Composer: Johannes Schenk
Performer: Ensemble Castor
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Challenge Classics
Catalogue: CC72999
Release: 2025
Size: 1.3 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Sonatina II
01. I. Adagio – Allegro – Adagio
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Gigue. Allegro
04. IV. Allemande
05. V. Courante
06. VI. Sarabande. Adagio
07. VII. Gigue
Prelude in stile francese IX
08. I. Vivace
09. II. Allemande
10. III. Courante. Vivace
11. IV. Sarabande
12. V. Gigue
13. VI. Rondeau
Capriccio XVII
14. I. Vivace – Adagio – Allegro
Sinfonia III
15. I. Adagio
16. II. Allemande. Largo
17. III. Courante
18. IV. Sarabande. Adagio
19. V. Gigue. Vivace
Capriccio XIV
20. I. Aria. Allegro – Adagio – Allegro – Adagio
21. II. Allemande
22. III. Courante
23. IV. Sarabande
24. V. Gigue
25. VI. Gigue
Sonatina IV
26. I. Allegro – Adagio
27. II. Allegro
28. III. Aria. Adagio
29. IV. Gigue. Allegro
Fantasia XIII
30. I. Adagio – Allegro – Adagio
31. Capriccio VI
Sonatina XV
32. I. Adagio
33. II. Allemande
34. III. Courante
35. IV. Sarabande. Adagio
36. V. Gigue
The renowned Austrian Ensemble Castor presents the first part of the world premiere recording of Johannes Schenck’s complete Op.7. This is the only workwritten by Schenck for violin and basso continuo.
For some time now, Johannes Schenck has enjoyed a return to popularity as a composer of ingenious and technically demanding music for viola da gamba, but his compositional output in other fields has largely been forgotten.His instrumental music, is nowadays generally recognised, was composed in the tradition of the composer-virtuoso, almost exclusively for the viola da gamba.
The only exception is the undated Opus 7, from the publishing house of Estienne Roger, entitled Suonate a Violino e Violone o Cimbalo, which first appeared in 1699. The two individual part-books of the publication, one for the solo violin, the other for the bass accompaniment, contain a total of 18 numbered pieces.The use of French titles for the dance forms and the title “Prelude in stile
francese” seem at first to point to a strong French influence on Schenck’s Op. 7, as does the fact that the dance movements are consistently in the ordering Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, as was normal practice for a suite in France at the time.
But in fact Schenck cleverly mixes suite and sonata forms with formally free, almost improvisatory movements or entire pieces in the so-called Stylus phantasticus, creating a successful synthesis of elements from French, Italian, and Dutch/North German styles.
This joy in experimentation leads overall to an impressive diversity of form and great richness of contrast, further increased by means of the contrasting characters of the movements, whose spectrum ranges from playful dances to elegiac slow movements
