Jean–Marie Leclair: Violin Concertos | Opus 7 | c. 1737

Leclair’s output, with high technical and musical level of his writing won him acclaim as the “Corelly de la France.” Each concerto consists of three movements, alternating tutti and soli. The slow movements frequently consist of italianate melodies but they often follow French inspiration in their expression or their dances in moderate tempo. Violin Concerto in D minor | No. 1 | Op. 7: 01. 00:00:00 No.1 - D min - Allegro 02. 00:03:56 No.1 - D min - Aria Gratioso 03. 00:08:16 No.1 - D min - Vivace Luis Otavio Santos [violin], Peter Van Heyghen [direction], The orchestra Les Muffatti Violin Concerto in D Major | No. 2 | Op. 7 04. 00:12:16 No.2 - D Maj - Adagio. Allegro ma non troppo 05. 00:18:18 No.2 - D Maj - Adagio 06. 00:21:54 No.2 - D Maj - Allegro Monica Huggett [violin], Arion Baroque Orchestra Violin Concerto in C Major | No. 3 | Op. 7 07. 00:27:30 No.3 - C Maj - Allegro 08. 00:32:52 No.3 - C Maj - Adagio 09. 00:37:30 No.3 - C Maj - Allegro assai Jaap Schroder [violin], Concerto Amsterdam Violin Concerto in F Major | No. 4 | Op. 7 10. 00:41:50 No.4 - F Maj - Allegro 11. 00:47:21 No.4 - F Maj - Adagio 12. 00:53:04 No.4 - F Maj - Allegro Fabio Biondi [violin,direction], Europa Galante Violin Concerto in A minor | No. 5 | Op. 7 13. 00:56:40 No.5 - A min - Vivace 14. 01:02:34 No.5 - A min - Largo 15. 01:07:30 No.5 - A min - Allegro assai Fabio Biondi [violin,direction], Europa Galante Violin Concerto in A Major | No. 6 | Op. 7 16. 01:12:06 No.6 - A Maj - Allegro ma non presto 17. 01:20:43 No.6 - A Maj - Aria grazioso non troppo adagio 18. 01:28:02 No.6 - A Maj - Giga. Allegro Monica Huggett [violin], Arion Ensemble The son of a skilled haberdasher and amateur musician, Leclair was born in Lyon on May 10, 1697, one of six siblings, five of whom were also to become musicians. Leclair performed both as a dancer and a violinist. Leclair become the most traveled French musician of his day in Rouen; in 1722 he joined the Teatro Regio of Turin, Italy as dancer. Leclair came to Paris in the fall of 1723, There, after having obtained the necessary permissions, he published his First Book of Sonatas for Violin with Basso Continuo dedicated to Monsieur Bonnier, Treasurer-General of the Etats de Languedoc. The following year in 1724, he returned to Turin where he took a position as “premier danseur” at the Teatro Regio. It was there that he made the acquaintance of Joachim Quantz and studied violin technique under Giovanni Battista Somis, a student of Corelli, an encounter which was to launch his career as a violinist. It was there on October 22, 1764 – the same year that saw the passing of Locatelli, Rameau and the Marquise de Pompadour, Leclair was stabbed to death in circumstances which, despite a thorough investigation, were never elucidated. Cover Art: “The Love Letter“ (1750) by François Boucher (1703 - 1770) Housed in: National Gallery of Art, Washington #RecordareDomine