Forgotten Chamber Works with Oboe from the Court of Prussia

Featuring

Ensemble Notturna
Johann Gottlieb Janitsch
Christian Gottfried Krause
Johann Gottlieb Graun

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Composer Biography

Christian Gottfried Krause, a composer, dilettante, theorist, and poet, was a successful lawyer who pursued music as a leisure interest, unlike Janitsch.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Christian Gottfried Krause, in his 1748 essay, viewed all affects in music as variations of binary sets of basic emotions: happy or sad, pleasant or unpleasant.

Historical Context

The oboe's role at the Prussian court, though significant, was long overshadowed by the traverso, which was Frederick the Great's favorite instrument.

Recording & Production

This album features world premiere recordings of these forgotten chamber works.

Composition History

Johann Gottlieb Janitsch hosted weekly concerts called the Freitagsakademie in his Berlin apartments, for which he composed his trio sonatas and 41 quadro sonatas.

Composer Biography

Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, a Silesian, studied law before joining Frederick the Great's royal court orchestra as a contraviolonist, working alongside Graun.

Compositional Technique

Chamber works from the Berlin School, a term coined by musicologist Charles Burney, are notable for their heterogeneous instrumentation, combining unexpected instruments to create exciting tone colors.