Delve into the captivating compositions of Johann Friedrich Fasch with Accentus Music's latest CD release, "Fasch: Sonatas," interpreted by Austrian baroque ensemble Barucco. Fasch, renowned as a composer even before assuming the prestigious role of court Kapellmeister in Anhalt-Zerbst in 1722, left an indelible mark on the musical landscape of the Baroque era.

This meticulously curated collection offers a glimpse into Fasch's diverse repertoire, showcasing his skillful fusion of form and melody. It presents the intricate structures as well as the melodic richness of his sonatas, each piece encapsulating Fasch's innovative approach to composition.

Listeners will be enthralled by the intricate interplay of instruments, as exemplified in works like the Sonata in B-flat, where recorder, oboe, violin, and continuo engage in a spirited dialogue. Meanwhile, the Sonata in F presents a delightful blend of two oboes and two bassoons, reflecting Fasch's mastery of chamber music instrumentation.

Performed with precision and passion by Barucco, this recording offers a faithful interpretation of Johann Friedrich Fasch's compositions, allowing audiences to experience the music as it was intended. "Fasch: Sonatas" is a testament to the composer's enduring legacy and a valuable addition to any classical music aficionado's collection.

A recording of Österreichischer Rundfunk (Radio Österreich 1).

As the court music director in Zerbst, Johann Friedrich Fasch had to deal directly with current religious trends and was obliged to occupy himself with Pietism. After all, from the beginning of his tenure there his duties had included the composition of the church music for every court religious service and for all the church feast days. Fasch had a special mission in mind when he penned his cantatas: he was very much interested in having hislisteners not remain indifferent to the texts that were sung. And so he employed all sorts of compositional tricks to capture their attention and to emphasize words of special importance to him. This procedure is impressively revealed already at the beginning of the cantata »Ich danke dem Herrn vom ganzen Herzen.« After a short instrumental introduction the opening Biblical text is presented not as usual by the choir but initially by the solo soprano. Then in the Missa in G major almost all the facets of Fasch’s musical talent are shown; from arias with obbligato solo instruments to grandly dimensioned chorale fugues placing the greatest demands both on the singers and the instrumentalists, it was composed in its entirety for the entertainment and edification of his noble employer and to the glory of God. One of Fasch’s overture suites of extraordinary quality rounds off this album. In his autobiography he acknowledged : "On this occasion I cannot avoid publicly acknowledging that I then learned mostly everything from the beautiful work of my most revered and beloved friend, Mr. Music Director Telemann, by constantly taking the same as a model for me, especially in the overtures".

CPO’s unique anthology of Baroque flute concertos contains not only the recording label’s sensational collections featuring virtuoso recorder concertos of the German, Italian, and English Baroque but also the complete solo recorder concertos of Georg Philipp Telemann, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Antonio Vivaldi. Telemann’s two so very different Concertos in F major and C major, for example, number among the most outstanding Baroque compositions of all for the recorder in a concerto role. Michael Schneider currently has no real rivals- worldwide- on his instrument. In his hands the recorder loses what so often limits its expressive capacity and gains a voice articulating all the musical facets. The complete eighteenth-century repertoire of recorder concertos, or most of it, is now available in performances by Schneider. Listening pleasure and astonishment are guaranteed for all!