Jean Marie Leclair Concerti per Violino I

With four violin concertos by Jean-Marie Leclair, Leila Schayegh continues her exploration of the violin repertoire on Glossa, combining exceptional musicality and virtuosity with extensive historical knowledge. The composer Leclair grew up in Lyon and was educated in Turin before moving to Paris, where he briefly held a position at the court of Louis XV in the 1730s. His output includes sonatas and duets as well as his celebrated concertos.

Leila Schayegh, who currently teaches baroque violin at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, discusses in her booklet text how spellbound Leclair – himself an outstanding violinist – was by the Italian instrumental style. However, he was very keen that his music not be played too quickly; his netteté, a blend of impeccable technique and musical perfection, was praised.

This first CD in a planned series of Leclair’s violin concertos includes numbers 2 and 6 from Opus 7 and Opus 10 (both series consist of six concertos each). The Concerto in G minor op. 10 No. 6 is often described as the high point of Leclair’s oeuvre. The Swiss violinist, who plays a violin by Andrea Guarneri from the late 17th century, also captivates with her breathtaking artistry on this CD. She leads the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra Basel with its concertmaster Eva Saladin and second solo violin Sonoko Asabuki – Leclair’s violin concertos often feature up to three soloists.

Press commentary

Leila Schayegh obtains a wonderfully brilliant sound from her magnificent 1675 Guarneri violin. Her playing is admirably elegant, combining, if I may use this oxymoron, freedom and rigour in the articulation of musical phrases and in the management of rubato. Her use of ornamentation is of great finesse.

22 March 2020, Pierre Benveniste for BaroquiadeS

You can find the whole review here.

But what touches me most are the fine, delicate tones alongside this self-evident virtuosity. Jean-Marie Leclair’s violin concertos are gems that combine the effervescence of Italian violin art with the delicacy of French music. They are rarely heard in concert – certainly because of their difficulty. … The inspired accompanying orchestra must also be mentioned: La Cetra Barockorchester Basel.

SWR2 Alte Musik, 20. February 2022, Dagmar Munck

Highly concentrated and with a fine sense of timing, not only Leila Schayegh, but also the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra, performs her part. The collective expression is right. Jean-Marie Leclair’s very characteristic music begins to breathe and pulsate. In the third installment of their recording of Leclair’s violin concertos, they also achieve an excellent balance between French elegance and Italian espressivo. Thumbs up!

WDR3 TonArt, 2. February 2022, Jan Ritterstaedt

In the third and final part of her recording of Leclair’s violin concertos, Leila Shayegh presents the outstanding works Nos. 4 and 5 from the op. 7 and 10 series respectively. Together with the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra from Basel, Shayegh has undertaken this journey, which is as exciting as it is successful. …The strings of the La Cetra Barockorchester join in this floating style of playing, creating a unified sound whose line, as fine-drawing as it is stringent, makes for thrilling listening.

pizzicato, 21. January 2022, Remy Franck

The music combines demanding virtuosity with an almost detached melodic grace and is often coloured with moments of deft counterpoint and rich harmonies. In short, it’s really classy. … And it’s a pleasure to be able to note a booklet that combines strong content with good design. It had to be possible.

Early Music review, 5. August 2022, David Hansell