Een middagje Duitse barok

Dorota Matejová, traverso
Christina Kwon, klavecimbel

PROGRAMMA

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Sonate in D-majeur voor traverso en basso continuo, Wq 131
Andante
Allegretto
Allegro

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Fantasie nr. 5 voor fluit zonder bas in C-majeur, TWV 40:6



Christoph Graupner (1683-1760)
Junius in f-mineur, GWV 114 van Monatliche Clavier Früchte (Darmstadt, 1722)

Præludium
Allemande
Air
Courrante
Air
Sarabande
Menuet
Menuet

[pauze]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sonate in b-mineur voor fluit en obligaat klavecimbel, BWV 1030
Andante
Largo e dolce
Presto

This is a musical stroll in one June Sunday afternoon with pieces for the traverso flute and the harpsichord from the German Baroque era—and it is a bit of a musical family event. Although the composers Telemann, Graupner, C.P.E. and J.S. Bach seem rather unrelated at first glance, except the obvious father-son relation, they have all crossed paths and contributed significantly to the core of flute and keyboard repertoire from 18th-century Germany.

Perhaps the most beloved Baroque composer of all times, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), is not only known for his prolificacy in musical output but also in siring physical offspring. Of the many musical talents he bore, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) was one notable, transitioning from his father’s high Baroque musical style into his own empfindsamer Stil, preceeding the Sturm und Drang in the late 18th-century Germany. Carl Philipp, known among his contemporaries as the Emanuel Bach, was a prolific composer for the traverso flute, one of his notable connections being with Frederick the Great of Prussia, who was a traverso player himself. Carl’s flute sonatas, considered golden flute repertoire of the 18th century, carry extremely beautiful melodies and allow space for virtuosity and musicality of the flautist.

The perfect counterpoint and architecture of J.S. Bach’s b-minor sonata for flute and obbligato harpsichord show that it is a trio sonata format of the flute line and the right hand of the obbligato harpsichord being interactive musical equals built on top of a bass line. This absolutely iconic piece for the traverso and harpsichord is one of the most (if not the most) technically and musically challenging flute pieces from the 18th century.
Contrary to his father’s archetype of rigid perfection in counterpoint and structured instrumentation, Carl Philipp takes a more inward-looking personal stance into his traverso sonata with basso continuo. He gives a more melodic, horizontal execution of the basso continuo, rather in contrast to the thick full-voiced execution of harmony seen in the second movement of his father’s sonata.

While we may hold J.S. Bach as one of the greatest, Christoph Graupner (1683-1760) was considered the “star” musician of his day as the Kapellmeister of the Darmstadt Hofkapelle, one of the most prosperous and well-funded Hofkapellen in Germany in its time. In fact, Bach’s cantorate position in Leipzig was considered a very humble one in comparison to Graupner’s. As a young man Graupner had studied law at the University of Leipzig and received music lessons from Johann Kuhnau, then the cantor of Thomasschule in Leipzig, Bach’s predecessor in the post. There is a rather interesting anecdote as Graupner applied for the cantorate position in Leipzig in 1722. Telemann had also applied for the same position but ended up content with his salary increase back in Hamburg. Graupner had been claimed back by Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt with a considerable salary increase as well, that this position had fallen to the next applicant, J.S. Bach.
His Monatliche Clavier Früchte (1722) is an instrumental suite of dances, published each month. Although they do not have much to do with the month per se, the performer as well as the listener may well entertain their own imagination of June in a refreshing harpsichord solo in this program of flute repertoire.

The 12 Fantasias for Flute without Bass (Hamburg, 1732-1733) by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) belong to the core of the 18th-century flute repertoire. Among the very few pieces for flute solo, they explore the different flute tonalities in all their colors, always incorporating a fugue, and offer the performer a beautiful possibility to express one’s fantasy, imagination and musical skills. Fantasia in C major, in the “heroic” tonality (according to J.J. Quantz), starts with a simple opening and continues with a fugue to end with a light allegro dance.

Telemann and Bach’s relations go way back to the start of the 18th century in Leipzig. In 1701 then a law student, Telemann founded the Leipzig Collegium Musicum, which from 1723 peaked into weekly rehearsals and concerts hosted at Gottfried Zimmermann’s Kaffeehaus on Katharinenstraße. Although initiated by Telemann, the Collegium was brought to its highest level by Bach (spanning 1729-1751) and served a central role in the city’s music life. It is also where Bach famously performed his multiple-harpsichord concerti with his sons. Telemann was the godfather of Carl Philipp (middle name Philipp was after Telemann), so one could only imagine not only the carrier-related but also the musical and familial paths they must have crossed. Carl Philipp would have known his father’s and godfather’s flute works very well. This program is, thus, a spectrum and a celebration of music for the flute and the harpsichord in 18th-century Germany from a family of composers.