Musica Alchemica - Violin Sonatas - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Mora / Martani - Music for Violin & Piano [COMPACT DISCS] date 04/06/2018

Georg Muffat (1653-1704) after studying as a youngster with Lully in Paris, was involved most of his life with the Catholic Church. He worked as cathedral organist in Alsace, moved to Bavaria as a law student, and then settled for a time in Vienna. Following employment as organist to the Archbishop of Salzburg, interrupted by a period of study in Rome with the renowned keyboard player, Bernardo Pasquini, he took a final position as organist to the Bishop of Passau. Among his compositions is the Armonico Tributo of 1682, five multi-movement, five-voice sonatas which Muffat left open as to various instrumental possibilities, even including performance as concerti grossi. One easily hears the influence of Corelli, whom Muffat met while in Rome, but there are also moments when one surmises that Handel knew these scores well. The music, perfectly gorgeous in this smaller instrumental version, mixes the French and Italian styles, as well as chamber-sonata and sonata da chiesa movements. InchOf the seven-member Ars Antiqua Austria, one can only bestow the greatest praise for such wonderfully stylish performances, superb ensemble, a welcome lack of mannerisms, and faultless recorded sound.Inch (Goldberg)

Himmelsburg is the name of the former chapel of Wilhelmsburg Castle in Weimar; Johann Sebastian Bach's InchworkplaceInch during his time as court organist and chamber musician at the Weimar court. This chapel was irretrievably destroyed in the great castle fire of 6 May 1774. In Bach's time; a high musical culture prevailed at the Weimar court. The young Prince Johann Ernst; himself a good violinist and harpsichordist; was enthusiastic about Italian music; and Bach was inundated with the latest concerti from Italy; especially by Vivaldi. In addition; there was close contact with the violin virtuoso Johann Georg Pisendel; so it is no exaggeration to call Weimar the concertante and violinistic cradle of Bach. On her new CD; Lina Tur Bonet interprets InchallInch of Bach's four concertos for solo violin. All of them probably date from his Weimar period. The two original concertos BWV 1041 and 1042 contain many stylistic references to Vivaldi. In addition; Lina Tur Bonet presents the reconstructions of the concertos BWV 1052r and 1056r; two harpsichord concertos that were almost certainly originally intended for violin.