Nachtmusique18th Century Wind Ensemble, direction Eric Hoeprich
Eric Hoeprich & Oscar Arguëlles, clarinet & basset horn
Javier Zafra & Eyal Streett, bassoon
Erwin Wieringa & Gijs Laceulle, horn
The ensemble Nachtmusique was formed in 1990 specially to perform Harmoniemusik of the late 18th century on period instruments. Its members are all specialists in the field, and play regularly with the best of the early music ensembles: Orchestra of the 18th Century, Freiburger Baroque Orchestra, Anima Eterna, Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, London Classical Players, etc. and also can be heard on numerous recordings. In addition to the music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, undisputed masters of the genre, Nachtmusique also perform the works of other less well-known composers such as J.C. Bach, Franz Krommer, Carl Maria von Weber and Georg Druschetzky. To these can be added countless 18th and early 19th century arrangements of operas, symphonies and oratorios by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven to Rossini and Mendelssohn. Their CD recordings on the Glossa label of Mozart and Krommer works have received wide critical acclaim.
The name of the group, Nachtmusique, comes from a letter written by Mozart to his father in 1781. He describes in a letter to his father how late one evening he was literally serenaded by "a Nachtmusique for 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons of my own composition. Just as I was getting ready for bed, they surprised me in the most pleasant fashion with the first Eb chord..."
In France, Nachtmusique has performed in numerous festivals - Île de France, Clisson et Loire Atlantique, Perros Guirec, Pionsat, St Agrève, Saoû chante Mozart and Lanvellec, as well as at the Montpellier opera, Théâtre de Cherbourg, Musée Grévin in Paris, and in Lille, Toulouse and Chaumont. During the 2000-2001 season the ensemble performed at the Château de Bagnols, in Sarreguemines, Strasbourg, Lille and Paris. In 2002 Nachtmusique has been invited to the Théâtre des Abbesses and the Folles Journées Mozart & Haydn in Nantes, Bilbao and Lisbonne.
HARMONIEMUSIK In the autumn of 1782, the Emperor Joseph II established his K.K. Harmonie, a wind ensemble comprised of eight musicians: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons, thereby setting a trend that would be taken up by the nobility in Vienna and environs, and later all over Europe. These numerous Harmonie ensembles needed music to play, and it is difficult to say what came first, the establishment of such ensembles or the desire to hear arrangements of popular operas and symphonies outside the lavish settings of the opera house and concert hall. In any case, it is clear that the function of the Harmonie was to provide a divertissement, much like the radio or compact disc player today. In the 18th century, the Harmonie made it possible to enjoy one's favourite music at virtually any time.
Mozart proved to be among the first composers to write in the genre, having completed the Nachtmusique described in the letter above, the Serenade KV 375, some 6 months before the Emperor established his K.K. Harmonie. Exactly what Mozart meant by the word Nachtmusique cannot be known for certain, but it unquestionably conjures up an atmosphere of serenity: a candle-lit evening, relaxed, with plenty of time on our hands to listen to and enjoy the myriad colours and subtle nuances a Harmonie ensemble can create.
