Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667-1752) was probably something of a child prodigy and Ernst Ludwig Gerber records that hereceived an appointment as harpsichordist to the Prussian Court at Berlin by the age of 14.

Regardless of this and other successes inthe theatre, Pepusch was most highly esteemed in his own lifetime as a composer of concertos. Georg Philipp Telemann considered him as one of the best six German composers.

As with Handel, later Germans and Britons both claimed Pepusch as their own.Pepusch is best remembered today for his contribution to The Beggar’s Opera (1728), for which he composed a fine overture. Apartfrom that overture, none of his other pieces had received commercial recordings until today. It is our hope that this CD goes somedistance to remind audiences why Pepusch was once so highly regarded across Europe as a fine composer of inventive and dramatic concertos.

The original Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen was formed in London in 1678 by Roger L'Estrange and Thomas Britton and a group of the same name was still giving concerts in the middle of the eighteenth century. This new ensemble of has been formed under the same name and whose central repertoire is drawn from the collections of manuscripts and prints associated with the original ensemble and London concert life in general, as well as other fascinating corners of baroque repertoire. Typically the ensemble consists of around 4 violins, 1 va, 1 cello, 1 bass, harpsichord/organ and theorbo/lute. We are also sometimes joined by oboes, flutes and even singers.


The Harmononious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen 2006 by Robert Rawson, David Wright and Ben Sansom was founded with the intention that forgotten repertoire of public concert life in England in the late 17th and early 18th Exploring century. The ensemble name comes from a description of the musicians in one of the first public concerts in the world by the English author Ned Ward. The on BBC Radio 3 as "mediator uplifting and exhilarating music," lauded ensemble is also devoted to the music of public concerts in the early 18th Century throughout Europe.

Tassilo Erhardt, violin (leader, solo in 6-8 and 14-21)
Kinga Gaborjani, cello (solo in 22-25)
Mark Baigent, oboe (1, 26, solo in 2-5)
Sally Holman, bassoon (1, 26, solo in 22-25)
Crispian Steele-Perkins, trumpet (solo in 9-13)

Ben Sansom, violins
Felicity Broome-Skelton, violins (1, 14-16, 26)
Eleanor Harrison, violins (1, 6-21, 26)
Alexandria Lawrence, Viola (2-5, 14-21)
Dan Shilladay, Viola (6-13)
Joanne Miller, Viola (1, 22-26)
David Wright, harpsichord (1, 26, solo in 2-5)
Belinda Paul, oboe (1, 26)
Robert Rawson, bass & lead

Disc reviews Johan van Veen "Musicweb"

Disc reviews Christiane Bayer "magazin.klassik.com"

Sound Samples

SPOILER (Spectrum, DR)

CODE http://www.qobuz.com/album/the-harmonious-society-of-tickle-fiddle-gentlemen-pepusch-concertos-and-overtures-for-london/4250128511094 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analyzed: The Harmononious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen / Pepusch - Concertos and Overtures for London -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR        Peak        RMS    Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR12      -1.92 dB  -17.08 dB      3:25 01-Overture to The Beggar's Opera in B flat major; I. [Adagio] - Allegro DR10      -6.80 dB  -20.55 dB      1:16 02-Concerto a 5 for oboe, strings and basso continuo in G minor; I. Adagio DR13      -3.60 dB  -20.19 dB      2:19 03-II. Allegro DR11      -6.38 dB  -21.07 dB      1:33 04-III. Adagio DR12      -5.75 dB  -21.61 dB      2:19 05-IV. Allegro DR15      -2.04 dB  -20.81 dB      2:53 06-Concerto for violin, strings and basso continuo in A major; I. Allegro DR12      -6.03 dB  -22.15 dB      1:44 07-II. Adagio DR13      -3.11 dB  -20.12 dB      3:15 08-III. Allegro DR12      -1.28 dB  -17.77 dB      2:08 09-Concerto Grosso a 6 for trumpet, strings and basso continuo in D major; I. Largo DR13      -0.66 dB  -17.40 dB      3:07 10-II. Allegro DR12      -6.30 dB  -22.18 dB      1:50 11-III. Grave DR13      -0.16 dB  -15.47 dB      1:49 12-IV. Marche DR13      -0.68 dB  -17.65 dB      1:19 13-V. Menuet DR14      -3.29 dB  -20.75 dB      3:12 14-Concerto for violin, strings and basso continuo in A minor; I. Allegro DR12    -10.08 dB  -25.03 dB      1:22 15-II. [Adagio] DR15      -1.14 dB  -20.66 dB      4:01 16-III. Allegro DR14      -3.30 dB  -20.80 dB      2:09 17-Concerto Grosso for violin, strings and basso continuo in B fl at major; I. Vivace DR13      -9.27 dB  -25.75 dB      1:54 18-II. Adagio DR12      -5.06 dB  -20.55 dB      1:47 19-III. Allegro DR13      -6.47 dB  -23.26 dB      1:30 20-IV. Adagio DR14      -3.70 dB  -21.54 dB      2:01 21-V. Allegro DR14      -1.37 dB  -18.61 dB      1:47 22-Concerto a 6 for cello, bassoon, strings and basso continuo in F major; I. Allegro DR13      -3.15 dB  -21.56 dB      1:52 23-II. Adagio DR13      -2.86 dB  -21.06 dB      1:41 24-III. Presto DR12      -3.52 dB  -18.11 dB      1:50 25-IV. Allegro DR12      -2.61 dB  -17.97 dB      5:12 26-Overture to Venus and Adonis in F major; I. Allegro - Adagio - Allegro -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks:  26 Official DR value: DR13 Samplerate:        96000 Hz Channels:          2 Bits per sample:  24 Bitrate:          2796 kbps Codec:            FLAC ================================================================================