Praised by Fanfare for its “wonderful, vital and buoyant performances,” Trio Settecento’s passionate and authoritative interpretations renew the pleasures of hearing beloved music from the Age of Enlightenment while also revealing the delights of new discoveries. Imagination, vigor, technical polish and historical insight have made the Trio’s performances appealing to audiences and critics alike. The Trio is composed of
Rachel Barton Pine, baroque violin, viola d’amore
John Mark Rozendaal, viola da gamba, baroque ‘cello
David Schrader, harpsichord, positiv organ, fortepiano
Settecento’s new album, A German Bouquet, was released by Cedille Records in September 2009. It features a selection of German Baroque era works with popular pieces by Bach and Buxtehude, as well as rarely heard repertoire by Johann Schop, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, Georg Muffat, Johann Philipp Krieger, Philipp Heinrich Erlebach and Johann Georg Pisendel. This CD follows the group’s highly successful An Italian Sojourn in 2007, which includes baroque sonatas by Castelllo, Stradella, Corelli, Veracini and others. Wrote Gramophone of An Italian Sojourn, “There isn’t a piece that doesn’t impress. This is as good a collection for a newcomer to the Baroque as it is for those who want to hear these works performed at a high level.”
Trio Settecento was formed after Pine, Rozendaal and Schrader came together in 1996 to record the complete violin sonatas of George Frederick Handel. The Trio’s 2009-2010 season includes appearances at Columbia University in New York City, the University of Vermont in Burlington and the Chicago Early Music Festival. The Trio made its New York City debut at The Frick Collection in August, 2006, which was recorded for broadcast on WNYC. The Trio has also appeared at the Boston Early Music Festival and the Music Institute of Chicago’s Baroque Chamber Music Festival, as well as other performances around the U.S.
All three members of Trio Settecento are dedicated pedagogues. They frequently give workshops and master classes at community music schools and universities and lead pre-concert discussions before their performances.