Jean-Joseph Mouret: Rondeau from “Sinfonie de Fanfares“

Jean-Joseph Mouret 1682-1738 Rondeau from “Sinfonie de Fanfares“ Markus Wuersch, trumpet Peter Solomon, organ Recorded at Catholic Church Stans, Switzerland Cameras, Editing and DVD-Production: Juerg and Marianne Rufer, Sound: Magnon Recording Studio, Paul Niederberger A Dingo and Fox Production © 2008, Markus Wuersch, Peter Solomon Contact: Hochschule der Künste Bern HKB (at) Musikhochschule Luzern / HSLU (at) Prof. Markus Würsch The Swiss trumpet virtuoso Markus Würsch was born in 1955 in Emmetten, Nidwalden in the spectacularly scenic region of lake Lucerne. He studied trumpet and brass ensemble conducting at the Conservatoire in Zurich and Lucerne where he received his degree with honours. He won the coveted Migros competition, and subsequently received a grant which enabled him to spend a year at the Conservatoire Nationale Supérieur in Paris. He also spent time studying with Charles Geyer at the Eastman School of Music (Rochester NY), with Vincent Cichowicz at Northwestern University of Chicago, and with Adolphe Herseth (principal trumpet of Chicago Symphony Orchestra). In 1981 Markus won the audition for principal trumpet with the Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich, holding this prestigious post for fourteen years. In 1995, he spent a year studying at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, London. There he studied under Michael Laird and Crispian-Steele Perkins (Baroque-Trumpet), Jeremy West (Cornetto) and Phillip Jones (Ensemble Direction). He has performed as soloist at the Lucerne International Festival and with the Tonhalle Orchestra. With the support of the Swiss National Fund and the Bern University of the Arts, Markus conducted extensive research and subsequently developed a reconstruction of a 19th century keyed trumpet, in collaboration with the instrument maker Konrad Burri. The original instrument, the focus of the research, was found in the private collection of Karl Burri, Zimmerwald, near Bern. With this reconstructed instrument, Markus went on to perform and produce a CD recording of the trumpet concertos of Joseph Haydn and Nepumuk Hummel in June 2013. For some years now, he performs almost exclusively on historical instruments. He frequently appears with the ensembles “La Cetra” and I Barocchisti (RSI, Italian Swiss Radio) and continues to interpret the Haydn and Hummel trumpet concertos as soloist on the keyed trumpet. Markus Würsch is professor of Modern, Natural and Romantic trumpet at Bern University of the Arts, and at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Peter Solomon Peter Solomon was born in Plymouth, England in 1953. He studied piano, organ and harpsichord at the Royal College of Music in London, and achieved the highest honours for his degree. After completing his first degree he was awarded several grants, which made it possible for him to further his studies in Paris, London and Cologne. In 1979 he was a runner-up at the international organ competition in St Albans, England. Since 1997 he has held the post as pianist/organist in the Tonhalle-Orchestra, Zurich. He has performed solos at the Salzburg festival, Lucerne festival and in concerts with many prestigious orchestras, such as the Vienna philharmonic, Berlin philharmonic and “I Musici“. As a sought-after accompanist and chamber musician, Peter Solomon frequently plays in various formations with musicians such as Maurice Andre and Heinz Holliger amoungst others. Peter Solomon appears on many TV, radio, theatre and records. He teaches at the “Musikhochschulen“ in Zurich and Lucerne. Jean-Joseph Mouret 1682--1738 Around the age of twenty-five, Mouret settled in Paris. News of his arrival did not take long to spread and he was introduced to Anne, Duchess of Maine, whose salon at Sceaux was a center of courtly society in the declining years of Louis XIV. His genial character strongly assisted him in securing the patronage of the Duchess, who made him her Surintendant de la musique at Sceaux about 1708. At Sceaux he produced operas and was in charge of the sixteen bi-weekly Grandes Nuits in the season of 1714--1715, for which he produced interimèdes and allegorical cantatas in the court masque tradition, and other music, in the company of the most favoured musicians, for the most select audience in France. Mouret thus launched his adult career under highly favorable auspices. Sinking into poverty, Mouret died in a charitable asylum run by the Roman Catholic Church in Charenton-le-Pont. His dramatic works made him one of the leading exponents of Baroque music in his country. Even though most of his works are no longer performed, Mouret’s name survives today thanks to the popularity of the Fanfare-Rondeau from his first Suite de Symphonies.