You can call me Johann. But don't expect me to answer to that.
Now this is music I can dig!
Today’s CD — Flute Sonatas, part two — adds a third instrument to the mix, and that (to borrow from Robert Frost) has made all the difference.
Flute and harpsichord, alone (which is what yesterday’s CD offered), was like Red Bull with a shot of bourbon in it. Or, to use the more colloquial, oil and water. One instrument soothed, the other jarred.
But, oh!, what a difference a day makes.
The combination of flute, harpsichord, and viola offers the perfect blend of sounds. The soothing flute, the jarring harpsichord, and a third element — more soothe than jar, which tips the overall sound toward the pleasant and listenable. I like this music.
Not that Bach needs my opinion. He didn’t when he was alive. And even less so now that he’s been dead for nearly three centuries.
But if he were here (or, since I’m not really into zombies, if I were there back in his day), I’d tell him, “Johann, this flute and harpsichord thing. I’m not feeling it. How about if you add another instrument, say a viola? Then you’d have something.”
Of course, he’d see the wisdom in my words and make it so.
Hence, today’s CD.
I guess you have me to thank for this music being a trio.
Playing the flute is Stephen Preston. Playing harpsichord is Trevor Pinnock, CBE (which means Commander of the Order of the British Empire). Playing viola is Jordi Savall.
This is very sprightly, enjoyable music, with each instrument perfectly complimenting the other.
Of particular note is the last composition on the CD, Partita For Solo Flute in A minor, BWV 103. This is where flautist Stephen Preston really shines. These are wonderful little flights of fancy, with interesting twists and turns. These four movements, just flute with no accompaniment, are a pleasure to experience.
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If the Internet is to be believed, when I ripped my CD into iTunes it indicated these recordings were made in 1975. If so, the quality is very good.
The compositions on today’s CD are:
BWV 1033 – 1718 (Bach was 33)
BWV 1034 – 1717 (Bach was 32)
BWV 1035 – 1741 (Bach was 56)
BWV 1013 – 1718 (Bach was 33)
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