Janitsch's chamber music often features a lively dialogue where every instrument is given its due, even the viola, which often receives prominent attention.
Composition History
Many of Janitsch's works, including those on this recording, were preserved in the archive of the Berlin Singakademie, which resurfaced in Kiev and was returned to Berlin in 2001 after being thought lost during WWII.
Performer Biography
Epoca Barocca, the chamber music ensemble on this album, was founded by Alessandro Piqué and is dedicated to performing baroque music on original instruments.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Janitsch emphasized invention in his chamber music, stating in the preface to his Opus 1 quartets that no sonata would resemble another in its combination of instruments.
Composition History
Janitsch founded a 'Musical Academy' in Rheinsberg, which he continued in Berlin, known as the 'Friday Academy' because meetings took place on Fridays in his home.
Composer Biography
Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, the composer, was a personal musician to Frederick the Great, primarily playing the double bass in the royal orchestra.
Cultural Impact
Janitsch's 'Friday Academy' became a model for many musical societies where amateurs and professionals played together, marking the beginning of a bourgeois concert tradition.
