Viola Galante

Featuring

Pauline Sachse
Andreas Hecker
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
William Flackton
Giorgio Antoniotto
Franz Benda

Christlieb Siegmund Binder

Did you know?

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Interpretation

The concert pitch for this recording is A4 = 415 Hz, which was commonly used in the Leipzig region during the period these works were composed.

Instruments

Andreas Hecker plays a harpsichord that is a replica, made by Bruce Kennedy, of an instrument by Michael Mietke from Berlin, circa 1700.

Instruments

Pauline Sachse plays a viola named 'Madame Butterfly', made by Giovanni Paolo Maggini in Brescia in 1610, strung with gut strings as was common in the 1700s.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, a composer featured on this album, believed a musician must feel all the emotions they wish to evoke in their audience.

Recording & Production

This album features several world premiere recordings of original compositions for viola, offering a rare glimpse into late 18th-century repertoire.

Historical Context

Original compositions for solo viola were rare before 1775 because the viola typically played a subordinate role in ensembles and violists were often poorly paid and staffed.

Interpretation

The performers used a specific temperament for this recording, Neidhardt (1724) for the 'big city', which was chosen to complement the keys featured in the program.