Johann David HEINICHEN (1683 - 1729)
Unpublished Dresden Sonatas
Trio sonata for two oboes and bc in B flat [7:29]
Trio sonata for two oboes and bc in G [9:21]
Trio sonata for two oboes, bassoon and bc in B flat [10:17]
Sonata for oboe and bc in g minor* [7:29]
Trio sonata for two oboes and bc in F [7:59]
Sonata for bassoon and bc in D [9:18]
Trio sonata for two oboes and bc in c minor [8:10]
Sans Souci Baroque Ensemble (Giuseppe Nalin*, Nicolò Dotti (oboe), Paolo Tognon (bassoon), Massimiliano Varusio (viola da gamba, cello), Michele Gallo (double bass), Fabiano Merlante (theorbo, archlute, guitar), Marco Vincenzi (harpsichord))
rec. 22 - 24 July 2013, Villa Bertoldi, Settimo di Pescantina (VR), Italy. DDD
STRADIVARIUS STR15001 [60:08]
The court chapel in Dresden was the most brilliant ensemble
in Germany for most of the first half of the 18th century. It had some of
the greatest virtuosos on various instruments in its ranks, and among them
were players of the oboe, the instrument which is the focus of the present
disc. It includes sonatas for one and two oboes with basso continuo, extended
by a sonata for bassoon.
Johann David Heinichen was Kapellmeister in Dresden from 1717 until
his death. At first he did not plan to make a career in music. Born in Krössuln
near Weissenfels he entered the Thomasschule in Leipzig where he received
keyboard lessons from Johann Kuhnau, the then Thomaskantor. He was asked to
become his assistant, but then decided to study law and after finishing his
studies went to Weissenfels to start a practice as a lawyer. However, Johann
Philipp Krieger, Kapellmeister at the court in Weissenfels, asked
him to compose music for festive occasions at the court. That was the start
of his musical career. He returned to Leipzig, composed some operas and played
in the Collegium Musicum under the direction of Telemann. During a stay in
Venice he became acquainted with some of the most famous Italian masters,
such as Vivaldi and Lotti. He returned to Germany in 1716 and entered the
court chapel in Dresden.
At the time the oboe was a relatively new instrument to Germany. It had been
developed in France in the mid-17th century; the court employed an ensemble
called grande écurie which comprised mostly oboes. It was due to
the attraction of everything French that the art of oboe making and playing
disseminated across Europe. Before the end of the century it made its appearance
in many countries, including Italy and Germany. Johann Sebastian Bach was
one of the first to compose for the oboe. Several of his concertos for harpsichord
were first conceived for the oboe or the oboe d'amore. Oboes figured
prominently in music written for the court in Dresden. One can think here
of the six sonatas by Zelenka which date from the early 1720s. Heinichen composed
a number of concertos with significant oboe parts and sonatas for oboe with
various other instruments, such as the violin.
This disc includes sonatas for two oboes, sometimes with an obbligato part
for the bassoon, all recorded here for the first time. That also goes for
the bassoon sonata; only the Sonata in g minor for oboe and bc has
been recorded before. We know the names of the star oboists in Dresden: the
French-born François Le Riche and Johann Christian Richter. Telemann dedicated
his Kleine Cammer-Musik to them. Heinichen's sonatas give
a good impression of their great skills. These sonatas are technically demanding
but their importance goes beyond that. There is quite some expression in the
slow movements and the fast movements have considerable swing. Heinichen explores
the combination of two oboes for some harmonic peculiarities. The bassoon
parts could have been written with the skills of Johann Gottfried Böhme in
mind.
The Ensemble Sans Souci delivers zestful performances with the fast movements
coming off best. There is no lack of expression in the slow movements, but
here I find the playing of especially Giuseppe Nalin not as fluent as one
would like. There he produces a sound which seems a bit stressed. I would
have preferred a more relaxed sound, but also a more differentiated and sometimes
more subtle approach. There are, I think, better players of the baroque oboe
around and I hope some of them will turn to these sonatas. For the time being
we should enjoy this disc which gives some impression of the brilliance of
the Dresden oboists and bassoonist.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
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