Symphonies inédites

Description

How far did Italy imprint its mark on Viennese “classicism” at the end of the 18th century? Here is the “mystery” of Andrea Luchesi (1741-1801). A well-born and well-trained young man, he began a promising career in Venice until his departure in 1771 for Cologne, whose Prince-Elector wanted to raise the standard of the musical chapel. There he succeeded Kapellmeister Ludwig van Beethoven (the grandfather, who died in 1773), and held the post brilliantly for 20 years. Well integrated into local society (he married the daughter of an advisor to the Prince-Elector), he had illustrious pupils, including the young Beethoven. He corresponded with Haydn and the Mozarts (father and son), to whom he ceded compositions with the right for the recipient to use them as their own, a common practice at the time (some works by Haydn or Mozart would thus have been written by Luchesi...). These copyright-defying practices obviously led to a fine muddle, cleverly maintained by the Habsburgs, keen to minimize the Italian influence in the “native” emergence of Viennese classicism. These “rediscovered” symphonies by Luchesi, of fine quality, reveal a “family resemblance” halfway between Mannheim and Salzburg or Vienna. Brilliant and colorful performance. An original CD for lovers of musicological suspense... (Benoît Desouches)