Search - Fasch, Glaetzner, Goritzki :: Oboe Sonatas

Great musicianship and a little-known master

Brooks | Chappaqua, New York USA | 01/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fasch was a contemporary of J.S. Bach, and the great Leipzig master was a great admirer of Fasch. Fasch himself was stuck in an even less congenial work situation than Bach, working as Kapellmeister in the small, philistine court of Anhalt-Zerbst, the same small German court that the future Catherine the Great departed from when she left to marry the semi-retarded heir to the Russian throne. Musically, Fasch sounds similar, only much more interesting and original in sound. His textures and harmonies are much richer and his rhythms are more buoyant. The combination of two oboes, bassoon, and continuo produce a warm, masculine sound that is the musical equivalent of a rich chocolate dessert. The modern instruments add a precision and sharpness of tone that is well-matched for the precision demanded. Although not as original or virtuositic as Jan Dismas Zelenka's brilliant work for the same ensemble, it still is worth buying as a part of this trio sonata repertoire, particularly for this very unusual and rich-sounding combination."