Telemann's twelve Fantasies for gamba, published in 1735, were long thought lost until a copy was recently discovered near Hannover, making it one of the most significant gamba music discoveries in the last century.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in March and August 2022 at Moosika Studio in Lislevand, Evje, Norway, with Rolf Lislevand serving as both recording producer and sound engineer/editor.
Historical Context
The term "galant" in music, as described by Voltaire in 1756, refers to a new style that emerged in the 1730s and 1740s, prioritizing charming simplicity, melody over counterpoint, and naturalness over artifice.
Instruments
The fortepiano used on this recording was made by Paul McNulty in 2022, modeled after an Anton Walter instrument from 1792.
Composition History
J.S. Bach's Trio in A major, BWV 1025, is unique in his work as his only small chamber ensemble suite, based on a lute suite by his contemporary Silvius Leopold Weiss, with an added violin part and new introduction.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a leading exponent of the empfindsamer Styl (sensitive style), a branch of the galant movement characterized by dark, emotional intensity and unexpected rhetorical shocks.
Composer Biography
Carl Friedrich Abel, a composer and viola da gamba performer, co-founded the Bach-Abel concerts in London with Johann Christian Bach (J.S. Bach's youngest son), which entertained Londoners for decades.
