Role

:

Ensemble

 

Ricercare-Ensemble für Alte Musik, Zürich is a Swiss classical music ensemble that specializes in performing music from the Baroque and Renaissance periods. The ensemble was founded in 1980 by the Swiss conductor and harpsichordist Jörg Ewald Dähler, who remains its artistic director to this day. Dähler had previously studied musicology and harpsichord at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, and had performed with several other early music ensembles before founding Ricercare. His vision for the ensemble was to create a group that would focus on historically informed performances of early music, using period instruments and techniques to recreate the sound and style of the music as it would have been heard in its original context. The ensemble's name, "ricercare," comes from the Italian word for "to search," and reflects Dähler's commitment to exploring the depths of early music repertoire and uncovering lesser-known works that deserve to be heard. Over the years, the ensemble has built a reputation for its innovative programming and its ability to bring new life to old music. The core members of the ensemble are all highly skilled musicians who specialize in early music performance. In addition to Dähler on harpsichord, the ensemble includes violinists Maya Amrein and David Plantier, violist David Simpson, cellist Lorenz Duftschmid, and bassoonist Alberto Grazzi. The ensemble also frequently collaborates with guest artists, including singers and instrumentalists, to expand its repertoire and bring new perspectives to its performances. One of the ensemble's early highlights was its performance at the 1982 Festival van Vlaanderen in Bruges, Belgium, where it received critical acclaim for its performance of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann. This performance helped to establish the ensemble's reputation as one of the leading early music groups in Europe. Since then, the ensemble has gone on to perform at major festivals and concert halls throughout Europe and beyond, including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Salzburg Festival, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. It has also released numerous recordings on the Harmonia Mundi label, many of which have received critical acclaim and won awards. One of the ensemble's most notable recordings is its 1999 album "Musique de Chambre à la Cour de Berlin," which features works by the 18th-century Prussian composer Johann Joachim Quantz. The album won the prestigious Diapason d'Or award and helped to bring Quantz's music to a wider audience. Another highlight of the ensemble's career was its performance at the 2006 Bachfest Leipzig, where it performed Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 5" with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The performance was hailed as a triumph and helped to cement the ensemble's reputation as one of the foremost interpreters of Bach's music. In addition to its performances and recordings, the ensemble is also committed to education and outreach. It frequently gives masterclasses and workshops for young musicians, and has collaborated with schools and community organizations to bring early music to a wider audience. Overall, Ricercare-Ensemble für Alte Musik, Zürich is a highly respected and influential ensemble in the world of early music.

More....