Johann Friedrich Fasch

The Cappella Coloniensis are always on the lookout for forgotten, pushed aside music and a challenge. For this new disc of overtures they perform works by four composers of the same era as Bach, Handel, Telemann and Vivaldi. Whilst these four are well known names, Heinichen, Graupner, Fasch and Graun are often overshadowed by their more well known baroque contemporaries, despite sharing a similar success.

The colourfully orchestrated overtures and orchestral suites give the soloists in the Cappella ample opportunity to present their virtuosity.

The flute was an extremely popular solo instrument throughout the 18th century – both in its older form, the recorder, and its more modern variation, the transverse flute. All the pieces on this disc were written for the transverse flute mixed with a variety of other instruments. Telemann’s Concerto in E minor juxtaposes the transverse flute with the recorder, as a farewell to the old and a welcome to the new, and Fasch’s Concerto in G major is for the somewhat unusual combination for transverse flute and oboe.

The soloists and the conductor on this recording have all contributed to the history of German flute performances. Hans-Martin Linde has been a pioneer of recorder music since the 1950s as well as a successful conductor and Günther Höller and Konrad Hünteler are both virtuosos on their respective instruments.

Excellent performances of this beautiful collection of rarely performed oboe concertos.

Johann Friedrich Fasch (1685-1758) had two very good friends: Pisendel based in Dresden and Graupner based in Darmstadt . All three com posers exchanged music throughout their long association. As a result of this practice many of Fasch’s works have survived in autograph manuscrispt form in the great libraries of these two cities. To mark the occasion of Faschs’s death Il Gardellino have recorded these superb orchestral concertos.

Brothers Slava and Leonard Grigoryan bring their unmistakable musicianship and craft to the baroque guitar repertoire. Stylish playing and superb technique make this a ‘must have’ recording for anyone interested in guitar composition or music of the baroque era.