Chaconne for the Princess
Leclair and Handel in the Service of Anne,
Princess of Orange
Královská obora 20, Prague 7
Programme
Händel, Leclair
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759)
Chaconne in A major
Suite in G minor, HWV 432
Jean-Marie Leclair (1697–1764)
Sonata in E minor
Sonata in G major
Georg Friedrich Händel / Michel Blavet (1700–1768)
Gavotte „The Harmonious Blacksmith“
Anonymous
Princess Royal
Annotation
It was a rare opportunity indeed to be able to learn to play the harpsichord under George Frideric Handel himself. Among the lucky few was the talented Princess Anne of Hanover (later Princess of Orange-Nassau, daughter of King George II of Great Britain), who studied with Handel for 11 years. Handel undoubtedly acquitted himself extremely well, as she became an excellent harpsichordist. Even Jean-Marie Leclair admired Her Majesty for “the affection Your Royal Highness entertains for truly beautiful music, and your profound knowledge of the rules of this art”.
Both composers were inspired by Anne’s personality and composed and dedicated works to her that continue to appeal to contemporary performers. The charm of Rococo melodies and refined virtuosity will be presented at the Summer Festivities of Early Music by two leading artists – Jana Semerádová and Erich Traxler. Their Chaconne for the Princess in the Baroque Hall of Šlechtovka will delight even the most demanding listeners!
Venue
Královská obora 20, Prague 7
Show on mapPartners of the concert
In collaboration with the Österreichisches Kulturforum Prag.
Artists
Jana Semerádová
flauto traverso
Flautist Jana Semerádová is a graduate of the Prague Conservatory, the Faculty of Philosophy, Charles University in Prague, and the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, the Netherlands. She is also a laureate of the Magdeburg and Munich international competitions.
Jana Semerádová is the artistic director of Collegium Marianum and programming director of the concert cycle Baroque Soirées and the IMF Summer Festivities of Early Music. She undertakes intensive archival research both at home and abroad and is engaged in ongoing study of Baroque gesture, declamation, and dance.
Under her direction, Collegium Marianum stages several modern premieres each year. Jana Semerádová has a number of CDs to her name; her recordings with Collegium Marianum are featured as part of the successful series “Music from Eighteenth-Century Prague” on the Supraphon label, for which she has also recorded her two signature CDs “Solo for the King” and “Chaconne for the Princess“.
Jana Semerádová has performed at leading European concert venues and festivals (such as Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Händel-Festspiele Halle, the Prague Spring festival), collaborated as a soloist with artists including Magdalena Kožená, Sergio Azzolini, Alfredo Bernardini, or Enrico Onofri, and regularly performs with e.g. Il suonar parlante, Wrocławska Orkiestra Barokowa, or {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna.
In 2015 she received her habilitation degree as an associate professor of flute from the Faculty of Music and Dance at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. In 2019 she was awarded the prize of the Prague Group of the Society for Arts and Sciences.
Erich Traxler
harpsichord
Erich Traxler studied harpsichord and organ in Vienna and Basel with Michael Radulescu, Andrea Marcon, and Jesper Christensen. He won first prizes at international organ competitions in Goldrain (Italy 2003) and Bochum (Germany 2005).
His concert activities include appearances as a soloist and as a chamber musician with various ensembles (e.g. L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, Ars Antiqua Austria, Accentus Austria, and Ensemble Castor). Previous tours have taken him to most countries in Europe as well as to the USA, South America, South Africa, South Korea, and Japan.
Numerous CD and radio recordings document his work, e.g. his solo album recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations from 2016. In 2019, he joined violinist Gunar Letzbor for a recording of Mozart violin sonatas, which are rarely played on the harpsichord.
Erich Traxler teaches at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna as Professor of Harpsichord.
