Quantz's concertos often feature a 'mixed style' incorporating elements like baroque fugues, dances, expressive chromaticism, operatic recitative, and virtuoso passage-work.
Composer Biography
Johann Joachim Quantz, the composer, worked in Dresden for 25 years, where he was influenced by the city's rich artistic atmosphere and the international Royal Court Orchestra.
Instruments
Quantz made advancements to the flute, such as adding keys, to correct intonation and increase facility, making technically challenging passages easier to execute.
Compositional Technique
Quantz wrote over 200 concertos for the flute, rivaling Vivaldi in creative output within the genre.
Performer Biography
Eric Lamb, the flutist on this recording, is a lecturer at the University of Auckland and performs on a wooden flute by Sankyo Handmade Flutes.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Quantz's concertos are a direct application of his teachings on technique and musical aesthetic, as outlined in his influential treatise, 'Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversière zu spielen'.
Composition History
Quantz's flute concertos were written exclusively for Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia, and were not publicly distributed during the composer's lifetime.
