Giuseppe Sammartini: Sonatas for Recorder and Basso continuo, Vol.2

Featuring

Andreas Böhlen
Daniel Rosin
Michael Hell
Pietro Prosser
Giuseppe Sammartini

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Composition History

Giuseppe Sammartini's decision to leave Italy for London was likely motivated by the prospect of better employment, as England offered frequent public concerts, opera houses, and patrons.

Critical Reception

Sir John Hawkins, an 18th-century English music historian, considered Giuseppe Sammartini an "admirable composer" whose instrumental music could be ranked with that of Arcangelo Corelli and Francesco Geminiani.

Composer Biography

The celebrated German flautist and composer Johann Joachim Quantz praised Giuseppe Sammartini as "the good oboist Sammartini" during a visit to Milan in 1726, highlighting his exceptional skill.

Composer Biography

Giuseppe Sammartini, the composer, was the son of a French oboist named Alexis Saint-Martin, who settled in Milan around 1690.

Compositional Technique

Giuseppe Sammartini's recorder works are described as "staggeringly original," with unpredictable melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and phrase lengths, often building movements from short motives in an almost improvisatory manner.

Historical Context

The oboe, Giuseppe Sammartini's primary instrument, was invented by French makers in the mid-17th century to be more flexible in tone and dynamics than the shawm, making it suitable for orchestral and chamber music.

Instruments

Giuseppe Sammartini's recorder music predominantly features the alto recorder in F, with no fewer than sixteen of his thirty-two works for alto recorder and basso continuo being in F major.