Eruya Shalev

German Baroque composer Johann Friedrich Fasch organized a music exchange service between Dresden, Darmstadt, Hamburg, and other cities, which allowed him to know exactly what was new and upcoming. His style, then, often seems to be rooted in his own period, while looking forward to the classical era. He enjoyed writing for the chalumeau, an early French two-keyed clarinet, and this mellow yet agile instrument is featured on three of the pieces here, most notably the concerto in B-flat. Gili Rinot proves a worthy player of this curious instrument, playing with virtuoso flair, yet able to float long, lyrical lines so lovely and sweetly that they seem to hang in the air.

The five cantatas presented on this disc share several elements. They are all for solo bass and orchestra, and Der am Ölberg zagende Jesus deals with Christ’s agonies in the garden of Gethsemane, with three recitatives setting the scene surrounding two arias for Jesus, ending with an aria by the narrator inviting all to contemplate Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus liegt in letzten Zügen is a meditation on the moment of Christ’s death. Ich will den Kreuzweg gerne gehen expresses the narrator’s desire to follow the way of the cross in Christ’s footsteps. The other two cantatas are more tangentially connected to the events of the passion, although they mention the passion as motivation for the sinner to prepare for eventual union with his Savior.

For the present disc, Accademia Daniel have chosen solo concertos for violin, viola d’amore and bassoon, as well as a concerto that combines three bass soloists (chalumeau – a popular instrument in Darmstadt, it seems – cello and bassoon), and one of several of the composer’s Entratas “per la Musica di Tavola”, to all intents and purposes an orchestral suite, though eschewing the French overture associated with that form. All of the concertos are in the fast-slow-fast three movement form and have little in common with the Vivaldian model; in fact, the solo instrument is more just another colour on the composer’s palette. With that idea in mind, the wanton addition of a recorder to the final movement of the suite is easily forgiven. Graupner’s music takes some getting used to – what seem like normal baroque movements take some unexpected harmonic twists and turns, and his melodies frequently surprise; these players are well used to his music now, and their easy facility is reflected in some delightful performances.