Composer: Dietrich Buxtehude
Performer: Les Timbres, Myriam Rignol, Julien Wolfs, Yoko Kawakubo
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Flora
Catalogue: 568036
Release: 2021
Size: 2.45 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
01. Trio Sonata in F Major, BuxWV 252: I. Vivace – II. Lento – III. Allegro – IV. Adagio – V. Andante – VI. Grave – VII. Presto
02. Trio Sonata in G Major, BuxWV 253: I. Lento – Vivace – II. Adagio – III. Allegro – IV. Largo – V. Arioso – Variations Nos.1-5
03. Trio Sonata in A Minor, BuxWV 254: I. Adagio – II. Allegro – III. Lento – IV. Vivace – V. Largo – VI. Presto – VII. Adagio
04. Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major, BuxWV 255: I. Vivace – Allegro – II. Lento – III. Allegro
05. Trio Sonata in C Major, BuxWV 256: I. Vivace – II. (Vivace) – III. Allegro – IV. Largo – V. Allegro – VI. Adagio – Allegro
06. Trio Sonata in D Minor, BuxWV 257: I. Grave – II. Allegro – III. Con discretione – IV. Allegro – V. Adagio – VI. Allegro – VII. Adagio – VIII. Allegro – IX. Adagio – Poco presto – X. Poco adagio – Presto – XI. Lento
07. Trio Sonata in E Minor, BuxWV 258: I. Allegro – II. Largo – III. Presto – IV. Vivace – V. Adagio – VI. Poco presto – VII. Lento – VIII. Prestissimo
CD 02
01. Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major, BuxWV 259: I. Allegro – II. Adagio – III. Allegro – IV. Grave – V. Vivace – Lento – VI. Poco adagio – VII. Presto
02. Trio Sonata in D Major, BuxWV 260: I. Adagio – II. Allegro – III. Largo – IV. Arietta – Parte Nos.1-9 – V. Largo – VI. Vivace
03. Trio Sonata in G Minor, BuxWV 261: I. Vivace – II. Lento – III. Allegro – Lento – IV. Andante – V. Grave – VI. Gigue
04. Trio Sonata in C Minor, BuxWV 262: I. Poco adagio – II. Allegro – III. Lento – IV. Allegro – V. Vivace
05. Trio Sonata in A Major, BuxWV 263: I. Allegro – II. (Adagio) – III. Concitato – IV. Adagio – V. Allegro – Adagio – VI. Presto – VII. Poco presto
06. Trio Sonata in E Major, BuxWV 264: I. Grave – II. Vivace – III. Adagio – IV. Poco presto – V. Lento – VI. Allegro
07. Trio Sonata in F Major, BuxWV 265: I. Adagio – II. Allegro – III. Lento – IV. Vivace – V. Largo – VI. Allegro
Buxtehude’s Opus 1 and Opus 2 Sonatas for violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord belie the composer’s common image as austere and sober. They instead delight the listener with what Johann Mattheson, writing in 1739, called their « unfamilar progressions, hidden ornamentation, and ingenious colourations ». It comes as no surprise to learn that the Sonatas were a great success when they were first published in Germany in the 1690s, in the midst of the fashion for the “stylus fantasticus” (described by Athanasius Kircher in 1650 as “…especially suited to instruments. It is the most free and unrestrained method of composing, it is bound to nothing, neither to any words nor to a melodic subject. It was instituted to display genius, and to teach the hidden design of harmony and the ingenious composition of harmonic phrases and fugues”).
These Sonatas are undoubtedly challenging, which is no doubt why there have been so few complete recordings. For their fourth album, the founding trio of Les Timbres – Yoko Kawakubo, Myriam Rignol, and Julien Wolfs – take up the challenge with brio, joyously returning to their roots in Baroque chamber music to uncover all the intricacies of these very special works.