These recordings are from the Berlin Sing-Akademie
Archive, looted by the Soviet Army in 1945 and recently (1999) discovered
intact in Kiev, Ukraine, by Bach scholar Christoph Wolff. CPO plan a
series of recordings of more of the unique music from this collection,
which has now been restored to Berlin and will be edited and published
by a group of German and Ukrainian musicologists.
Concerted works for flute were very popular in the
Berlin of Frederick the Great who played and composed for the flute
himself. All these works are in three movements and receive brilliant,
committed performances.
This is one of the most satisfying works by W.F.Bach
I’ve ever heard. At his best W.F. Bach invokes his father’s dense counterpoint
and noble mysticism. He is not at his best often, but here we have one
of his finest works. The Sing-Akademie archive contains the only known
copy of this work.
Recently I reviewed recordings of the three then known
flute concerti by C.P.E. Bach, but this music was then thought to exist
only in an arrangement for keyboard (fortepiano?) and orchestra (H.
416). The Singakademie archive contains two copies of the original flute
version heard here. Again, this is one of C.P.E. Bach’s finest works.
The mood changes abruptly with the Hofmann concerto.
Hofmann was a student of Wagenseil and wrote this work in the ‘modern’
galant style, and adds horns to his orchestra. There is a great
deal of swing and swash to this music bringing our concert to a brilliant
conclusion
Gurtner plays the wood transverse flute with great
lyricism and rich tone. This is not the breathy, feeble flauto traverso
you may have heard on other recordings. He does not ornament or embellish
his playing as much as other players of this music, however, staying
pretty close to the melody notes. The Wiener Akademie play with great
vigor and drama, and receive excellent close digital sound recording,
with the soloist, horns, and continuo harpsichord prominent.
Paul Shoemaker
Christian Gurtner,
[wood] transverse flute