Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750) certainly wasn’t against such a practice, even arranging Antonio
Vivaldi’s (1678 -1741) Concerto in B minor for four violins, strings and basso
continuo, RV 580 as his Concerto in A minor for four harpsichords, strings and
basso continuo (BWV 1065).
Bach also arranged some of his own earlier works as harpsichord
concertos and arranged concertos by such composers as Benedetto Giacomo
Marcello (1686-1739), Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709), Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767),
Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar (1696-1715) and Vivaldi into works for Clavier (BWV
972-987).
A new release from
Oehms Classics www.oehmsclassics.de
entitled The Authentic Flute Sonatas includes all the solo flute sonatas
known to be written by Bach, thereby excluding two flute sonatas, in E flat BWV
1031 and in C BWV 1033 that are regarded as unlikely to have been written by
Bach.
OC 424 |
The Flute sonatas in B minor, BWV 1030, in A major, BWV 1032, in E minor, BWV 1034 and in E major, BWV 1035 that are performed here are authentic Bach though it is not known for certain when these works were written or, indeed, if they were originally written for flute, given Bach’s reuse of earlier material.
The flute sonatas BWV 1030 and 1032 were probably written
between 1717 and 1723 when Bach was still at Cothen. The flute sonata, BWV 1034
was probably written between 1717 and 1724 and the flute sonata, BWV 1035
around 1741.
Performed here by Verena
Fischer www.austriabarockakademie.at/instructors/verena-fischer,
who plays a transverse flute by Martin Wenner, 2010, after an original by Carlo
Palanca, 1760, Turin and Léon Berben
www.leonberben.org , who plays a
harpsichord by Keith Hill, 2001, after an instrument by Christian Zell, 1728,
Hamburg.
Both are distinguished artists, having played with Musica
Antiqua Cologne under Reinhard Goebel, Fischer as solo flautist, and both
having an extensive recorded catalogue.
Bach’s Sonata for flute
& basso continuo in E minor, BWV 1034 opens with a stately adagio ma non tanto. What a lovely tone
Verena Fischer’s flute has, a rich woody, distinctive sound. In the sparkling allegro, Fischer’s flute tone rises to a
remarkably brighter sound with brilliant articulation and a terrific
contribution from Léon Berben. Fischer’s
playing of the Andante has made me
fall in love with this piece all over again; such is her lovely flowing
performance. A terrific final allegro, where Fischer and Berben chase
each other, brings this sonata to an end. This is great playing, so full of
life and fun.
The Sonata for flute
and harpsichord in A major, BWV 1032 opens with a Vivace, the harpsichord having a greater role than basso continuo. As
Verena Fischer enters in this joyful piece, the balance between players is
ideal with a fine dialogue between players. There is a lovely, leisurely, flowing
Largo e dolce with some lovely long
held notes from Fischer providing some gorgeous timbres, as well as some of Bach’s
little clipped phrases adding interest. A lovely touch. The brilliant Allegro is full of Bach’s overflowing
invention, with the notes all but falling over each other in their enthusiasm
and ebullience with great playing from Fischer and Berben.
There are some lovely characterful sounds from Fischer’s
flute in the lovely little Adagio ma non
tanto that opens Bach’s Sonata for
flute & basso continuo in E major, BWV 1035. The following, wonderfully
agile allegro, is full of momentum
with nicely pointed continuo from Berben. The appealing Siciliana, with such lovely delicate phrases from Fischer has some
lovely colouring of phrases. Despite his basso continuo role, Berben gets more
prominence in the finale Allegro assai. Both
provide some really lively playing, beautifully done, again as though
responding off each other.
The last of the authentic
sonatas on this disc is the Sonata for
flute & harpsichord in B minor, BWV 1030. A fairly fast flowing Andante opens this sonata, the longest
movement of any of these works; it reveals again Bach’s mastery of invention
wonderfully played by both artists. In the Largo
e dolce Fischer certainly brings out the dolce of this movement, a fairly
fast largo, with both players weaving a lovely musical thread. Fischer and Berben give a truly virtuoso
performance of the Presto, lively,
hurtling along in a terrific finale, with Fischer still finding time to provide
some lovely rounded sounds.
As a substantial extra, Verena Fischer gives us a superb
performance of Bach’s Partita for solo
flute in A minor, BWV 1013, probably written around 1720. Fischer is superb
in the Allemande, showing great
agility, lovely tone and superb timbres in this, one of Bach’s loveliest
pieces. If anything, the Corrente is
even more challenging with its rapid phrases superbly done by Fischer, whose period
flute brings more lovely textures to the following Sarabande. Finally there is a wonderful, lively little Bourée Anglaise played with such agility
and finesse, to conclude this disc.
Verena Fischer’s flute provides a lovely sound, rich and
mellow, but never losing brilliance when needed. Both these artists give
terrific performances of these lovely pieces and are given a fine recording
with a nice acoustic around the players.
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