Jan Dismas Zelenka, the composer, was born in Bohemia in 1679 and spent most of his life composing at the court of Augustus the Strong in Dresden.
Critical Reception
Zelenka's music lay forgotten in the Saxon State Library for over two hundred years because Dresden court musicians were not allowed to publish their works.
Critical Reception
Despite his talent, Zelenka faced professional disappointment, being passed over for Kapellmeister in Dresden in favor of Johann Adolf Hasse, who was twenty years younger.
Composition History
Zelenka's Six Sonatas for two oboes and bassoon with basso continuo were the first of his works to be rediscovered in the 20th century, published around 1956.
Composer Biography
Zelenka studied with Johann Joseph Fux, the imperial Kapellmeister in Vienna, and likely with Antonio Lotti in Venice, during his travels between 1715 and 1719.
Compositional Technique
Zelenka's sonatas are notable for their unusual scale, with movements and themes often twice as long as those by other composers of his time.
Interpretation
For this recording, the performers completed the scores of Sonatas Nos. 1 and 3 by adding a continuo part based on the bassoon line, following Zelenka's own practice in his Second Sonata.
You might also enjoy...
Graupner: Trio Sonatas
Johann Gottlieb Goldberg: Complete Trio Sonatas
Biber: Harmonia artificioso-ariosa
Rameau: Pièces de clavecin en concerts & Suite in E Minor
