Scottish Songs

Reinoud Van Mechelen has already proved that folk music and 18th-century baroque music can be combined effortlessly with his CD The Dubhlinn Gardens. With Scottish Songs, he continues along this path.

Both Beethoven and Maria von Weber arranged Scottish folk songs for classical instrumentation. That traditional folk music played an important role in Weber's music is no secret. That arrangements of folk songs are an important part of Beethoven's repertoire may come as a surprise to many.

Beethoven arranged no less than 160 traditional tunes, the vast majority of which are Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English songs such as Music, Love and Whine, The Lovely Lass of Inverness or Sally in Our Alley. Alongside these arrangements is Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte, one of the most famous song cycles of all time. It consists of six emotional love songs set to texts by his friend, the young doctor Aloys Jeitteles. It is not known for which lover Beethoven bared his soul.

After many years as a soloist, Reinoud Van Mechelen founded his own ensemble in 2016. The aim is to perform historically informed music, but also to touch as many people as possible emotionally. Together with musicians who share his passion, he forms a nocte temporis.

In its relatively short existence, a nocte temporis has already performed in prestigious venues and festivals. Starting as a chamber music ensemble, as of 2018 the ensemble has created larger programmes such as Ich habe genug (solo cantatas by J.S. Bach) and Un Noël Français (pastorales by M.A. Charpentier), and since November 2018 it has grown into a baroque orchestra for the trilogy around the haute-contre.

With music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Carl Maria von Weber.

More info

www.anoctetemporis.org

with Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor), Anna Besson (flute), Anthony Romaniuk (pianoforte), Louis Creac'h (violin) and Ronan Kernoa (cello) photo Jonas De Roover