Café Zimmerman (Instrumental Ensemble)
Founded: 1988 - France
Located in Saint-Catherine street in Leipzig, Gottfried Zimmermann’s coffee house would host weekly concerts by the Collegium Musicum back in the 18th century. The ensemble, founded by Georg Philipp Telemann and conducted by J.S. Bach between 1729 and 1739, performed secular cantatas and instrumental music for an audience of experienced music-lovers: duet or trio sonatas, pieces for solo instruments, concertos for violin, harpsichord, oboe, etc.

At the time, Leipzig and the neighbouring town of Dresden drew numerous musicians eager to meet the famous Cantor or participate in the rich musical life of the Saxon capital. Hence, Zimmermann’s coffee house offered a broad spectrum from the repertory: music written by Bach and his sons, by G.P. Telemann and the virtuosos and composers of the Dresden Chapel orchestra, as well as works by the major European composers - whose music mainly circulated in the form of copied or transcribed scores, or else was simply performed by itinerant singers and musicians that passed through Leipzig.

It was this spirit of open-mindedness and conviviality uniting the audience, repertory and musicians which drove Pablo Valetti and Céline Frisch to found the Café Zimmermann Ensemble in 1998 to explore the orchestral music of that era. They assembled six musicians - five bow instruments and a harpsichord (Pablo Valetti, Nick Robinson, violin; Patricia Gagnon, alto; Petr Skalka, cello; Ludek Brany, double bass and Céline Frisch, harpsichord). Other strings or wind instruments would be added depending on the programme.

Artistic Directors of Café Zimmermann are: Pablo Valetti, violin and Konzertmeister and Céline Frisch, harpsichord.


Source: Amba France Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2007)