Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany, is currently a major tourist attraction. When visiting, one can almost feel the glorious past and imagine the gatherings in the palace's halls. Frederick II, also known as Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, commissioned the palace's construction in 1745. The splendor of the building and the king's lifestyle demanded sophisticated entertainment and art, including music. Frederick the Great assembled the most famous and skilled musicians of his time at his court to compose, perform, and teach him since he was a gifted and passionate flutist. Among the musicians hired by the king were Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Joachim Quantz, Karl Friedrich Abel, and Christoph Schaffrath. Bach, son of the famous Johann Sebastian Bach, was the court's harpsichordist. Quantz was a flutist and composer in Frederick's court; he was also Frederick's personal flute teacher and even accompanied the king on his military campaigns so they could continue their daily flute lessons.

 

The king's enthusiasm and patronage of music led to a great musical output at Sanssouci Court. In our concert, we present a selection from the rich repertoire of this time and place, performing pieces by C. P. E. Bach, Quantz, Abel, and Schaffrath, who wrote in the then-modern "empfindsamer Stil" (sensitive style). This style is characterized by a great display of emotions and feelings, which can change very rapidly within a single piece. Both Bach and Quantz described this musical style in their theoretical works, which were well received and widely printed.

 

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote much chamber music in Köthen, where he was the court's Kapellmeister. Bach wrote the pieces in a mixture of the old style and the newer style of his time, making them a "bridge" between two important stylistic eras in music history.

 

All the pieces you will hear in this concert are closely related to Sanssouci Palace and Frederick the Great. We invite you to experience the sounds of the palace and the atmosphere that this music may have created.