The function of the sonata in Baroque society was primarily for church liturgy (Mass and Vespers) or as chamber music for entertainment at courts and for amateurs.
Performer Biography
The Sans Souci Baroque Ensemble, founded in 1985, is one of the first Italian ensembles dedicated to performing 18th-century chamber music on period instruments.
Historical Context
The violinist Arcangelo Corelli was highly influential in internationalizing the Baroque sonata, which originated in Northern Italy.
Performer Biography
The Sans Souci Baroque Ensemble has performed in fifteen countries and received the 'Premio Discografico Fondazione Masi' in 2012 for promoting Venetian Baroque music.
Compositional Technique
Early sonatas were often written "for any type of instrument," allowing the performer to choose the instrumentation, though Handel confessed a predilection for the oboe.
Interpretation
This recording uses a mechanical organ to provide the harmonic bass, blending with and dialoguing with the baroque oboe in an original and imaginative way.
Historical Context
In the Baroque era, the term "sonata" was often used interchangeably with "canzona," "sinfonia," or "concerto" before these terms developed distinct meanings.
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