Furor Musicus was founded by Antoinette Lohmann in 2008. The individual musicians have played together for many years in various other groups, such as the Utrecht Baroque Consort, Cappella Figuralis, the Giudici Ensemble and the Netherlands Bach Society . The group was born of the desire of several fanatical musicians to create an environment in which they could immerse themselves in a work down to its finest details, united by the desire to delve ever deeper. Speaking for myself: I am possessed by the need to understand what music is about and what needs to be expressed in a composition. I am obsessively driven to discover the particular means extended to me by a composer and how these means serve the composer’s purpose. I am also possessed by the need to understand how I should play in order to do justice to a composition. And once I think that all these things have become clear to me, I am possessed by the insatiable urge to experience and relive all of this, time and again. This is the point of overlap between inspiration and madness, reflecting the origin of our name.
The name Furor Musicus derives from the term furor poeticus. In the Iliad, Plato describes furor poeticus as the inspiring, divine power that takes possession of singers of poetry. This inspiration (which literally means ‘breath’ ), this obsessive fervour, this exaltation of the spirit, this fire surpasses talent and consciousness. It is not only the poets who are inspired; the singers of poetry and those who hear them are also transported, each connected like iron rings in a chain to the original magnetic source.
Furor poeticus is also a key element in mystical persuasion. Mystical rhetoric is characterised by a tempestuous craving for love; Aestus, insania amoris, furor amoris. A burning, enraptured, mad, obsessive love, although definitely of the pleasant kind. Amabilis insania. Pleasureful madness. Mystical rhetoric is that into which the spirit enters; in the case of inspiration, furor touches composer, performer and listener alike. Inspired writing requires inspired performing and inspired listening. Furor Poeticus needs Furor Lectoris. Furor Musicus needs Furor Auditoris.
The core members of Furor Musicus are:
violin: Antoinette Lohmann, Pieter Affourtit
viola: Arjen de Graaf
cello: Sarah Walder
violone: Jan Hollestelle
harpsichord/organ: Vaughan Schlepp
The following musicians also performed in the works for a larger-scale ensemble
Violin Elisabeth Ingenhousz, Jiska ter Bals, Anna Ruy, Ruth Houtman-Stranders, Claire Fahy
Cello: Frank Wakelkamp
Theorbo; Elly van Munster
Bassoon: Benny Aghassi
Organ: Felicity Goodwin
In September/October 2010 the core members of Furor Musicus will go on tour in South Africa. The group will collaborate on a production of Acis & Galatea by Händel in Potchefstroom, give an instrumental concert series throughout the country and teach master classes at Deelfontein, among other places.
Furor Musicus has recorded various CDs. The Netherlands Music Institute will shortly release the CD of the violin sonatas opus 1 by the Dutch composer Jacob Nozeman (1693-1745).
More information about the ensemble’s latest CD featuring reconstructions of works by J.S. Bach will follow soon.
All CDs were recorded by Jean van Vugt.
Jacob Nozeman track 1