Sonatas for Flute & Harpsichord / Basso Continuo BWV 1030-1035; Partita for solo flute BWV 1013
General Discusssions - Part 1

Bach on the flute

Barry Murray wrote (October 7, 2001):
There have been posts on the list which have referred to recordings of the flute and harpsichord sonatas of JS and CPE Bach.

I would be interested in the views of list members as to good recordings of this repertoire.

I am particularly interested in hip recordings, but I'm not adverse to an outstanding modern instrument recording.

Francine Rene Hall wrote (October 7, 2001):
[To Barry Murray] I enjoy very much two recordings of Bach on flute. The first is a 5-CD set on Archiv (available at super bargain price) with MAK playing Bach's Kammermusik (though there are some works that are 'attributed' to Bach and therefore quite possibly not his). Wilbert Hazelet on traversflote is absolutely astounding. All instruments are historically accurate. The second, which is non-HIP is quite beautiful. It is on Denon with Aurele Nicolet on modern flute; Christiani Facottet on harpsichord; and Mari Fujiwara on violincello. The works are the complete sonatas for flute, sonatas BWV 1030, 1034 and 1035 including Bach's Partita, BWV 1013. I owned an Elaine Schaeffer with George Malcolm years ago on the old Angel label and yet to find it on CD. I hope this helps.

Doug (Sospiro) wrote (October 7, 2001):
About the Bach Sonatas - my flute teacher Wendy Mehne did her doctorate on these works & has been preparing her own edition, with her views on articulation, tempi, performance practice etc. Having studied with her for 3 years, I've pretty much dropped all quibbles & must say that her views on the topic are enlightened historically, theoretically, and musically. She's supposed to prepare these editions for print, along with a companion CD. I have a feeling that THAT will be an ear-opener.

I've heard several recordings - Shaffer, Nicolet, Preston - all good recordings, but unfortunately many people play these pieces in a blanket "traditional" manner, w/o taking the time or effort to really look @ them & reconsider other ways they could sound. Views on tempi are particularly egregious - several movements are often taken too fast [the 2nd mvmt. of the C major sonata, the fugue in the final mvmt. of the B minor - marked Presto, although Presto was not the fastest tempo marking in that period, it's in cut-time so it would have been slower than if it had been marked in 4/8 for example, & it's a fugue instead of a dance].

Also textual questions arise: the incomplete surviving manuscript of the 1st mvmt. of the A-major, the dubious authenticity of the C-major, E-flat major, & G-minor sonatas.

Robert Sherman wrote (October 7, 2001):
[To Doug] Considering only the musical value and setting aside historical and authenticiy issues, what do you think of the Rampal/Veyron-lacroix recordings? They''ve always been my favorite.

Joost wrote (October 7, 2001):
[To Barry Murray] Francine is absolutely right about Wilbert Hazelzet. His playing is really enchanting. This Musica Antiqua Koln set has (almost) all chamber music collected, including some spurious ones, and a couple of early versions. Pieces once attributed to JSB cannot be bad music, don't you think?

The number of this set is: ARCHIV 447713-2.

Doug (Sospiro) (October 9, 2001):
I'll give them a listen - I haven't heard them in a while. Rampal was usually a very sensitive player who drew people into his sound instead of trying to fling it out to the crowds, Veyron-Lacroix was of course his sensitive collaborator for years. In some ways with these piees, it's hard for me to separate musical & historical "authenticity" from the performance itself - certain gestures, tempi, etc. are missed a little bit, but a gorgeous performance is still a gorgeous performance & that's really what counts.

Santu de Silva wrote (October 8, 2001):
Let me nominate my favorite performances of Bach Sonatas for diverse instruments, which, of course, include many - - though not all - - of the flute sonatas:

"Eight Sonatas for Diverse Instruments" by the Aulos Ensemble, Musical Heritage Society.

They're played on original instruments. (The oboe is a little harsh; I have heard many baroque oboes that sound a lot rounder.) Anyway, this is the CD to which I wake up every morning (I've boiled the 2_CD set into one CD of preferred movements) and they're wonderful. The trio sonatas are really some of the most wonderful, musical, and witty music that Bach ever wrote, IMO, and I tend to like them played by practically anyone. The Trio Sonata from the Musica Offering is in the running for Bach's Best.

BTW, James Galway performs the Bach sonatas, though, of course, Galway is as much an acquired taste as Rampal. MHS publishes a Galway CD of Bach sonatas that contain some of his best. I don;t know if his RCA (or whatever) CDs overlap with this MHS set.

Johan van Veen wrote (October 11, 2001):
[To Barry Murray] I would recommend Jed Wentz for JS Bach (alongside Hazelzet and MAK). It's on Fidelio Classics, but I'm not sure it is still available.

As far as CPhE Bach is concerned, I would recommend Barthold Kuijken and Bob van Asperen on Sony Vivarte (2 CDs) or Konrad Hünteler, Anner Bijlsma and Jacques Ogg on MDG (also 2 CDs).

Francine Rene Hall wrote (October 7, 2001):
[To Anne] Does anyone know if the Elaine Shaffer and George Malcolm LP on the old Angel label available on CD? Thanks!

"recorder"

Bradley Lehman wrote (January 3, 2002):
Ludwig wrote:
< orchestration: 2 gambas, 2 Blockflöte(please English speakers let us end the confusing banality of calling this instrument "recorder"--it records nothing) with >
According to the database of literary references at http://members.iinet.net.au/~nickl/quotes.html the English word "recorder" for this instrument goes back at least as far a=s 1431.

A detailed history is here: http://members.iinet.net.au/~nickl/torture2.html

Three friends and I used to be the "Cappella recorder quartet"....

Piotr Jaworski wrote (January 3, 2002):
[To Bradley Lehman] Being an amateur recorder (sic!) player, I can only THANK YOU for this link.

Wonderful!

Thanks a lot!

Ludwig wrote (January 4, 2002):
[To Piotr Jaworski] I also am a Blockflutist and own a whole Sextet of them from a Grand Bass in C all the way to the Sopranino. It is a shame that our instrument is often denigrated to the status of "toy" because it is not at all such.

Ludwig wrote (January 4, 2002):
[To Bradley Lehman] While "recorder" has legitimacy in the English Language--the use of Language changes over centuries. We no longer use such archaic phrases as "I shalt see ye be in heaven postehaste." To mean" I will kill you hurriedly"

In our own time such words as "spoon","gay" have come to mean other things than they did in the 19th century.

It was perfectly acceptable to say in 1890 "he is a rather queer fellow" which in the late 20th and early 21th century means something entirely different.

Word meanings and phrases have different meanings even in concurrent times in different countries also. In the United States, we may say that we are going to the main office. In Britan this does not make much sense and instead Britons will say that they "are going to the Home Office". In the United States ---Home office usually means a local branch office one works out of.

Neither do we use Chaucerian language as "Whan that aprille with his shoures soote" There is hardly a sould who has not learned Chaucerian English would know that "shoures soote" means "showers soak" as a close apparoximation in modern English.

Philip Peters wrote (January 4, 2002):
Ludwig wrote:
< I also am a Blockflutist and own a whole Sextet of them from a Grand Bass in C all the way to the Sopranino. It is a shame that our instrument is often denigrated to the status of "toy" because it is not at all such. >
I love the recorder. I wonder how you would rate the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet's Art of the Fugue.

Michael Grover wrote (January 4, 2002):
Ludwig wrote:
< I also am a Blockflutist and own a whole Sextet of them from a Grand Bass in C all the way to the Sopranino. It is a shame that our instrument is often denigrated to the status of "toy" because it is not at all such. >
Well, it's not Bach, and it's not even "classical music", but one of my favorite places to hear the "recorder" is Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller. There are literally millions of Americans (don't know how popular the group is outside the USA) who have heard a recorder being played and probably don't realize it. In fact, when I was a kid, and heard Fresh Aire I for the first time, I assumed it was a funny sounding flute. In the album notes, it states that Chip plays drums and recorders, but me being ignorant, I assumed recorders meant some computer gadget. I've since become a little more enlightened -- but I still like the Fresh Aire albums!

Ludwig wrote (January 5, 2002):
[To Michael Grover] No you were not "ignorant". You were just following the modern sense of the word. English hard enough language to learn by foreigners--especially when they are have to learn archaic word meanings and it is just as confusing at times for native speakers. I am all for leaving the 15th century meaning in a dictionary of archaic language , The word originally comes from Latin "recordare" meaning to make a written record. So the word "recorder" was never truly appropriate for the musical instrument.

The German Word "Blockflote" is much more appropriate,distinguishing the instrument from the flute and does not confuse native or foreign speakers. the "o" can be Anglicised by changing it to "u" and thus "blockflute".

Ludwig wrote (January 5, 2002):
[To Philip Peters] I have not heard them but their "Der Kunst" sounds as though it might be very interesting especially if the have overcome the sonic difficulties of the Bass not to mention playing it.

Thomas Radleff wrote (January 7, 2002):
[To Philip Peters] Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet is performing Die Kunst der Fuge on a collection of 17 (!) different recorders, from soprano to great bass, of course with some octave shifting and voice transposition, that you actually won´t hear as a difference. In my ears, its one of the most vivid and interesting recordings of DKdF, and shows very intimate moments as well as "Barocke Pracht"- in latter we get reminded to the fact that the organ actually is a wind instument.

I love the recording, but it is a bit like eating a good, big and sweet cake all at once: I can hardly hear the whole disc through; and sometimes the screaming cocktail of overtones is hard to stand for longer than a while. (A propos intimacy: why did they record only two canons ? I know that on not a few fine recordings of the printed edition the four Canons are deleted at all - Phantasm, Canadian Brass, Portland StringQu., even the great organist Gerd Zacher ignores them - , but I guess I´ll never understand why, despite of any booklet explanation. Maybe some quartet doesn´t dare to play movements where less than three members are occupied.)

How do you find this recorder-recording (ha,ha!) ?
Or which of the DKdF versions do you prefer ?

Philip Peters wrote (January 7, 2002):
Thomas Radleff wrote:
< Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet is performing Die Kunst der Fuge on a...
I love the recording, but it is a bit like eating a good, big and sweet cake all at once: >
I totally agree, it's a bit lightweight maybe and certainly not the last word. But then I am very impressed with Scherchen's AoF's which are quite a different cattle of fish, in the *grand manner* of the old days. Others that I enjoy more than most: Leonhardt first and foremost and then Goebel, Alessandrini, The Keller Qt., Canadian Brass (interesting to compare with the recorder version). I could go on, there is so much in this music and I am not biased pro or contra HIP.

Ludwig wrote (January 8, 2002):
Blockfute

[To Thomas Radleff] I would assume that the reason that some canons were left out is that their range makes it difficult to play or their is no arrangement for them.

If the particular fuges/canons require ranges that can not adequately be met other than a grand Bass then the problem maybe that such passages may not be playable or too difficult for very skilled players to play.

Thomas Radlef wrote (January 8, 2002):
[To Ludwig] Thanks for your remark on the range of the recorders/Blockflöten; in the booklet of Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet they point out something like that. (But this can´t be the reason for leaving away the Canons on organ.) In the commentary of Phantasm´s beautiful version for viol-quartet, they "dare to say, that the canons and the mirror fugues do not seem to occupy the same artistic plane (sic!) as the other works in the collection". This argument must have been born out of their special experience they made while working with it, but me, as a listener, I cannot follow their plan; I´d simply like to hear them playing the rest. Nevertheless, the record is fine; bright and clear, not as foggy as sometimes viol consort recordings happend to be, and combined with Mozart´s five arrangements out of WTC II and his own fugue KV 401 it even forms a cycle (maybe even more than the original full score does). . At least a very innovative conception.

Do you know Marion Verbruggen´s recorder versions of Bach´s Cello suites?
How do they sound in the ears of a "Blockflutist"?

Ludwig wrote (January 10, 2002):
[To Thomas Radleff] I have not heard the recordings in question but as someone who plays a grand bass---getting this instrument to sound the lower notes is a difficult job and they are often so soft as to require many to be heard against a small ensemble of blockfloten. In addition the act of just handling the instrument while playing presents performance problems---but that seems true throughout the flute family and it seems that no design improvements work well. The bass Orchestral flute has good low tones but the pitches do not go down as low as the grand bass blockflute and it also is very difficult to play and handle---musch more than the grand bass.

New York Times review of Bach disc

Robert Starobin wrote (April 11, 2002):
The New York Times Online has posted a review of BRIDGE 9115, The Sonatas for Flute and Fortepiano and the Partita for solo Flute. The review is in Real Audio format, and consists of James Oestrich speaking and audio samples of the disc.

The review can be found at: http://nytimes.com/pages/arts/index.html

Bach: The Complete Flute Sonatas, Lisa Beznosiuk

Pierce Drew wrote (May 18, 2002):
I just received a this wonderful set of the flute sonatas (Hyperion 67264-5) and am listening to the (solo) partita as I write.

I must admit that for me Bach's chamber music has not been the most captivating. But I am really enjoying this new set, and think that I will be listening to this music a lot in the days to come.

Is anyone else familiar with the Beznosiuk set?

Robert Sherman wrote (May 18, 2002):
[To Pierce Drew] I'm not, but Rampal with Veyron-Lacroix (NOT the one with Pinnock) is magic.

Pete Blue wrote (May 18, 2002):
[To Robert Sherman] Haven't yet heard the Beznosiuk recording of the Flute Sonatas, but I think the Rampal/V-L, while a worthy classic, is not my absolute favorite. That I reserve for one of my earlier desert island choices, John Solum and Igor Kipnis on Arabesque.

Solum and the late Kipnis were longtime friends and performing colleagues (IIRC they co-founded the Connecticut Early Music Festival). They play with an ease probably impossible without that lengthy association. In these works they seem to breathe as one person.

Yet they have opposite musical personalities. Solum plays his period instrument like a shepherd, simple, naive, heartfelt, while in contrast the sophisticated Kipnis dances inventively behind him (evident especially in the obliggato allegros). Unique, sheer magic, and undeservedly obscure.

(I must admit to possible prejudice: John Solum was a college chum of mine.)

Partita 1013 - for flute solo ?

Thomas Rawrote (October 14, 2002):
Here´s another attempt of an alternative instrumentation of Bach´s flute partita. As we learned, the "original" is quite insecure, and the more we are listening to different versions, the nearer we might get to Bach´s intentions. To be heard in:

Complete Sonatas & Partita for Flute.
Frans Brüggen, with Leonhardt, van Dael, Bylsma.
Sony - Seon (again Wolf Erichson´s product) 1989; recorded 1975.

2 CDs containing the sonatas 1030,-32,-34,-35 & 1013 with flute, plus an interesting experiment, according to Brüggen´s conjectures:BWV 1013:
Allemande - for viola, Lucy van Dael.
da capo - for harpsichord, Gustav Leonhardt, arr. by himself.
Corrente - for violoncello piccolo, Bylsma.
Sarabande - for recorder, Brüggen.
Bourrée anglaise - for violin, van Dael.

In my ears, only the recorder version sounds rather unconvincing. Harpsichord, of course, with additional parts for the left hand.

Riccardo Nughes wrote (October 14, 2002):
[To Thomas Radleff] Complete Sonatas & Partita for Flute.
Frans Brüggen, with Leonhardt, van Dael, Bylsma.
Sony - Seon (again Wolf Erichson´s product) 1989; recorded 1975.

Curiously I was listening to today this one

2 CDs containing the sonatas 1030,-32,-34,-35 & 1013 with flute, plus an interesting experiment, according to Brüggen´s conjectures: BWV 1013:
Allemande - for viola, Lucy van Dael.
da capo - for harpsichord, Gustav Leonhardt, arr. by himself.

The harpsichord pièce sounds really great IMO.

There is also an interesting transcription for lute by Hopkinson Smith.

Thomas Radleff wrote (October 14, 2002):
Riccardo Nughes wrote:
< BWV 1013:
Allemande - for viola, Lucy van Dael.
da capo - for harpsichord, Gustav Leonhardt, arr. by himself.
The harpsichord pièce sounds really great IMO.
There is also an interesting transcription for lute by Hopkinson Smith. >

Where ?

asking,
Thomas R

Riccardo Nughes wrote (October 14, 2002):
Thomas Radleff wrote:
< Where ? >
J.S.Bach
Partita BWV 1004-Sonata BWV 1013-Lute Transcriptions
Hopkinson Smith, lute 13-strings
DHM Baroque Esprit (budget price)
05472 77451 2
Amazon.de

Thomas Radleff wrote (October 14, 2002):
[To Riccardo Nughes] ... obviously in these rereleases like Bylsma´s (that has been discussed yesterday), but the older series, a few years ago...

Thank you !! I´ll run for it tomorrow...

Bradley Lehman wrote (October 14, 2002):
[To Thomas Radleff, in response to his first message above] Does the CD reissue of that set include the even stranger experiment they did, the filler from that same side in the LP set? Bruggen arranged about half of the first movement of the B minor sonata (1030) for a string ensemble, in D minor. Yes, only about half: the music grinds to a halt about halfway through the movement.

p.s. on the Hopkinson Smith arrangement of 1013: it's nice, but I disagree with quite a few of the harmonization choices he came up with, especially in the Sarabande. I did mine separately, and then compared them: very different. Some of his modulations seem too abrupt to me, and not at all what I hear in Bach's melody.

Kirk McElhearn wrote (October 14, 2002):
Bradley Lehman wrote:
< Does the CD reissue of that set include the even stranger experiment they did, the filler from that same side in the LP set? Bruggen arranged about half of the first movement of the B minor sonata (1030) for a string ensemble, in D minor. Yes, only about half: the music grinds to a halt about halfway through the movement. >
Yep. It is weird, indeed.

Thomas Radleff wrote (October 14, 2002):
Bradley Lehman asked:
< Does the CD reissue of that set include the even stranger experiment they did, the filler from that same side in the LP set? Bruggen arranged about half of the first movement of the B minor sonata (1030) for a string ensemble, in D minor. Yes, only about half: the music grinds to a halt about halfway through the movement. >
Yes, it does. And always before I, as a normal listener, can realize what the arrangeur might have meant, I find myself outside of the slammed door. For the recording of a less-than-5-minutes-interruptus-quickie it was obviously necessary to occupy two if the Kuijken brothers. What a waste !

Bradley Lehman wrote (October 14, 2002):
[To Thomas Radleff] Indeed! What an all-star group that was for recording the fragment:

Sigiswald Kuijken and Lucy van Dael, violins; Wieland Kuijken and Adelheid Glatt, vdg; Anner Bylsma, cello; Anthony Woodrow, violine; and Gustav Leonhardt, harpsichord.

And Leonhardt is so far off-mike in the mix, it seems hardly worthwhile that he had to spend the 10-15 minutes tuning the harpsichord for this one.

The flute sonatas...

Juozas Rimas wrote (November 26, 2002):
I decided to finally listen to these works - I have still quite a lot of Bach to explore.

I listened to some online samples and I'm investigating the following options:
Rampal / Galway / Bruegen / Preston.

I heard some Rampal before and he has almost the same kind of intensive vibrato as Ella Fitzerald's voice. Sorry but IMHO the continuous relentless vibrato harms both Rampal's playing and Fitzgerald's singing... I haven't heard Rampal's sonatas but I doubt he forgot the habit in them...

Gallway sounded skilled but quite "flat" in those several clips, without much dynamics. It could be a wrong impression though. Bruegen sounded the softest but I felt some awkwardness (overtaking the accompanying instruments than slowing down again). Again, I don't know, maybe just didn't listen long enough.

AFAIK only the Bruegen and Preston are playing wooden Baroque flutes, is that true? That would be preferable. Thanks for your suggestions.

Riccardo Nughes wrote (November 26, 2002):
Juozas Rimas wrote:
< AFAIK only the Bruegen and Preston are playing wooden Baroque flutes,>
is that true?

< That would be preferable. Thanks for your suggestions. >
Bruggen in his Seon recording is playing a Scherer transverse flute, southern Germnay or France 1773.
There is also a new interesting release featuring Barthold Kuijken (with harpsichord only for basso continuo):
http://www.abeillemusique.com/produit.php?cle=7751

New it's also the set by Hazelzet & Ogg:
http://www.glossamusic.com/catalogue/0807.htm with French pitch 392'.

However the Bruggen set is very fine, IMO (even if I prefer him with the recorder)

Alpha Walker wrote (November 26, 2002):
I love the recordings by Michala Petri on recorder with Keith Jarrett and also their recording of the Handel Flute Sonatas. Beautiful sound and tasty playing. Actually, thanks for reminding me, it's time to get them out and listen again!

Ehud Shiloni wrote (November 26, 2002):
[To Juozas Rimas] Bruegen [indeed on a wooden Baroque flute] is very nice , but I have an even better recommendation: Wilbert Hazelsat [sp?] with Musica Antiqua Koeln , on their 5-CD set "Chamber Music". Clear, fresh, energetic and accurate - a joyful experience.

Bradley Lehman wrote (November 26, 2002):
Ehud Shiloni wrote:
< Bruegen [indeed on a wooden Baroque flute] is very nice , but I have an even better recommendation: Wilbert Hazelsat [sp?] with Musica Antiqua Koeln , on their 5-CD set "Chamber Music". Clear, fresh, energetic and accurate - a joyful experience. >
I agree with Ehud, that Hazelzet set in the MAK box is a winner. I've had that one (still do) as the original 2-LP set since its first release, and then re-bought it on CD years later. Delightful. That 5-CD set was a Europe-only issue when I bought it; maybe it still is.

The E major sonata (1035) in there is one of my favorites...and a brief squeak from Jaap ter Linden shifting on his cello makes it even more endearing. It sounds like real people playing, not an over-sanitized recording. That sound is at about 1'49" in the first movement. Makes me smile every time. (It's like the shifting noise oncan often hear in closely-miked guitar recordings...a finger halfway sticking to the string as the player slides the finger.)

Trevor Evans-Young wrote (November 26, 2002):
[To Juozas Rimas] I can only second the motion on the Petri/Jarrett set. There was another set that I bought when CD's first came out that I cannot remember who but enjoyed very much. I know it included the a minor unaccompanied sonata which is a great treat in music.

Bradley Lehman wrote (November 26, 2002):
[To Riccardo Nughes] The old Bart Kuijken set was also pretty good....

The sets of flute sonatas I have (some incomplete) are:

Bart Kuijken/Leonhardt
Hazelzet/Bouman/MAK
Bruggen/Leonhardt
Stastny/Tachezi/CMW
See/Moroneyz
Rampal/Veyron-Lacroix/Savall
Rampal/Veyron-Lacroix/Huchot
Canter/Nicholson (Canter playing Baroque oboe)
Petri/Jarrett (Petri playing recorder)
Briggs/Schachman/Aulos Ensemble
Miller/Richman
Wummer/Valenti

& I think a few more older sets (on LP only)

None of those have ever been able to displace Hazelzet/MAK as my favorite; his playing is so gorgeous and soulful, and their approach is nicely relaxed and poised. But I'll have to pick up that new Hazelzet/Ogg set and maybe also the new B Kuijken set you've mentioned.... Hazelzet's other two Glossa discs of Bach are nonpareil. He's playing even better these days than he was years ago with MAK, and that's really saying something.

I've been looking for the Jed Wentz set for a couple of years but never managed to track down a copy of it; I've heard (perhaps it was here, last year) that it's very good.

Pete Blue wrote (November 26, 2002):
[To Juozas Rimas] For you who love the Flute Sonatas: if you come across the Arabesque release thereof played by John Solum and Igor Kipnis, I urge you to snap it up. After enjoying it for many years (am I alone in owning a copy?), I can safely recommend it as at least the equal of the Hazelzet/MAK. I note that Amazon.com has a few sound samples. Whether you can buy it there is another matter.

Juozas Rimas wrote (November 26, 2002):
< Hazelzet/Bouman/MAK >
Does Hazelzet play in the MAK version of the 2nd orchestral suite too?

Thomas Radleff wrote (November 27, 2002):
Some more recordings that haven´t been mentioned yet (and that even Brad doesn´t have!):

Complete Flute Sonatas, with Karl Kaiser playing different reconstructed models of baroque flutes, and Musica Alta Ripa. MDG 1999. I have only vol.2, with a very nice BWV 1033 with cello, theorbo and organ - the allegro appears as a lively andante which seems to come from some Italian master. Tha solo partita 1013 - beautiful tone, but the architecture doesn´t become clear. Wonderful recording in well-known MDG quality.

Chamber Music for the Flute, with Jean-Claude Gérard. Hänssler Edition Bachakademie 1999.
A strange collection of various approaches. Some surprises: BWV 1034 + 35 with bassoon and a tender fortepiano; the doubtful BWV 1033 solo, without bc.; and the Sonatas "mit obligatem Clavier" accompanied by a modern piano - no wonder it doesn´t sound very baroque anymore, and somehow not even classical. Rich booklet with remarks on each work, but nothing at all about the instruments; not even which ones are used on which tracks, so you have to find out by listening.

Another double CD-set: Peter-Lukas Graf, with Henriette Barbé, cv., and Johannes Koch, viola da gamba. Jecklin 1989; Swiss recordings from 1967. All in all, rather dry, hardly ever swinging. But including an interesting experiment: in addition to the solo partita 1013 Graf constructed three more solo sonatas by transcribing the violin partita III and some more movements from the violin s&p.

Sample - Kuijken's new flute sonatas

Kirk McElhearn wrote (November 29, 2002):
Since there was a sample track on a CD provided with this month's French classical music mag Diapason, I thought some of you might be interested in hearing this. I have ordered the CD - I find this approach extremely interesting. I have put the sample here: http://homepage.mac.com/kirkmc/ It's a 4.2 MB mp3 file.

Enjoy! I'm interested in your comments, especially Brad's.

Riccardo Nughes wrote (November 29, 2002):
[To Kirk McElhearn] this is the cd Kirk is talking about: http://www.abeillemusique.com/produit.php?cle=7751

Bach flute sonatas (on Philips) / Kuijken Flute Sonatas

Francine Rene Hall wrote (November 29, 2002):
I wonder if anyone has heard the older Philips recordings and how it compares with the new one by Accent. It seems the Accent will be available January 6. (francine)

----------

Amazon.com

Francine Rene Hall wrote (November 29, 2002):
[To Kirk McElhearn] A nice friend ordered the new Kuijken flute sonatas (on Accent) for me due to be out 6 January)! Wow! Thank goodness for amazon in the UK! I have MAK's Kammermusik and a modern version with Aurele Nicolet on Denon (yes, I like metal flutes too!). Thanks for giving all of us this exciting information!

Joost Jansen wrote (November 29, 2002):
[To Francine Rene Hall] Bart Kuijken's new Bach recording on Accent has not yet arrived in Holland, due to some miscommunication between Accent and the Dutch distributor. His earlier recording was on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, which has been out of print for some years - hopefully it will be rereleased in their budget Baroque Esprit series some time.

The Philips recording is with Frans Brüggen, and has been reissued by Sony in it's cheap SEON series.

Francine Rene Hall wrote (November 30, 2002):
[To Joost] Thanks for straightening me out! You've been a big help!

Bradley Lehman wrote (November 30, 2002):
Joost Jansen wrote:
< Bart Kuijken's new Bach recording on Accent has not yet arrived in Holland, due to some miscommunication between Accent and the Dutch distributor. His earlier recording was on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, which has been out of print for some years - hopefully it will be rereleased in their budget Baroque Esprit series some time. >
Yes, that first recording by Bart Kuijken (dhm 77026 from 1989) is good; I've had it since it was new. He plays sonatas 1034, 1032, 1039, 1038, 1030, 1035 and partita 1013. And he has an all-star cast with him: his brothers Sigiswald and Wieland, Gustav Leonhardt, and Marc Hantai.

I listened to their 1034 again today after first listening to the excerpt of the new one from Kirk's site. I have to say I like his first recording much better than the Accent remake (on the evidence of that single movement from 1034).

I thought that sample of the Accent recording was somewhat attractive on first listen, but doesn't stand up as well on second, third, and fourth repetitions. To me it seems monochromatic, one-dimensional, and too strict in meter (stiff, impatient, nervous?)...as if presenting an "exciting" surface is the only thing they're trying to accomplish here...and that becomes dull on repetition. The harpsichord sounds clangorous, and the player's articulations don't vary much. Kuijken sounds OK, but that's only half the music.

I think their omission of a bowed-string player on the bass line is a major flaw. That's a valid way to play these pieces, but I think it loses something important: this sonata is a duet between flute and bass line, and the bass often has more interesting "gesture" to it than the flute part does. That sense of line gets lost when the bass part is played only by the harpsichordist's left hand and further obscured by his continuo realization. (And sonata 1035 is even more led by the bass than 1034 is; those of you who will have this disc soon, can you report on how 1035 sounds without a bass-line player?)

That new Accent performance reminds me of the set by Michala Petri and Keith Jarrett: similarly they omit the bass-line player and tend to burn through the movements at top speed, without much nuance along the way. Undoubtedly there are some people who enjoy this style more than I .

I also listened today to the Brüggen/Leonhardt, Stastny/CMW, and Hazelzet/MAK performances of this movement. I like all of them better than what I heard in that Accent sample.

< The Philips recording is with Frans Brüggen, and has been reissued by Sony in it's cheap SEON series. >
The Philips recording that Francine gave us a link to was the one by Maxence Larrieu, not Brüggen's.
Amazon.com

I haven't heard that one, but I do have an LP of the viola da gamba portion of that set (the three sonatas played by Cervera and Puyana). I'm not fond of it; never struck me as very interesting.

Bach's Flute Sonatas

Francine Rene Hall wrote (February 16, 2003):
[To Kirk McElhearn] I'm STILL waiting for Kuijken and friends to ship my order of Bach's Flute Sonatas on Accent from amazon in the UK. What gives? Have you received yours yet, and, if so, your impressions? Thanks so much.

Kirk McElhearn wrote (February 16, 2003):
[To Francine Rene Hall] My order got cancelled by the FNAC, saying it was not available. I have not tried to order it again...

Francine Rene Hall wrote (February 21 2003):
Flute Sonatas (Accent)

[To Kirk McElhearn] I received a welcome CD from the receiving room today -- J.S. Bach's Flute Sonatas with Barthold Kuijken on transverse flute built after I.H. Rottenburgh, Brusssels, ca. 1750); and Ewald Demeyere, harpsichord, after M. Mietke, Berlin, ca. 1702-04). (Accent, ACC22150).

I first heard Bach's flute sonatas by Elaine Shaffer with George Malcolm on Angel. She played on modern flute but with much expressiveness. I tried to repeat the experience with Aurele Nicolet on the Denon label. I wasn't displeased -- how could one not enjoy Bach's joyous sonatas? I took the HIP approach with MAK's Kammermusik set which included the flute sonatas as played by the wonderful Hazelzet.

Now I hear Barthold Kuijken and I am blown away, literally! The sound quality is absolutely superb, the best I've heard yet. And B. Kuijken dives in with sensitive dynamics, beautiful ornamentation and flourishes, taking my breath away. And on top of this, he takes the fast movement of Sonata in C major, BWV 1033 with such speed and accuracy, that I ask if any fellow Bach lovers have heard *anyone* pull off such a feat!

As much as I enjoy my other flute sonatas, B. Kuijken now takes the number one spot for me. And on top of that, he is self-taught!

Francine Rene Hall wrote (February 22, 2003):
Amazon.co.uk: Music: Bach-Flute Sonatas

Well, here's a little review of mine where Kuijken is not afraid to improvise (use ornamentation).
Amazon.co.uk

Disappointing Bach?

Juozas Rimas wrote (January 25, 2004):
Would you care to write which pieces by J. S. Bach you have found disappointing, not on a par with his usual quality? Pieces that feel just masterly but don't grip you, you don't find any interesting musical ideas in them, no matter how many times you listen to them, how many instrumentations, how many different performers.

For instance, the bourree from the 5th French suite and, to a lesser extent, the courante from the 6th French suite still seem to me below the level of the all the wonderful remaining parts of the French suites. Also, I'm going to listen for the 4th time now to the allegro and menuettos from the flute sonata BWV1033 and they still sound quite ordinary to me. In cantatas, I've just listened to the tenor aria from the BWV147 by Equiluz twice and couldn't hear anything really spectacular.

So what are your disappointing Bach pieces (disappointing when compared to other parts of the same work or to the quality of his output in general)?

In short, I wonder what are the pieces that are uninteresting not subjectively but to the informed public opinion as well.

Donald Satz wrote (January 25, 2004):
[To Juozas Rimas] I don't care much for the flute sonatas, but that could be more a reflection of my lack of interest in the flute than the thin quality of the works.

Continue on Part 2