Pisendel: Concerti Grossi, Sonatas & Sinfonias

Johann Georg Pisendel (1687–1755) made a profound impression during his lifetime with his highly virtuosic violin playing, and even today his work is regarded as a milestone in orchestral practice. Although his compositional legacy is not particularly extensive, he set new standards during the Baroque period, particularly in his role as court Kapellmeister of the Dresden Court Orchestra. The paths of almost all the great figures of the Baroque era crossed with his. He was friends with Bach, Vivaldi, Graupner and Telemann. He was trained by Torelli and Heinichen and, together with Hasse, brought the ‘Dresden Baroque’ to its peak across Europe. He never regarded himself as a great composer, but rather as a specialist in interpretation, whose training in orchestral practice and keen sense of musical styles were able to provide decisive impetus for modern orchestral practice today.

No wonder, then, that today’s Baroque specialists in the ensemble Concerto Köln now look to Pisendel as a role model. The Baroque violinist Mayumi Hirasaki has, for the past ten years, repeatedly taken on the role of principal concertmaster with Concerto Köln. She regards her historical role model, Pisendel as director of the Dresden Court Orchestra, as a ‘perfect concertmaster’ (an allusion to Johann Mattheson’s treatise from 1739). This is what this CD aims to convey:“It was meant to be a programme that not only focuses on me as a violinist, but also showcases the virtuosity of the entire orchestra. And what could be better suited to this than Pisendel’s music for this Baroque Dresden all-star ensemble, with all its stylistic versatility?”
The recording begins with a fanfare of unknown origin. “I want the listeners to feel our festive mood right from the start!” says Mayumi Hirasaki, explaining this decision. This is immediately followed by the Concerto in D major, featuring a magnificent wind section and additional timpani.

In the Sonata in C minor that follows, one senses the closeness and friendship with Johann Sebastian Bach and his son Wilhelm Friedemann. “Here, Pisendel demonstrates that, like his colleagues Heinichen and Jan Dismas Zelenka, he was able to compose in the contrapuntal style of Dresden church music,” explains Mayumi Hirasaki in the accompanying booklet to the recording.

In 1716, Pisendel met the composer Antonio Vivaldi in Venice. Consequently, Pisendel’s melodic treatment in the Concerto in B flat major is strongly reminiscent of his great Italian role model. Concertmaster Hirasaki gives this piece a distinctly chamber-music-like treatment: “As concertmaster, Pisendel, too, had to make such decisions time and again. Here, he has the tutti violins playing in unison throughout, whilst the viola part is very ingeniously crafted.”

The musicians have approached the French piece‘Imitation des Caractères de la Danse’Concerto Köln approached the French piece “Imitation des Caractères de la Danse” in a very special way: they first attended a Baroque dance course together. “You play this music quite differently when you can physically experience the various dance characters for yourself,” explains Hirasaki. “Furthermore, we’ve used the underhand bowing technique here, as was customary in France at the time.”

This is followed by the Concerto in E flat major, in whose score – much to the delight of the musicians – a great many handwritten notes by Pisendel himself were found, as well as the Sinfonia in B flat major – once again featuring magnificent wind instruments. The album concludes with the Sonata in D major, which unmistakably brings the album full circle back to its opening.

Mayumi Hirasaki and Concerto Köln have succeeded with this recording in presenting a skilful and virtuosic selection that captures the character and grandeur of Pisendel’s music.