Musica Antica - Locatelli & Leclair

In this programme, the conservatory students of Polychroma compare two prominent violinist-composers from the 18th century: Jean-Marie Leclair and Pietro Antonio Locatelli. They had a lot in common: they were born two years apart, both died in 1764, and they distinguished themselves as performers and composers while having their work published in the Netherlands. They also both spent time there, which makes them particularly interesting and relevant to us. However many similarities they had, historical sources suggest that their personalities differed greatly. Polychroma has selected musical “evidence” to reflect this.

While Leclair gave up a prominent position at the French court (conflict-averse?) after a heated argument, Locatelli was probably more confident and willing to seize opportunities when they arose. This earned him much recognition and support within Amsterdam's beau monde. Whether they met in the Netherlands is uncertain. Was this because Locatelli preferred to perform only in private circles, in an attempt to prevent other musicians from copying him?

Musically, the musicians are inspired by their own connection to the Netherlands, as well as that of Leclair and Locatelli, combined with their own diverse cultural backgrounds. Hundreds of years after Locatelli and Leclair lived here, the Netherlands is still a meeting place for musicians from all over the world – particularly for the performance of 18th-century music.