bach, johann christianjohann christian bach
Six sonatas, op. 16

Seller's comment :
J. C. Bach: Six Sonatas Opus 16 / Salzburger Hofmusik

Release Date: 06/10/1997
Label: CPO Catalog #: 999 494 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Wolfgang Brunner, Christine Busch, Karl Kaiser
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 0 Hours 50 Mins.
EAN: 0761203949427

Works on This Recording

1. Sonatas (6) for Flute/Violin and Keyboard, Op. 16: no 1 in D major by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Wolfgang Brunner (Fortepiano), Christine Busch (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Period: Classical
Written: by 1779
Date of Recording: 05/1996
2. Sonatas (6) for Flute/Violin and Keyboard, Op. 16: no 3 in C major by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Wolfgang Brunner (Fortepiano), Christine Busch (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Period: Classical
Written: by 1779
Date of Recording: 05/1996
3. Sonatas (6) for Flute/Violin and Keyboard, Op. 16: no 4 in A major by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Wolfgang Brunner (Fortepiano), Karl Kaiser (Flute)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Period: Classical
Written: by 1779
Date of Recording: 05/1996
4. Sonatas (6) for Flute/Violin and Keyboard, Op. 16: no 5 in D major by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Christine Busch (Violin), Wolfgang Brunner (Fortepiano)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Period: Classical
Written: by 1779
Date of Recording: 05/1996
5. Sonatas (6) for Flute/Violin and Keyboard, Op. 16: no 6 in F major by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Wolfgang Brunner (Fortepiano), Karl Kaiser (Flute)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Period: Classical
Written: by 1779
Date of Recording: 05/1996
6. Sonatas (6) for Flute/Violin and Keyboard, Op. 16: no 2 in G major by Johann Christian Bach
Performer: Karl Kaiser (Flute), Wolfgang Brunner (Fortepiano)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik
Period: Classical
Written: by 1779
Date of Recording: 05/1996

Notes and Editorial Reviews
REVIEWS:
American Record Guide (11-12/97, p.87) - "...In this opus JC Bach seems to have stepped far away from the `baroque' style of his two major teachers, his brother CPE and his father, JS. Form and function dominate in these performances: the musicians concern themselves with playing the music as cleanly and expressivley as possible, never giving false affectation to anything..."

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AllMusic Review by Uncle Dave Lewis [-]
Salzburger Hofmusik is a period performance group that specializes in music of the late eighteenth century. It is led by Wolfgang Brünner, who performs on a copy of a 1790 Anton Walter fortepiano in this recording of Johann Christian Bach's Six Sonatas, Op. 16. Published in 1779, this was a popular set of two-movement piano sonatas designed for amateurs in that an optional line of accompaniment is supplied for either flute or violin. The style of the music is lightweight, casual and melodically centered, but not insubstantial -- in certain transitional passages some of the harmonic ideas of Bach's famous father are alluded to, and as a whole the set will not sound alien to those listeners who are well acquainted with the work of Mozart. This music may strike some listeners as being rather superficial, but for those familiar with the conventions of classical period style it will come as no surprise and it is really quite pleasurable. Certain individual movements are especially beauteous in themselves, for example the "Pastorale: Non tanto allegro" from the Sonata No. 4 in A major, which perfectly evokes an outdoor scene, perhaps children playing or portrait subjects posing quietly in a Gainsborough-like setting.
Bach provides the option of having either flute or violin realize the accompaniment, an eighteenth century conceit that is wholly alien to contemporary performers used to working in a solo context with the keyboard providing the background element. This Salzburger Hofmusik disc, recorded in 1996, was the first made of Bach's Opus 16 set, and the group decided to democratize it through assigning half of the sonatas to violinist Christine Busch and the others to flautist Karl Kaiser. In two recordings of this same work made by others since then, only the flute is employed, and for good reason; the violin, at least in this recording, is overkill. Worse is that violinist Christine Busch utilizes a period instrument that has a scrawny, wobbly tone that sounds like one of the old violins that are heard in coin-operated Violanos one might encounter in a museum. Busch also sounds impatient in her second-banana role and tries to make more of her part than is actually there. Karl Kaiser's flute, by comparison, is warm, sensitive, and fits its role as partner to the fortepiano like a glove. CPO's recording is very good, made in a small room with a short decay time that matches the sort of environment in which these works would have been commonly heard in their era. The upshot is that in CPO's Johann Christian Bach: Six Sonatas Op. 16, there is exactly one-half of a good album here.

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Die Ursprünge der Sonate für Klavier und ein Melodieinstrument sind noch nicht gänzlich erforscht worden. Klar ist aber soviel: Im Barock fiel dem Tasteninstrument die Begleitung zu, der ausgesetzte Generalbaß. Als dann das galante Zeitalter anfing, übernahm das Klavier ganz eindeutig die Führung und degradierte das Melodieinstrument - meist Violine oder Flöte - zum begleitenden Partner, der sich erst im Verlauf des 19. Jahrhunderts voll emanzipieren konnte.
Deswegen sind aber die frühen Werke nicht schlechter, sie sind nur anders konzipiert.

Johann Christian Bach veröffentlichte 1779 seine Sechs Sonaten für das Piano Forte mit Begleitung einer Violine oder Flöte op. 16, die diesen galanten Typ geradezu idealtypisch repräsentieren.
Mozart waren sie große Vorbilder.

Die Salzburger Hofmusik mit Wolfgang Brunner, Piano Forte, Christine Busch, Violine und Karl Kaiser, Flöte hat sie jetzt ebenso idealtypisch für cpo eingespielt.

Rezensionen

Ingeborg Allihn in FonoForum 8 / 97: "Johann Christian, der sogenannte Londoner Bach, war ein Originalgenie. Gerade in den kleinen, 'unauffälligen' Gattungen wird diese Tatsachen offenkundig - auf eine charmante, unprätentiöse und sehr sympathische Art. Einfühlsame Interpreten, natürliches, präsentes Klangbild."