Search - Russian Baroque Ensemble :: Chamber Music From the Court of St Petersburg

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Tsar Peter the Great made widespread reforms in Russia, which also affected the future of the music life at his court. His successor continued Peter's cultural policies and built the St. Petersburg court into a center of splendor in the Western tradition. Under the regency of Peter's niece Anna Ivanovna (1730-1740) who was also interested in promoting music, ballet, and theater, the first Italian opera was performed in Russia with great success.Tsarina Catherine II "The Great" (1762-96) was a great patron of the arts; she inspired composers and even wrote opera libretti herself. Under Catherine, many Italian, French, and German artists - including those who composed the works on this CD - found their way to St. Petersburg; some of them stayed the rest of their lives. Among this cosmopolitan group of emigrés included Joseph Starzer (1726-1787) who came from Vienna, Anton Ferdinand Titz (1742-1810) and Daniel Steibelt both from Germany, Pierre Baillot (1771-1842) who came from Paris, Luigi Madonis (1690-1770) from Venice, and Maxim Sozontovich Berezovsky (1745-1777) who came from Ukraine. Each were among those that brought Baroque musical culture to a zenith in Russia, but their contributions have remained little-known abroad.