 – W. A. Mozart – Così fan tutte (live recording)
1994 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 96, 97, 98 – BMG/DHM
1994 – J. S. Bach – Kantaten 49, 58, 82
1995 – J. Haydn – Harmoniemesse/Te Deum – BMG/DHM
1995 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 99, 100, 101 – BMG/DHM
1996 – J. Haydn – Symphonies 102, 103, 104 – DHM
1996 – W. A. Mozart – Don Giovanni (Live recording)
1996 – W. A. Mozart – Sinfonia Concertante K. 364, Violin Concerto K. 216 – Denon
1997 – G. B. Pergolesi – La Serva Padrona/Livieta e Tracollo
1997 – J. Lully – Concert de Danse – Charpentier, Rebel
1997 – W. A. Mozart – Violin Concerts K. 218–219 – Denon
1998 – W. A. Mozart – Violin Concerts K. 207–211 Concertone K. 190 – Denon
1999 – J. Haydn – Cello Concertos D major and C major – DHM
1999 – W. A. Mozart – Le nozze di Figaro
2000 – H. Schütz – Weihnachtshistorie – DHM
2001 – J. S. Bach – Mass in B minor BWV 232 – Urtext
2002 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas BWV 9, 94, 187 – Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (DHM)
2002 – W. A. Mozart – Arias & Duets – DHM
2003 – C. P. E. Bach – Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu – Hyperion
2004 – J. G. Graun – Der Tod Jesu
2004 – J. S. Bach – Motets BWV 225–229
2005 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol.1 BWV 98, 180, 56, 55
2005 – W. A. Mozart – Die Zauberflöte
2006 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 2 BWV 177, 93, 135
2006 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 3 BWV 82, 178, 102
2007 – W.A. Mozart – Cassations K. 63 – K. 99 and Divertimento K. 205
2007 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 4 BWV 16, 153, 65, 154
2007 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 5 BWV 179, 35, 164, 17
2008 – C. Monteverdi – Vespro della Beata Vergine SV 206
2008 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 7 BWV 20, 2, 10
2009 – J. S. Bach – Mass in B minor BWV 232
2009 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 8 BWV 13, 73, 81, 144
2009 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 9 BWV 61, 36, 62, 132
2009 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 10 BWV 108, 86, 11, 4
2010 – J. S. Bach – Brandenburg Concertos BWV 1047–1051
2010 – J. S. Bach – St Matthew Passion BWV 243
2010 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 11 BWV 67, 9, 12
2010 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 12 BWV 138, 27, 47, 99
2011 – Vivaldi – Flute concertos
2011 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 13 BWV 249, 6
2011 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 14 BWV 91, 57, 151, 122
2012 – D. Buxtehude – Membra Jesu Nostri BuxWV75
2012 – J. S. Bach – St John Passion
2012 – J. S. Bach – Cantatas Vol. 15 BWV 52, 60, 116, 140
2012 – J. Haydn – Die Tageszeiten: Symphonies Nos. 6, 7, 8 (Diapason d'or)

Sources

Anon. . 1983 . Continuo . Joseph Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation) . 6–7 . .
News: Het Nieuwsblad (Thursday, 3 December) . 2009 . nl . Anon. . La Petite Bande zoekt 600.000 euro per jaar . La Petite Bande Seeking 600,000 Per Year . 25 June 2010 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110611191845/http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=QO2J6EN6 . 11 June 2011 .
Book: Chapin , Anna Alice . 2008 . 1904 . Makers of Song . Read Books . 978-1-4086-7129-0 . .
Web site: Clements . Dominy . 2007 . Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Cantatas for the complete liturgical year, Vol.V . Musicweb-international . 25 June 2010 . .
Fiske . Roger . January 1984 . Haydn: Die Schöpfung . . 55 . .
Kemp . Lindsay . November 1997 . Happy 25th birthday . . 21–22 . .
Book: Kenyon , Nicholas . Nicholas Kenyon . 1988 . Authenticity and Early Music . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-816153-0 . .
. 13 September 2011 . Sigiswald Kuijken bereidt opvolging voor . nl . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120531215611/http://www.knack.be/nieuws/cultuur/klassieke-muziek/sigiswald-kuijken-bereidt-opvolging-voor/article-1195103131424.htm . 31 May 2012 .
News: Littler . William . 1990 . Virgin Classics' Early Music Series Includes Superb Byrd Third Mass . Toronto Star (23 March) . D18 . https://archive.today/20130111074251/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/471632691.html?dids=471632691:471632691&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+23,+1990&author=William+Littler+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Virgin+Classics'+early+music+series+includes+superb+Byrd+third+mass&pqatl=google . dead . January 11, 2013 . .
Millington . Barry . 1982 . Music in London: Proms . . 123 . 1676, October . 706–708 . 962160 . 10.2307/962160 . .
News: De Standaard (4 February) . 2009 . nl . Van der Speeten . Geert . Een prijs, maar ook een slecht rapport . A Prize, but Also a Bad Report . 25 June 2010 . .
Book: Watchorn , Peter . 2007 . Isolde Ahlgrimm, Vienna and the Early Music Revival . Ashgate Publishing . 978-0-7546-5787-3 . .

External links

- La Petite Bande on bach-cantatas with photographs of the ensemble

Notes and References

. For a review of the recording see .