Concert Programs

The Origins of the String Quartet

Who invented the string quartet? This question has been hotly debated by musicologists past and present. Often the reply has been: Joseph Haydn. But surely this reveals a good dollop of cultural chauvinism? Hard to believe that it was all down to a single person, and, moreover, one who rightly achieved enduring fame. After all, at the end of the basso continuo era, all across Europe composers such as J. Haydn, A. Kamell, G. Monn, and M.L. Lombardini were itching to try their hand at new genres.

Il quadro in scena

In this programme the Lombardini Quartet travels around eighteenth-century Italy, their luggage packed with works by L.M. Lombardini, L. Boccherini, and W.A. Mozart. Join them on their musical journey to operatic scenes in which prima donnas, furies, and heroes meet.

Scuola delle Nazioni

Anyone who wanted to make a name for themselves playing the violin in the eighteenth century had to journey to Giuseppe Tartini in Padua. From the late 1720s, he taught young virtuosi from all over Europe at his Scuola delle Nazioni. Many of his students tried their hand at composing string quartets, a still new and highly experimental genre at the time. Join the Lombardini Quartet on the trail of Tartini’s students with works by M.L. Lombardini, A. Kamell, G. Pugnani, J. Touchemoulin, and A. Wesström.

Women’s Voices

What do a duchess, a travelling virtuoso violinist, and the founder of the first female string quartet in the eighteenth century have in common? All of them were women composers at a time when writing works of music was considered inappropriate for their gender. The Lombardini Quartet lifts the work of past female composers out of the shadows of the male-dominated history of music. This programme features wonderful compositions by Amalie Marie Friederike Auguste, duchess of Saxony; M.L. Lombardini, and F. Blangini.

Catch me if you can

The Lombardini Quartet embarks on a hunt through the musical themes of eighteenth-century Vienna. Expect a rich haul of canons, fugues and counterpoints by F.L. Gassmann, M.G. Monn, G.Ch. Wagenseil, and W.A. Mozart!