The music was preserved in manuscripts associated with musical 'academies' in Berlin, where semi-public gatherings in homes of musicians and the city's elite laid roots for the modern concert tradition.
Historical Context
All four composers featured on this album — Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, Carl Heinrich Graun, Johann Gottlieb Graun, and Franz Benda — worked for the Prussian king, Frederick 'the Great', who was himself a flautist and composer.
Composer Biography
Johann Gottlieb Graun, one of the composers, taught violin to Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, the oldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach, and they likely remained in contact.
Compositional Technique
These works straddle the boundary between Baroque and Classical styles and include some of the earliest chamber music to treat the viola as an equal partner to the violin.
Historical Context
The music on this album comes from mid-18th century Germany and is connected to King Frederick 'the Great' and members of the Bach family.
Interpretation
The performers created their own editions based on 18th-century manuscripts and followed guidelines from Frederick's court musicians, like Quantz and C.P.E. Bach, on how to add embellishments and flesh out keyboard parts, to produce a distinctive Berlin style.
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