Haydn: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 - Stravinsky: Divertimento

Album review

Preparations for the present album have offered us much lightness in the dark months of the corona crisis. The timing was right: I dreamt at length about forming an ensemble of Dutch top musicians to record the Haydn violin concertos and the arrangement of the Stravinsky Divertimento in a play&direct setting. Empty corona diaries suddenly presented a short-term opportunity. I have often performed Haydn and Stravinsky in combination, and although at first sight you might not associate one with the other, I do believe they form a fine pair. Why oh why? Perhaps because of the music’s frankness. The nimbleness. The intelligence behind it. And the humour, which you hear so well in the little final movements in particular. Haydn plays with his time signatures and puts the listener on the wrong track with his halting phrases. The pleasure of Stravinsky emerges for instance in a romantic pas de deux which turns and changes into a sort of circus music. I think both pieces are cheerful, light and sometimes rather romantic, but never over the top.
– Rosanne Philippens
• The setting is “play&direct”: Rosanne Philippens is both the soloist and leader.
• A new Dutch ensemble is born: The Vondel Strings.
• This marks Rosanne Philippens 6th appearance on Channel Classics Records.
• Disc has been selected for Aangenaam Klassiek 2021.
• Album release Live TV performance: October 10th at Podium Witteman.
• Promo video, from the recording session:

About: The Vondel Strings

The members of The Vondel Strings were selected by Rosanne Philippens in the midst of the corona crisis. Top soloists and chamber musicians were not allowed to play concerts for a live audience, but it was allowed to get together for a CD recording and a Livestream concert. Rosanne Philippens and The Vondel Strings performed a Haydn & Stravinsky livestream concert in April 2021 in the main hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, shortly after recording the programme of Haydn's Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 and Stravinsky's Le baiser de la fée for Channel Classics Records.
The name of the ensemble is inspired by Vera Beth and her late husband Anner Bijlsma's house in Amsterdam. That house is a lodestone for their pupils and for international stars, among whom it is known as ‘The Vondel’. Upstairs students were taught, downstairs life was discussed at the coffee table. It was natural that this ensemble, filled with such musicians, should be named after this special location.
The Vondel Strings
Violin 1: Saskia Otto, Coraline Groen, Alexandra van Beveren, Tim Brackman
Violin 2: Pieter van Loenen, Gerard Spronk, Ruña ‘t Hart, Wiesje Nuiver
Viola: Hannah Strijbos, Simone van der Giessen, Vilem Kijonka
Cello: Lidy Blijdorp, Anton Spronk
Double bass: Ying-Lai Green
Harpsichord: David Jansen
Rosanne Philippens, violin & leader