Well into the 18th century it was perfectly usual, if not universal, for flautists to be equally competent on the oboe and vice verse, at least if they were professional orchestral players. It was of course not necessary for an individual such as the King Frederick II of Prussia (“Frederick the Great”) to concern himself with both instruments; his composers could limit themselves to writing for the flute, the king’s favourite instrument. This is why Johann Sebastian Bach’s son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, while employed at the court of “old Fritz”, wrote a great deal for the flute including the demanding solo in A minor, though there was no reason why this piece would not suit the oboe equally well. In view of the fact that Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach also composed the solo sonata for harp recorded here, it is perfectly admissible to replace the usual continuo group by a more ambitious set of instruments, and here we have harp instead of harpsichord and violone replacing cello – with very special and delightful results.
The question of authenticity which may be raised by the occasional connoisseur or music-lover is soon dealt with. In the first place, in Bach’s time there was much more freedom to use whatever instruments were to hand, and, secondly, recent research has shown that the three flute sonatas known as BWV 1020, 1031 and 1033 cannot be ascribed to the great Cantor at St Thomas’s himself but in all probability to his son, who did contribute many a flute piece to the court of the Prussian monarch.
Tracklisting
Johann Sebastian Bach (zugeschrieben)
Sonate für Flöte und Basso continuo C-Dur BWV 1033
01 1. Andante – Presto
02 2. Allegro
03 3. Adagio
04 4. Menuett I und II
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Sonate für Harfe solo G-Dur Wq 139 (H 563)
05 1. Adagio un poco
06 2. Allegro
07 3. Allegro
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Sonate für Oboe und Basso continuo g-moll Wq 135 (H 549)
08 1. Adagio
09 2. Allegro
10 3. Vivace
Johann Sebastian Bach (zugeschrieben)
Sonate für Flöte und Cembalo Es-Dur Bwv 1031
11 1. Allegro moderato
12 2. Siciliana
13 3. Allegro
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Sonate für Flöte solo a-moll Wq 132 (H 562)
14 1. Poco Adagio
15 2. Allegro
16 3. Allegro
Johann Sebastian Bach (zugeschrieben)
Sonate für Violine und Basso Continuo g-Moll Bwv 1020
17 1. Allegro
18 2. Adagio
19 3. Allegro
TT 63:51
Artists
Hansjörg Schellenberger, Oboe
Margit-Anna Süss, Harp
Klaus Stoll, Violone
Reviews
☞ »Die Sonaten von Johann Sebastian und Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach kommen dank des traumwandlerisch sicher korrespondierenden Ehepaares Margit-Anna Süß (Harfe) und Hansjörg Schellenberger ebenso artistisch wie elegant herüber.« Berliner Tagesspiegel, 12. August 1999
☞»Besonders erhellend ist das Bach-Programm, denn die Besetzung mit Oboe, Harfe und Violone und eine eher moderne Aufführungspraxis verleihen der Musik eine überraschende Eleganz.« Fono Forum, 10/1999
☞ »… die Klangmischung von Oboe und Harfe scheinen in diesen Stücken wirklich wie aus einer anderen Welt zu kommen: edler Wohlklang und schmeichelhafte Geschmeidigkeit der sich rauschhaft verschränkenden Klangvaleurs rühren ans Herz – die kongeniale Übereinstimmung der Instrumentenpartner ist faszinierend …« ‘rohrblatt, Heft 4/2000