J.p. Muller

It is perhaps a truism that virtually all so-called great composers had a special preference for the viola as da braccio (on the arm, i.e. the modern instrument) or da gamba , a versatile instrument of the viol family that was a particular focus of Baroque composers. Indeed, the Sixth Brandenburg features pairs of both instruments, da braccio and da gamba, and what would the passions be without the solo work Bach includes for each? This may have been due to the fact that one of his employers, Duke Leopold of Saxony-Anhalt-Cöthen, liked to play it, but more likely Bach liked the instrument’s versatility and distinctive timbre.

This double album offers a portrait of the violinist Amandine Beyer drawn from the recordings she has made for ZZT. The first CD selects highlights from her chamber repertoire, including works by Jean-Féry Rebel, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Nicola Matteis, and Robert de Visée. The second is devoted to the concerto, with compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Arcangelo Corelli. This programme is an ideal introduction to the multiple facets of Amandine Beyer’s talent and to the grace and joie de vivre of her music-making. It also provides an opportunity to discover one of Corelli’s Concerti Grossi op.6, a preview of the complete set to be released on ZZT in the autumn of 2013.

Its amazing to realize how diverse and varied music JS Bach wrote in his lifetime (1685-1750). Originally written for the gamba and harpischord, these compositions translate well to the modern cello and piano as their sunny, pleasant sonorites attest. The last sonata by Bach's most musically innovative son, CPE Bach, is an added treat.Having recorded all of the major keyboard works of Bach, Angela Hewitt now picks up these "minor" pieces with cellist Daniel Muller-Schott. The compositions are not necessarily "virtuostic" - like those of Beethoven - but they among the first to give more equal partnership of the keyboard beyond continuo. These sonatas brim forth with effortless melody and quality musical development that Bach was so marvelous in composing which gives them a universal appeal.