Barrière: Six Sonatas For Cello and Basso Continuo

Featuring

Jonas Iten
Rosario Conte
Naoki Kitaya
Rainer Zipperling
Ghislaine Wauters
Jean-Baptiste Barrière

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Compositional Technique

Barrière's sonatas often contain 'gamba elements,' with some passages requiring viola da gamba fingering and the use of the thumb, indicating his versatility.

Composer Biography

Jean-Baptiste Barrière, who died at 40, was one of the most famous cellists of the 18th century, despite his humble origins as the son of a cobbler.

Interpretation

For this recording, the continuo instrumentation varies, and all string instruments use gut strings to achieve an authentic character and a warm, homogeneous sound.

Composition History

Barrière's legacy includes four books of sonatas for Cello and Basso Continuo, one for 'Pardessus de viole', and a final book with sonatas and solo pieces for harpsichord.

Performer Biography

Jonas Iten, the cellist on this album, has studied baroque interpretation on the cello with Rainer Zipperling since November 2007, expanding his musical horizons.

Critical Reception

Contemporary reports praised Barrière's playing, with one 'concert spirituel' performance noted for its 'grande précision' and another critic stating, 'there was hardly any execution like his'.

Historical Context

Barrière spent three years studying in Italy, which was considered the stronghold of cello playing, while musical life in France was dominated by the viola da gamba.